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Motivational Tapes ____________________________________________________________

Some individuals find it useful to buy commercially produced motivational tapes. Several tapes now on the market utilize sessions to enhance relaxation and motivation. You can also purchase tapes that are designed to help your selfconfidence. If you decide to use a commercial tape, make sure that the motivational sessions are preceded by a three to five minute relaxation procedure. There is considerable research that indicates that suggestions that are pained with relaxation are more effective than suggestions alone.

Also, try to find tapes that contain words or phases that will meet your specific needs. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Commercial tapes are generic in nature. Thus, they seldom meet the specific needs of each individual. It goes without saying that tapes developed specifically for enhancing athletic performance are your best bet. If you want my opinion, and you’re going to get it whether you want it or not, you’ll be better off making your own tapes. It’s a lot cheaper, and you can design the tapes to meet your specific need. Like I said before, you know what turns you on better than anyone else.

Covert Training _____________________________________________________

Another way to enhance your mental powers is to paint pictures in your mind or engage in covert training. You don’t have to belong to Shirley McClain’s fan club to do this. It’s not that metaphysical. Actually, what I am talking about here is simply human imagery or visualization.

In recent years, psychologists have identified human imagery as one of the most promising techniques for enhancing performance. There is a good reason imagery is such a hot item…namely it works like r-e-e-a-l well. In point of fact, some research indicates that mental imagery is just as effective in facilitating performance as physical practice.

Covert training is actually no more than mental training. It’s a method in which no overt response is necessary. With this method, the individual mentally or covertly visualizes as vividly as possible the behavior that he is trying to perfect. For instance, if you were trying to improve your piano playing, typing skills, or maybe even your golf game, you would lie down, close your eyes and induce deep muscle relaxation. Once you are totally relaxed, you would then visualize yourself performing the behavior you are trying to improve. By mentally rehearsing the aforementioned scenario, you are preparing yourself for the real life situation. There are a number of reasons this is effective and I am going to tell you what those reasons are.

Internal and External Imagery ___________________________________________________________________________________________

One thing that should concern you is how to visualize. In recent years, sports psychologists have identified two types of mental imagery as it pertains to physical performance and mental conditioning. These are known as internal and external imagery. Generally speaking, internal imagery is kinesthetic imagery in which the athlete perceives his or her task at hand from within one’s body. In this type of imagery, the individuals see the event as if they were looking through their own eyes, but do not see their own bodies. For instance, if you were using internal imagery to visualize yourself squatting, you would see the rack, the bar, and the weights. If you were very good at the technique, you would probably also be able to feel yourself performing the lift.

External imagery, on the other hand, is more visual in nature. In this type of imagery, the individuals see themselves performing as if from afar, or as if they were viewing their own performance on their own screens. Naturally, the question now is which technique is the best one to use?

Well, actually there is no clear cut answer to that question. There is some research which seems to indicate that internal imagery is superior. In all candor though, the research in this area is riddled with considerable methodological inadequacies. In other words, it stinks. Perhaps the best study in this area was conducted by B.D. Hale in 1982. Hale brought a number of world class athletes into his lab and wired their biceps to an electromyography

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(EMG). After the athletes were wired, Hale had them visualize themselves doing curls first using internal imagery, and later external imagery. Hale consistently found that the athletes experienced greater biceps muscle activity as recorded by the EMG when the lifters used internal imagery. Likewise, other electromyographic studies recorded that internal imagery elicited greater EMG activity in muscle groups where a particular exercise or skill was visualized. Naturally, just because internal imagery generates greater muscle EMG activity, this does not mean that it is better in terms of facilitating physical performance. Actually, there are a few studies which have reported that neither method is superior. Considering everything, it would seem that some type of guided combination of the two techniques would be most beneficial. However, if you were to choose, internal imagery would probably be the wisest choice.

Before you use either technique, there are a few other things you need to know about imagery. First of all, research has shown that there seems to be a linear relationship between skill level and the effectiveness of imagery in facilitating performance. Generally speaking, the more skilled the athlete, the more useful mental rehearsal techniques will be to them.

For instance, research has consistently shown that highly skilled athletes benefit more from imagery than novice athletes.

This is probably due to the fact that highly skilled athletes have a much clearer concept of what constitutes perfect form for the skill they are developing. Interestingly, there are some studies which actually indicate that for world class athletes, mental practice can actually be more beneficial than physical practice.

It is also important to note that if you visualize improper techniques or inappropriate responses, it may actually cause a decrement in performance. If an athlete visualizes himself performing skills with imperfect form, he is actually programming his mind and body to perform the skills improperly. It’s the old mind conceives, body believes trick. In short, the body is just as capable of learning the wrong response as it is of learning the correct response. The research is clear on this point. In actuality, it has been found that negative imagery is more powerful in causing decrements in performance than positive imagery is in facilitating athletic performance. For this reason, it is imperative that you thoroughly understand the biomechanics of the sport you are participating in.

In my powerlifting training, I went to great lengths to obtain biomechanical analysis of the form I wanted in each skill. For example, I had a series of cameras set up to photograph my lifts from different angles, concentrating all the while on using correct form. I had a cartoonist and a biomechanics expert devise a series of drawings that portrayed the affected muscle groups for each segment of the lift. This was of value in my imagery training because it provided me with a clear picture of myself executing lifts while employing perfect form. In the event that you do not have access to such sophisticated personnel, you may approximate what I attempted to achieve by acquiring a copy of Gray’s Anatomy and examining the muscle insertion, movement, and enervation required to perform the skill you want to perfect. It may not be necessary to go to such great lengths, but the more you understand about the biomechanics of the skill, the more effective your imagery training will be.

