Post Competition Depression or “come down”. The fastest way to finish your relationships!

Post competition Depression

Some of you, if you happen to be lucky or possibly not that much of a cerebral use, may never have experienced this, but for those of us that have, if can be debilitating, distressing and make us wonder for a short while if we will compete again along with our lives falling down around our ears and alienating every loved one we ever had.

Good, now we have all that out of the way.

Post Competition Depression is a syndrome which occurs after the build up to and execution of an event you were preparing to peak and perform for.

After all the weeks months and possibly years or preparation, drive, determination and effort that has gone into a pre competition cycle, all your sights and direction are towards that one event.

It usually manifests itself in the form of post competition lethargy to a degree, a drop in performance for the short term, irritability, difficulty in communication or reluctance, problems with simple processing tasks eg “I just cant think” and a tiredness on a physical and mental basis.

You will also have a change in chemistry as well.

For those who have been following my articles, will know that our thought processes and “what” we think and feel will dictate what part of the brain we are using and therefore the chemical and hormonal reaction.

So, if you have been having directed thinking about a specific challenge/task/competition and building up to that, the combination of different thoughts will probably have produced a really good graduated increase of adrenal function. Hadnt you noticed the closer it came to the competition, the palpitations or raised heart rate, the heightened sense of awareness either in a positive or negative way?

So this all builds physically and accordingly, mentally over that period of time as your body, directed by your brain, prepares for that one ultimate state of readiness.

And then, suddenly, its over.

Suddenly – everything you have been working for, training for, thinking about, pushing yourself to the limit for is done – finished – over.

Lets put this in perspective – on a really unemotional functional level, all that is now happening is that there will be a change in the physiology as the body is no longer preparing for a state of “readiness” so that heightened adrenal function will drop causing a feeling of “sluggishness” and possible fatigue. Also – the heightened sense of awareness and that sharpness you had will also reduce to a lower level before it returns to normal.

Now the physical stuff will usually take around 1 to 2 weeks to return to a normal balance but will also help if the psychological approach is dealt with as well – which is, well, the reason I am writing this.

So lets get all fluffy for a moment. Emotionally you can either go through a feeling of emptiness or swing the other way and have an array of emotions or be “emotional”.

From a cognitive aspect your ability to “process information” may be difficult and simple tasks may also seem like you are having to wade through cotton wool to work things out.

Irritability and a few moods swings thrown in there make you generally a delightful person to be around and an over “cant be arsed” state of mind may follow.

Now – just remember this is caused by actual physical chemical and hormonal changes but ALSO this is contributed to by the change in focus and therefore brain function.

To lessen the symptoms there is a check of things to do. I’m not going to say it will stop it happening but it will be easier to manage and the symptoms will dull down and in a couple of weeks you will be motoring again!

1)      Accept it happens. Acceptance is the best starting point to make change. I am not suggesting that because you “expect it to happen” then it will. What I am suggesting is that by being aware you MAY feel like this you have a way to overcome it.

2)      Ideally before the next competition, have a date for the next competition after that and map out a training strategy for it in a logical format. If that isn’t possible because it is maybe a qualifier etc, then identify a “plan B” so that you have a focus as soon as you compete. This will keep the focus and help you feel less in a void post competition.

3)      Put in place “boundaries” prior to competing. IE make others aware you might need a week or so to recover and may not be enthusiastic about engaging in certain things. This gives you time out to allow balances to settle.

4)      Plan something for after the competition that you will feel “alive” with. In other words something which might help to raise the adrenalin a little so that you don’t  crash and gives you an additional focal point.

5)      Be aware that irritability and moods swings might occur so either forewarn others or remove yourself from situations you might regret! If neither is possible – even just being aware that it might happen allows you an element of control over it and you will be more likely to recognise it if happens and therefore control it better.

6)      You may go into a negative spiral as well and start to dissect your performance. At this point focus on what you WANT to achieve now and the steps you will take to achieve it. While you are in this state of mind don’t even think about rationally deconstructing your performance as it wont work and you unlikely to be objective. Either let others do that or WAIT until you are through this and more level.

7)      Your immune system may also be at a low ebb as remember your entire physiological state has been wound tight like a spring waiting for the moment of performance. Try and supplement with Vit C, Zinc, Vit E and anything else you feel may help your immune system.

8)      Failing all that,  lock yourself in a darkened room with your protein shakes and don’t come out for 2 weeks.

This is something which is rarely discussed but affects many of us and that’s me included in this. Yes, we usually just get on with it but would it be easier if we understood what it was and were able to deal it to smooth the passage between one competition and the next through a little better?

Remember that the better you get, the more the pressure will increase and so the more the possibility this might happen as it becomes more serious.

You right to compete and achieve those dreams you always thought were untouchable are yours in reality and you can make them happen with the determination, discipline, drive and focus that has got you this far.

Remember – its not just about the competition, its about everything else that surrounds it and that includes what happens post competition to push you onto the next stage and the next level up.

http://www.ironpsyche.com

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When it feels like you cant go on – Losing momentum towards competition

For many of us as we are coming up to a competition and it has been a long hard build up, or having a succession of competitions with no down time between build ups – we start losing momentum.

