Tight Mind Monday: Countdown to Competition Pt. 2, Training with Urgency
Dec 11, 2017
Tight Mind Monday: Countdown to Competition Pt.2, Training with Urgency
In our first Countdown the Competition segment, we looked at who you want to be every day in the gym. Do you want to be focused, confident, aggressive? In this segment, we will explore how you want to train every day in the gym.
We’ve all heard about training with urgency, but what does that mean? The word urgency means “something of importance requiring swift action.” Isn’t that how we want to approach our gymnastics and competition season? Urgency doesn’t have to mean stressful or anxious. Urgency means having intention, purpose, and persistence on every turn and in every practice.
In this Tight Mind Monday, we will look at two aspects of training with urgency: physically and mentally.
Here Are Your Tight Mind Tips:
When you train with urgency physically, you move from skill to skill or rotation to rotation with a sense of purpose. Everyone can see in your body language that you are on a mission and want to get things done. You move quickly, and with intention. You don’t waste turns. You know that every turn counts and strive to take advantage of them.
Mental urgency is training with a goal orientation and focus. This week, write the days of the week you are training on a piece of paper. Then list a goal on every event that day that will help you be more prepared and confident in competition. It’s important you have a cue word for every focus point. This will help your mind stay tight and activate the correction in your body. Train with mental urgency by focusing on what you want to accomplish every turn. Don’t let your mind wander, becoming mentally lazy. Be vigilant of your cue words and self-talk.
The season is upon us and there is no time to waste. Train with physical and mental urgency this week and see how much progress you can make.
Alison Arnold, Ph.D. has been a peak performance consultant to USA Gymnastics since 1997. For more information on Doc Ali and her work, go to www.headgameswebcamp.com or www.headgamesworld.com
