User manual OREGON SCIENTIFIC MIND OVER MATTER

[. . . ] But mental toughness isn't just a pre-requisite for peak physical performance ­ it can also make you a real winner in life, helping you to perform to the best of your ability in everything you do. It starts with setting `smart' goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Recorded and Time-phased. In fitness terms, this is about gradual increases in frequency, intensity and time (the FIT principle) to produce ever-higher results. Decide what's important to you and structure training by adjusting FIT variables to break through fitness and achievement barriers. Research into the mindset of the sporting elite clearly shows they attribute their success (or failure) to factors within their control. [. . . ] `If you believe, you will succeed. ' 2 Focus on the here and now - the race you will run, the putt you are about to make, the ace you will serve. Exclude the opposition's ability, past performances, external distractions from your thoughts. You don't need to go through emotional or physical pain to succeed. Make your goals demanding but realistic. Take one step at a time ­ recognise success may take months, not days. 4 Worry only about the controllables - those things you can change ­ your own performance, training levels, diet, for example rather than uncontrollables like winning, losing and opposition. Once you have these controllables under control, and can score 10 out of 10 on each variable, you can virtually forget about them. 5 Simplify your life in general Prioritise your major goals in life and cut out the less important coulds, shoulds and wants until another time. Create 5 daily `must dos' and concentrate on those alone. Only one in a hundred sports enthusiasts ever fulfil their true potential. Many plateau, hitting what they think is their absolute best and then lose interest and motivation without realising they could go so much further. Our sporting elite should be inspiration to us all. Whilst they have undoubted talent they all agree that mind games play a key part in their success. But it's not just about a positive attitude and self-belief, it's also about understanding how to make your body perform and also how to hurdle the barriers and ignore the distractions. Read on to discover how you can push yourself to achieve your true potential. `The purpose of goals is to focus attention. Vision expands the horizons; distractions and barriers `Negative thoughts lead to a negative performance; the connection is as straightforward as that. The solution is to focus on the race. . . keep the concentration as unbroken as possible and try to change negative thoughts into positive ones. ' 1 Nerves Refocus your thoughts to combat nervousness. Repeat cue words such as calm, relax, easy or flow to keep muscles loose and the mind clear and focused. Shake out hands, shoulders and neck or slowly stretch taut muscles to eliminate tension. Breathe out slowly for 10 seconds while focusing on the movement of the chest and say the word `relax' to yourself, condition exhalation to relaxation ­ the technique requires practice to become a relaxation skill for high pressure situations. 2 Positive reinforcement - When you just can't be bothered, remind yourself just how much better you'll feel afterwards. 3 Demanding routines - Keeping momentum going is never easy. Establish a habit you know you can stick to. [. . . ] Never work above the 50-80% of your maximum heart-rate capacity (roughly 220 minus your age) without expert assistance and guidance. Time (duration) - The length of your training sessions is a further variable. The longer you train the more calories you will burn-off. Hence longer, lower intensity workouts are often complemented by those with a goal of weight loss. [. . . ]