Jan 29, 2015Building Physical Confidence
By Peter Twist
As physically active individuals, we all take mobility for granted when every day our mind commands our muscles and they easily comply with just the right type of movement and appropriate force production. At Twist Sport Conditioning, we call this Smart Muscle®. With each repeated action, our mind to muscle communication pathways strengthen and like building muscle, each successful action that our mind commands, our physical confidence grows.
Define Physical Confidence
Physical confidence is the assurance that when your mind commands your body to move, your muscles comply. With physical confidence, ice hockey players explosively battle on the boards knowing their opponent will never knock them off the puck or a snow boarder bravely jumps into a double black diamond run with exhilaration and speed knowing it’s fun, not fear, that makes their heart beat faster.
Confidence Breeds Success
If an athlete trusts his or her body, and knows that it is compliant (does what it is told by the brain) he or she can move to a higher level of competitive drive and take more intelligent risks in sport. Confidence to try new strategies and tactics helps elevate their game and gives them a competitive edge. Dedicated athletes push their boundaries in every rep or every workout knowing that their body will break down, rebuild and be ultimately stronger.
The best athletes are so skilled in their sport that they make success look easy to the untrained observer, leaving the impression that with a little extra training anyone can match their accomplishments. In fact, sports success is so complex and there are so many variables that it becomes a big challenge to uncover the ingredients that need to be combined to achieve the desired results at the most critical times.
More Than Physical Strength
Though having the right physical attributes is important, they are not the only contributor to success. When developing athletes, we typically focus on physical size, speed, quickness, power, agility, coordination, flexibility, strength, and endurance. Each sport requires a different combination of these physical characteristics for success. It is important to evaluate athletic abilities in each of these physical attributes to uncover strengths and weaknesses that can be developed through a sport-conditioning program. The development of physical confidence helps the best athletes excel because the synergy between mind and muscle gives them another ingredient in the recipe to long term success.
Essential for All Athletes
Physical confidence is not just for elite athletes. Kids, youth, young adults, adults, and older adults all want a body they can trust and muscles they can depend on in an instant. Imagine slipping on ice and wondering if your core control will keep you in balance, or smashing down hard with the potential of a fracture as a reality. For the older adult, physical confidence means independent living, safety and mobility–all critical factors for everyday performance.
Do you help your athletes build their physical confidence? It is important to provide regular challenges and then help them see that every type of physical success in every workout reinforces mind to muscle communication that fuels the ability to execute any movement desired – this empowers them! Building Smart Muscle® where the focus is not just on appearance gains, but on building a body that moves well and is responsive to the mind, gives your athletes the tools they need for success today and for all future activities. Life is a Sport, play hard!
Peter Twist, MSc BPE CSCS TSCC-Gold PTS is President of Twist Conditioning’s 3 divisions: franchised Sport Conditioning Centers, product wholesale and the Twist Smart Muscle® Coach Education program. To learn more about the Twist training methodologies, education and equipment available in the USA contact www.twistconditioning.com.