Without question, imagery is a skill that requires considerable practice and hard work. However, once you perfect it, your performance will increase significantly. I flat guarantee it.

Guidelines for Visualization Training __________________________________________________________________________________________________

In order to use mental imagery effectively, there are a few simple guidelines you will need to follow:

1. Induce Deep Muscle Relaxation Research has consistently revealed that imagery combined with relaxation is significantly more effective than imagery alone. Actually, relaxation is an excellent method for desensitizing fear and anxiety.

Understand that relaxation and anxiety are antagonistic to each other. It is impossible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time. When an individual achieves deep muscle relaxation, he cannot experience anxiety or the physiological arousal associated with the stimulus. Thus, by

Children should be taught how to visualize at a young age.

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continually pairing an anxiety or fear-provoking stimulus with deep muscle relaxation, the subject will eventually learn to relax in the presence of the stressful stimulus. I will talk more about the significance of relaxation in chapter 5 on relaxation strategies. Still, it is an important concept to understand, and some times saying things more than once drives the point home.

Okay! I know that you know I get paid by the word. Hay! Give me a break here.

Anywho, even if the situation is not that stressful, it is still to your advantage to mentally rehearse your performance while under deep muscle relaxation, because in essence, you are developing an association reflex between your performance and deep muscle relaxation. In this manner, your chances of being calm and composed while engaging in the behavior will be greatly enhanced. The ability to bring about deep muscle relaxation while in stressful situations will not only improve your performance in those situations, but also allows you to resist burning up valuable energy by controlling your anxiety level.

2. Visualize as Vividly as Possible Research has revealed that the more vivid an individual can visualize the behavior he is practicing, the more significant the improvement. As mentioned, individuals differ in their ability to form mental images. Some individuals can visualize in technicolor, others in black and white, and some individuals claim that they can only think in words rather than in pictures. As with any skill, the ability to visualize will improve with practice. The more you practice, the better you will get at producing vivid imagery. When you visualize something, you should be able to focus on the image vividly. You should be able to see the image, its shape, color, and all the sensations associated with it. In imagery training, the visual, auditory, olfactory, taste, tactile, and kinesthetic senses are all important. By using all your senses, you will be able to create more vivid images. Even the emotions associated with your various experiences are important in practicing imagery. In using imagery to desensitize anxiety, fear, or anger, you must be able to recreate those emotions in your mind.

One thing that you can do to improve your visualization skills is to become more observant. When you are training or competing, take mental notes of your surroundings. Try to become more aware of all the sensations that are present…sights, sounds, and smells. Also, try to be more conscious of the feelings you are experiencing during this time.

Focus on your strengths: feelings of power, confidence, and success are the types of feelings you want to mentally record. It’s a good idea to mentally rehearse successful experiences right after they occur, if possible. Close your eyes and vividly see the skill that you have just performed. Once again, make sure that your mental images are as you would see them through your own eyes. It cannot be overemphasized that, as with any skill, the more you practice, the more proficient you will become. In brief, the more you visualize, the more your visualization skills will improve.

3. Mental Rehearsal Recent studies have revealed that the best results are obtained when individuals use mental images, which include movement or action, rather than static position. According to Lars Eric, a renowned researcher in psychophysiology, “More positive results were found when individuals were instructed to use mental images of action than when they created mental images that focused on static mental pictures.” Because motion is essential to any performance, movement and one’s response to changing circumstances created by movement must be included in mental rehearsal. Consequently, to get the best results from your mental imagery training, you should create moving mental images that will allow you to respond fully to your environment.

4. Use Internal Imagery Although the research is not entirety in accord, it seems that internal imagery may allow more realistic images than external imagery. Internal imagery seems to help the individual to become more aware of how his body feels during the performance. Concisely, try to visualize your performance as if you were seeing it through your own eyes rather than through the eyes of a spectator. Try not to visualize your performance as if you were standing back and watching it. Take more of an active part, live the performance, feel it as if it were actually taking place right then and there. Note however, if you tend naturally to imagine externally or if you don’t feel comfortable with internal imagery, feel free to use external imagery.

5. Be Realistic About What You Visualize For instance, if you are typing 20 words a minute, you wouldn’t want to visualize yourself typing 150 words a minute. Research has revealed that unrealistic imagery is significantly less effective than imagery that is realistic and consistent with the individual’s ability. Obviously, mental imagery is not magic. It cannot take you beyond your genetic parameters. In a word, it is better to visualize a performance that is just out of reach rather than imagining one that is completely unrealistic.

6. Never Use Imagery That Is Negative

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Visualize only positive mental images. Remember that you can learn negative responses as well as positive ones.

Therefore, never picture yourself doing anything wrong. Always see yourself as being confident, relaxed and positive.

I cannot over emphasize that, as with any skill, the more you practice visualizing, the more proficient you will become. In short, the more you visualize, the more your power of visualization will improve. With a little imagination, you can see how this type of conditioning could be used to increase your self-confidence, motivation, and assertiveness. Better yet, it grants you the ability to program your mind and body to act as a positive person would act. Think, act, and most importantly, see yourself as being confident and self-assured. END OF STORY!