If you’re interested in that topic that is.
I’m here for Prime Time, we can discuss what moves you, or anything else that seems interesting. Me, I’m interested in EVERYTHING. So what would you like to bat around tonight?
Coach,
What do you think is the best way to mentally prepare/motivate oneself to lay it all out on the table.
How do you prepare an athlete for something like the olympics where he/she should be basically setting his/her PR or die trying.
I’m currently 11 months and 1 week out from Ironman where I hope to clench a spot for the World Championship in Kona. Wondering if you have a few tips to really get yourself out there to go till the last drop.
Honestly, I spend more time trying to get athletes to back off than I do to get them amped up. In instances where I do need to motivate them, I basically try to get a window into their basic personality…are they more motivated by the thought of success or the fear of failure for example. Then I go from there. tell me about why you’re doing this competition? what’s in it for you as they say?
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
Coach,
What do you think is the best way to mentally prepare/motivate oneself to lay it all out on the table.
How do you prepare an athlete for something like the olympics where he/she should be basically setting his/her PR or die trying.
I’m currently 11 months and 1 week out from Ironman where I hope to clench a spot for the World Championship in Kona. Wondering if you have a few tips to really get yourself out there to go till the last drop.
[/quote]
[quote]Charles Staley wrote:
Honestly, I spend more time trying to get athletes to back off than I do to get them amped up. In instances where I do need to motivate them, I basically try to get a window into their basic personality…are they more motivated by the thought of success or the fear of failure for example. Then I go from there. tell me about why you’re doing this competition? what’s in it for you as they say?
[/quote]
My entire life was based around team sports. Unfortunately, most of it was me being too passionate for the rest of the team. I wanted the team to keep pushing to be our best and it just wasn’t kosher for the rest of the team. I didn’t measure it in winning so much as effort. Practicing, nutrition, etc.
This is where my passion for triathlon was built. Your success is not built on someone else. The sport was designed with a you vs. the earth mentality. Nothing about it really allows you to directly be affected (positive or negatively) by another competitor. So really, you directly get out what you put in. I just can’t find that many other examples of this in the world. I love it for that because of the many times I’ve felt screwed in my life.
My venture and drive in the sport first was on fear of failure. That has passed after my first triathlon. I’d assume that no matter how many Ironmans you have done the fear of failure is there to the finish line. I guess you could say the drive is the success.
I like the push the passion. I also find glory in knowing that I could be out there among world champion athletes and come home and no one knows it. Its like the pride and glory bundled inside. As awkward as it sounds, In the end I could care less who knows I made it or not but the fact that I made it was a pride to me. I started a thread here to keep myself going and the support was shocking and a great boost
Here is a big tip into my metal side. The Kona slots go to the top 2 spots in each age group. If the spot is declined it would be handed down to the next person (3rd). I was having this discussion with my friends: If I placed 3rd and the number 1 or number 2 spot declined… would I take it. I know if I had to make the decision now I would decline the spot as well.
Do you find that most athletes overtrain?
Why do you prefer an abbreviated program for most people and athletes? By brief, I mean low number of exercises?
What do you think about things like: basic tumbling for basic athleticism, plank/static holds for the core,jump rope, etc? Once you become advanced, do you even need that kind of stuff?
[quote]BPC wrote:
Do you find that most athletes overtrain?
[/quote]
YES YES YES YES…what I’m trying to say here is YYYYEEEESSS. OK?
With all tyhe variables that you can be juggling, I feel that you’re better off (usually, there can be exceptions) choosing 2-4 drills that cover as musch territory as possible, and then just working the snot out of them. usually if you do more than that, you’ve got too much redundancy OR you’re doing things that aren’t important.
[quote]
What do you think about things like: basic tumbling for basic athleticism, plank/static holds for the core,jump rope, etc? Once you become advanced, do you even need that kind of stuff?[/quote]
Probably not, but again, there can always be exceptions.
Well I’m guessing you’re like one of my typical clients…your motivation level is well intact I’m guessing. Or am I wrong?
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
My entire life was based around team sports. Unfortunately, most of it was me being too passionate for the rest of the team. I wanted the team to keep pushing to be our best and it just wasn’t kosher for the rest of the team. I didn’t measure it in winning so much as effort. Practicing, nutrition, etc. [/quote]
[quote]Charles Staley wrote:
Well I’m guessing you’re like one of my typical clients…your motivation level is well intact I’m guessing. Or am I wrong?
[/quote]
Motivation is well in tact I would say. The biggest issue is getting the guts to push it earlier then push it later.
I always have too much energy to really sprint at the finish. I guess the problem lies in motivating oneself to really push it a bit earlier than comfortlevel.
Say at the .5mile remaining point than the .15 mile remaining point.
I would say you’ve got to develop/explore those little mental 'tricks" that we alll play with ourselves, eh?
I’m sure you’re familiar with what i’m talking about…
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
Charles Staley wrote:
Well I’m guessing you’re like one of my typical clients…your motivation level is well intact I’m guessing. Or am I wrong?
Motivation is well in tact I would say. The biggest issue is getting the guts to push it earlier then push it later.
I always have too much energy to really sprint at the finish. I guess the problem lies in motivating oneself to really push it a bit earlier than comfortlevel.
Say at the .5mile remaining point than the .15 mile remaining point.
[/quote]
You know what I hate as far as motivation goes? I hate it when the spotter talks to me, especially if he’s doing some kinda “Come on, you pussy!” thing. I just don’t get anything out of that meathead stuff. To each his own though.
