How To Get Your Head in the Game - The Official Blog of Bas Rutten

MENTALLYFIT
By Dana Robinson
How
To Get
Your
Head
in the
Game
Big events have a way of bringing
an inordinate amount of energy
into our lives. We imagine exactly
what victory would feel like (our
congratulate us, how we would
look holding that championship
trophy), but that energy can
also manifest itself in the form
of dread: What if I choke? Am I
really prepared for this challenge?
And it’s exactly that mixed grab
bag of emotions that have the
power to either propel us toward
victory or keep us stalled at the
starting gate. We’ve turned to
the experts to get their take on
ways to help you clear out the
mental clutter and emotionally
prepare yourself for the next big
challenge. Whether it’s the big
new weight-loss challenge, right
ways to get your head in the
game and claim victory.
28 WWW.MAXMUSCLE.COM
ı SEPTEMBER 2013
Get Centered
tell them that somewhere there is a
person who is going to push through
this, and someday they are going to
face off against [him],” said Brian
Durbin, owner of Fitness Together in
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. “I ask
them if they are prepared to lose
[against that person.]”
But even if your challenge isn’t a
Whether you get there mentally or
physically, many professional athletes
take time out before a big challenge
would go…to the beach early in the
morning and just stand at the water
looking at the sun and soak it in,”
said MMA World Champ Bas Rutten.
“A good trick is to do a very heavy
running drill on the treadmill early in
the morning to clear your mind. And
new workout, physical preparation is
still a key factor in approaching the
task. While you might not be able to
complete the workout perfectly the
a calming place if you don't live near
the beach. Rutten uses this serenity
during a match if things aren’t going
in his favor. “The most important thing
to begin the task and it will eventually
see you through to the completion
of the challenge. “Knowing you are
physically ready for the challenge
added.
said. “And pays huge dividends.”
Physical Preparation
Focus
Knowing that your body is capable
of taking on the task at hand makes
it easier to confront any physical
challenge. And the only way to get to
that place is to push yourself harder
than the other guy. “When I am
working with athletes and they tell me
that they can’t go anymore, I simply
If you ask any victorious athlete
what he was thinking about during
the most intense moments of the
championship game, you probably
won’t hear answers like, “the terrible
weather we’ve been having,” or “I
was just focusing on the pain in my
right knee.” First-class athletes make
MAX HUMAN PERFORMANCE
a habit of staying laser-focused on the
goal until the task is complete. Steve
Siebold, former professional athlete
and author of 177 Mental Toughness
Secrets of the World Class refers to
this as “compartmentalizing emotions.”
It ensures that no outside distractions
wiggle their way into the athlete’s
purview. “If I’m working with a PGA
Tour pro, for example, I want to make
sure that he’s focused on one thing
and one thing only – winning that
tournament,” said Siebold. “Any slight
deviation in the performer’s mindset
can make the difference between a win
and a loss.”
Once you have the tools that are
required to approach a new task, the
only thing standing between yourself
and victory is your personal level of
skill and talent. But we all know that
match for an opponent who wants to
win more than you do. It’s that drive,
determination and mental acuity that
will keep you coming back to face
the challenge when things go wrong
(and they always will). And the ones
who “show up,” both mentally and
physically, are the ones who succeed
every single time. MS&F
TM
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