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Mental skills and personal experiment (17): another athlete’s experience

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Today I discussed the effect of having stopped my mental training with my workout buddy/coach/partner. He is also experimenting with mental rehearsal and meditation. He told me he had interrupted his mental training for about a month and resuming it was very hard. I asked him to describe what he meant by “hard”. He said he was only able to do it twice a week now.

I have resumed my mental practice for about 5 days already. It is still “hard”, but in my case this means: 1. I can endure only short sessions (about 4 minutes for each lift, 12-15 minutes total); 2. I frequently have headaches; 3. I get those stupid mind-tricks every time again.

In my review of the literature I found evidence that mental rehearsal may be useful for learning new skills (Allami et al 2008) and also that observing others performing or imagining oneself performing, as an observatory, produces positive effects (Cisek & Kalaska 2004). This latter evidence came from animal models (monkeys). I am not sure I agree with the methodological approach: first, in the case where researchers concluded that mental rehearsal is useful for LEARNING a skill, as opposed to IMPROVING or TRAINING it, there was no situation comparing a group where 100% of the training sessions were on imaginary settings (mental). The smallest amount of overt execution was 25%, which is not negligible. I would conclude all these people improved an overtly learned skill.

Allami N, Paulignan Y, Brovelli A, Boussaoud D. 2008. Visuo-motor learning with combination of different rates of motor imagery and physical practice. Exp Brain Res. 2008 Jan;184(1):105-13. Epub 2007 Sep 12.

Cisek P, Kalaska JF. 2004. Neural correlates of mental rehearsal in dorsal premotor cortex. Nature. 2004 Oct 21;431(7011):993-6



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Marilia Coutinho, Ph.D.
CREF 059869-P/SP
http://www.bodystuff.org
Tags: eastern techniques, energy, focus, martial arts, meditation, mental rehearsal, mental skill, mental skills, performance, powerlifting, qigong, sports psycholgy, sports psychology, strength sports, stress, tai-chi-chuan, weight lifting, weight training, zhan gong, zhang zhuang
Posted April 20, 2009 at 6:37 PM by marilia05 | Permalink | Comments(2)

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Marilia, rather than reading about mental rehearsal, perhaps you might be better spending some time with a Sports Mental Skills Coach to re-fresh your technique, Just as your physical skills in training need to be applied correctly, you mental skills also need attention. Think about the timing of when you mentally rehearse, and also the relaxation technques you use. Mental rehearsal works very effectively with performance enhancement. It helps to be fully associated (be in the action, using all the senses).

Allan Bancroft, Sports Hypnotherapist Essex & Suffolk.
01206 391193
Posted by allanban | April 23, 2009 at 3:31 AM
You are 100% right, Allan. A few comments: 1. To be fully associated (which I have been calling diffent names here, such as the "participan" role, or being in the first person, etc.) is, as far as my experience goes, the hardest part and the easiest to lose if you discontinue training. 2. What do you mean by timing in this specific method? 3. There is no Sports Mental Skills Coach in thousands of miles from me - not one in this country or continent. I'm pretty much relying on my own resources. Perhaps that's why you identify this disproportionate investment in reading and "costumizing" technique - it is all I have to work with... Thank you very much! Marilia

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Marilia Coutinho, Ph.D.
CREF 059869-P/SP
http://www.bodystuff.org
Posted by marilia05 | April 23, 2009 at 5:46 AM

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