I’m envisioningg a “King Of Queens-esque” sitcom scene here, to funny. Like you don’t even know the guy’s name and he’s shouting insult at you.
I should visit commercial gyms more, I feel like I may be out of the loop…
[quote]Chris Shugart wrote:
You know what I hate as far as motivation goes? I hate it when the spotter talks to me, especially if he’s doing some kinda “Come on, you pussy!” thing. I just don’t get anything out of that meathead stuff. To each his own though.
[/quote]
Have any of you seen an athlete get too psyched up to the point that their nervousness can effect their lifts?
I found that at my first PL competition, I felt drained of energy most of the day, even with a fair amount of sleep and a good amount of food.
I also found this to be the case before and during my first wrestling match ever (still remember it like it was yesterday).
One thing that I find that helps me get up for my workouts is anticipating what I’m going to be doing at the gym long before I get there. I visualize what exercises I’m going to be doing, and try to get excited about doing them.
Absolutely. Through experience you eventually learn how to reach but not surpass your optimal level of arousal.
Competitive lifting venues pose their own set of unique challenges…most especially, timing your arm-up attempts, which can be a real art-form.
[quote]SWR-1222D wrote:
Have any of you seen an athlete get too psyched up to the point that their nervousness can effect their lifts?
I found that at my first PL competition, I felt drained of energy most of the day, even with a fair amount of sleep and a good amount of food.
I also found this to be the case before and during my first wrestling match ever (still remember it like it was yesterday).
One thing that I find that helps me get up for my workouts is anticipating what I’m going to be doing at the gym long before I get there. I visualize what exercises I’m going to be doing, and try to get excited about doing them.[/quote]
For a couple of years I worked as a Fitness Coach at a health club. My job was basically to integrate new members into the club and give them a jumping off point, then track them for 6 months, all with the goal of retaining them as members (i.e., keeping their dues coming in). I’d say 90% of the new members I worked with were your typical deconditioned adults, with not a lot of intrinsic desire to exercise. Kind of like “I need to do this to not die but it ain’t going to be fun” or “I need to do this to improve my self image/esteem but it’s going to be hell.”
It was always difficult to illicit that desire to train (or do yoga, or a water aerobics class, or whatever) in someone who didn’t have it. How do you motivate someone who isn’t open to the possibility of enjoying the experience of exercise in and of itself? I tried bringing fond memories of active youth to the surface, such as the rush of riding one’s bike down a hill fast or playing tag with one’s friends, but it was difficult to make a smooth transition visually and emotionally from youth to relatively miserable middle age.
I got pretty burned out trying to do this with at best weekly contact with the members, and as a result switched gears a little to try personal training, thinking if given more time with an individual the possibility they could begin to enjoy the actual exercise itself increased. Am I way off on this? How did it come about that we became so enthusiastic with what we do, and saw it as a normal and necessary part of life? I don’t remember a defining moment. Sorry for the thread hijack and me just thinking out loud.
I do think you’ve got to hit rock bottom first, at least for a lot of people. Tony Robbins says that you’ll only change when the negative consequences of your behavior begin to outweigh the positives.
There’s a lot of truth in that
[quote]Norweige wrote:
For a couple of years I worked as a Fitness Coach at a health club. My job was basically to integrate new members into the club and give them a jumping off point, then track them for 6 months, all with the goal of retaining them as members (i.e., keeping their dues coming in). I’d say 90% of the new members I worked with were your typical deconditioned adults, with not a lot of intrinsic desire to exercise. Kind of like “I need to do this to not die but it ain’t going to be fun” or “I need to do this to improve my self image/esteem but it’s going to be hell.”
It was always difficult to illicit that desire to train (or do yoga, or a water aerobics class, or whatever) in someone who didn’t have it. How do you motivate someone who isn’t open to the possibility of enjoying the experience of exercise in and of itself? I tried bringing fond memories of active youth to the surface, such as the rush of riding one’s bike down a hill fast or playing tag with one’s friends, but it was difficult to make a smooth transition visually and emotionally from youth to relatively miserable middle age.
I got pretty burned out trying to do this with at best weekly contact with the members, and as a result switched gears a little to try personal training, thinking if given more time with an individual the possibility they could begin to enjoy the actual exercise itself increased. Am I way off on this? How did it come about that we became so enthusiastic with what we do, and saw it as a normal and necessary part of life? I don’t remember a defining moment. Sorry for the thread hijack and me just thinking out loud.[/quote]
Hey Charles,
I would like to ask you a question about my bench press. When training for speed which I do once a week with the other session devoted to maximum strength. On my first rep about an inch or 2 before I touch my chest the bar alwasy slows down. Thus my second and third rep are faster than my first. Do you know how to correct this? My training weight is exactly 50% of my 1RM and it does not feel heavy in the least. Have you ever seen anyone else wit this problem? Anyway, I would love to hear what you have to say.
Thanks!
Charles,
I am about to go on a cycle of EDT, any quick advice. Read your articles on here and some of the other sites. Thinking about the video, but money is a bit tight right now. Thanks.
Thoughts on Paul Chek
Thanks for taking the time
What kind of thoughts are you interested in?
[quote]clonewars2000 wrote:
Thoughts on Paul Chek
Thanks for taking the time[/quote]
Charles,
In your 15 keys to success article you said to “fake it till you make it.” I would like you to expand on this idea.
Can one do this in all areas of life?
Does one do it all times?
If I’m trying to change a limiting behavior, what does one do when the old behavior creeps in?