Training for a sport is a rigorous process. It requires discipline, focus, and hard work. And that’s just the physical aspect of it all! You also have to be mentally prepared for what's ahead. In fact, many athletes recommend practicing mental toughness training as much (if not more) than they do actual physical training. Luckily for us, there are plenty of ways to build up your mental toughness so you can get through those grueling workouts with more confidence every time!
Know when to back off
- If you're injured, stop training
- If you're sick, stop training
- If you're tired or overworked, stop training (and get some rest)
Practice resting
Resting is important for recovery, and doing nothing isn't always the best way to rest. Instead of taking a break from training altogether, try doing something different that day--like going for a walk or taking a yoga class.
If you're not feeling well or if your body hurts, stop training (and get some rest).
Rely on the experts
If you're injured and need to take time off from training, it's important to get a second opinion from a doctor or trainer. If your coach is telling you that an injury will keep you sidelined for a few weeks, but the doctor recommends six weeks or more of rest, it is best to follow the doctors advice--even if it means missing out on important competitions.
While your coaches may know what works best for athletes in general; each athlete has unique strengths and weaknesses which may require different approaches when training. A good rule of thumb is: if something doesn't feel right during exercise (or any other activity), stop immediately! If something hurts after exercising at full capacity--whether related or not--then take some time off before returning back into action again with lower intensity activities first before gradually increasing back up again over time until reaching full capacity once again
Keep a training journal
Keeping a training journal is an excellent way to keep track of your progress. It can be helpful in seeing how you are doing and what you need to improve on, but it also helps motivate athletes because they get to see their improvement over time.
A training journal can be as simple as writing down what you did in the gym and how you felt. You could also include the weight lifted, sets/reps performed and rest between sets. If you keep track of this information over time, it will help you to see trends that show which methods work best for your body type (strength vs. endurance) and goals (muscle gain vs. fat loss).
By tracking data such as weight lifted, sets/reps performed and rest between sets, you can use this information later when looking for ways to improve your performance or recover from injury.
If you're experiencing pain during exercise, then take some time off. It's better to be safe than sorry! If you're unsure about how to proceed with your workout, consult a physical therapist for guidance.
Find a qualified sport psychologist for advice and guidance.
If you want to improve your mental game, consider finding a qualified sport psychologist for advice and guidance. Sport psychologists can help athletes with their mental game, physical game and nutrition as well. They can provide psychological support, as well as advice on how to handle pressure and stress. They can also provide training advice, as well as recovery tips that will keep you on track during competition season.
Sport psychologists can help you improve your performance by teaching you how to focus better, manage distractions and control emotions.
Use technology to your advantage.
You need to use technology to your advantage. While it's not going to make you a great athlete, it can help you train smarter and track your progress as an athlete.
A great piece of technology is a heart rate monitor. If you're going for a run or doing other types of cardio exercise, wear a heart rate monitor so that you know how hard your body is working at any given time during the workout. This will help prevent injury by ensuring that the intensity level of each session doesn't go beyond what is safe for your current fitness level or age group (i.e., children should never be running at maximum intensity). In addition, knowing how fast or slow each workout was will allow us as coaches/trainers/parents etc more accurately plan future workouts based off previous results--and thus avoid boredom with unchanging routines!
A GPS watch is another piece of technology that is good to utilize. If you're going for a run or doing other types of cardio exercise, wear a GPS watch so that you know how far you went and how fast each mile was. This will allow us as coaches/trainers/parents etc more accurately plan future workouts based off previous results--and thus avoid boredom with unchanging routines.
Embrace mental toughness training programs that have been proven to work for athletes in similar sports and events as yours.
Mental toughness training programs are effective.
There are many mental toughness training programs that have been proven to work for athletes in similar sports and events as yours. Mentally tough athletes are more likely to succeed than those who are not mentally tough, so if you want to be successful at your sport, it's important to embrace these types of programs and train with them regularly!
Consider retiring if you are injured
Unless you're willing to go through rehabilitation, research suggests that injured athletes who continue to train past their injuries will become less motivated and more depressed than those who stop training entirely after an injury occurs.
Conclusion
In the end, it's up to you as an athlete to decide how much effort and energy you want to put into training. But if you want to maximize your chances of success, then these eight methods should be part of your regimen.
