4 Ways to Improve Mental Game in Training and Competition
This blog was written by DJ Shuttleworth, a weightlifter and coach for Garage Strength Weightlifting. DJ has medaled at the American Open series, as well as posting a top 4 finish at the US Senior National Championships.
In my last blog, 4 Things to Know About Olympic Weightlifting, I discussed how your mental game can make or break you as a weightlifter. This is by far the most challenging component of becoming an elite weightlifter. Here are a couple of ways to improve your mental game:
1. Meditate
Meditation teaches you how to control your mind. How to shut your mind off and also how to focus on the certain objective at hand. This strategy is not easy, but there are plenty of resources that can help you excel at meditation. There are books, DVDs, Youtube videos, and apps to help you create a schedule and learn how to properly meditate.
2. Yoga
Yoga is a great. It not only relaxes the mind, but it also helps you recover. There are many types and forms of yoga, but working directly with a yoga instructor who can program positions that will directly help you for your sport is great. At Garage Strength, Dane’s wife, Caitlin, teaches yoga classes and directly helps the athletes that attend. Keep an eye out for some online Garage Strength yoga in the future!
3. Get off your phone!
During training you should turn your phone off so you can focus on the task at hand and have a solid training session. Being on your phone affects your mental state, you lose focus on what you are trying to fix in your technique, and you also lose track of your rest time. All of these can have a very negative effect on your training.
4. Mental Repetition
Physically doing the movements is very important, but mentally hitting a weight over and over and over again in your head is very beneficial. I love the story Norik Vardanian told Dane about his dad, Yuri Vardanian. I believe the weight was 140k (308lbs) and someone bet him he couldn't hit it without doing a warm-up. Of course one of the greatest weightlifters of all time was going to accept the challenge. No shoes, not ready to lift or anything he took a seat. He sat there thinking about hitting the weight over and over and over again. After a little, Yuri broke a sweat thinking about hitting the rep over and over and over again. He walked up to the bar, grabbed it with a firm hook grip, and snatch 140k barefoot without taking a single warm-up. That is the head and mental state of a champion. That is having the best mental game, ever.