The physical push all the time and increasing intensity and work load can leave you feeling tired and sore a lot of the time and keeping your eye on the goal can start to wander. The occasional “shit I just want this over now” or “can I really do another training session” leaps into your thoughts and the drive you had at the start of the build-up or beginning of the series of competitions winds down like the batteries going on your MP3 player.

For a lot of us this doesn’t mean we don’t want to compete – the decision that this is what we want to do is there and if asked, we would 100% say that this was the goal and mean it BUT this is where the crossover between mental and physical will becomes imperative.

So many of the people I have worked with experience this and its something I’m going through right now. It wasn’t until Brian Rose, in his wonderful honesty came out and said publicly he was tired after 3 consecutive build ups to fights with only 2 weeks off over 7 months that I thought it might be an idea to write up an article about it instead of just working through this with clients……..and also myself.

So there you are, ready to go. You have your eye on the competition/fight and your every waking minute is filled with the fire and drive towards it. Your routines for your food, training, daily regime are all in place and no one and nothing is going to move it. You have energy which is partially fuelled by the enthusiasm and focus to put everything in place to make this happen and win plus an unshakeable determination.

As the weeks count down and your body begins to get pushed on the build-up, the training gets heavier and harder, the intensity increases and you push towards that peak so  the physical side of your momentum begins to slow especially if you are having to make weight and drop kilos as well as step up training. At this point this is where a majority of people would give up as this is where mental aspect and crossover takes place.

While it feels like you are physically dragging your feet through mud, even though you know that this is all so you will peak completely on the day, it’s the mental drive that gets you into the gym or on the run etc to keep you pushing on. This is where real Champions develop mental toughness and true focus as the psychological will to continue in fact creates the physical ability to go on.  If you didn’t have this – at that moment, you would stop.

If it’s a series of competitions where you have to continuously gather yourself up each day and mentally decide you have to do this and towards the end you also start to burn out and the one element that keeps you going now begins to get tired.  Keeping that focus and will continually firing to get you through again can start to wind down.

Its what William James, a man from the late 1800’s which was termed as “philosopher” but in fact was the person who was to revolutionise neurology in the next 50 years, made a discovery. He said that the human mind and brain were in fact 2 separate entities which of course led to many critical grumblings across various professions.

Now – what he meant by that was, if our brain is nothing but a mechanism, then what differentiates us from robots?

He made a statement at that moment which was revolutionary – the difference between us and robots is the human will.

In other words, our ability to create physical performance, undertake tasks and overcome situations which would a “mechanism” eg. Like when the physical body has no ability to carry on but the drive from the mental focus fires the physical again – is down to human will.

Years down the line and the research into brain function and the ability for the brain to override physical issues all comes down to the “attention” factor, or the human will.

Attention on what you are doing or wish to do is so powerful that the entire brain then rampages into action to allow that to happen through thousands of different mechanisms from the brain to the body all talking to each other and creating the network in order for it happen.

When applied to a situation, for instance the one im in right now, you can actually feel it happening. I had been getting ready for the Bodypower Expo Grand Prix on May 20^th 2012 since November the 21^st – the week after  the world championships last year. The numbers I was starting push were outside what I had done before and week in week out I was going past what I ever thought I could do. Phsically I was sore all the time, tired and feeling like the next training session might be the one that would finish me. Then as soon I competed in the Expo, I was straight into a build up for the CanAm in Detriot now on the 21^st July and not able to drop the build up back to the beginning, but only back to the half way point and build up from there, so physically there is no let up.

Certainly in the last 4 weeks before the Expo, even though I was looking forward to it, the effort it took to take half an hour and make a decision I was going to the bench session, knowing how heavy I was going to have to go and physically feeling like I couldn’t do it, took absolute attention, focus and will to get myself into that place to decide to do it and then feel the physical change kick in so by the time I got to the gym and was warming up, it felt possible.

Being able to hook into and use your “will” or attention to get you over and through those times and beat your physical state into submission and perform is what will separate you from the people who give up. It will also separate you from others on the day of your competition or fight as consistently using this, even though you may not be aware that is what you are doing, is the one thing that will help you push the limits of what you never thought you could or would ever be able to do. Its what gets the lock out at the top of the lift that feels like it will never happen, its what gets you off the canvass, off the ropes or to be able to keep going even when your hand is bust and you have 5 rounds to go.

Who knows how or why we developed human “will” but it is a gift and one of the most powerful and incredible gifts we can have that will take you to places you never thought were possible and above all else, this is what makes us human and unique.

www.ironpsyche.com

Losing drive before competition and in a series of competition is a common issue. How does your mental focus impact on this and how do you use it?

Hope and the Eternal Fire of the Human Spirit

Hope and the Eternal Fire of the Human Spirit.

Bigorexia/Adonis Complex – Fact or Psychobabble?

“Bigorexia”
“Muscle Dysmorphia” “Adonis Complex”

Fact or
misinformed psychobabble?

Sorry, it’s got to be misinformed
psychobabble formulated by people who have never competed or understood the
complexities behind this.

The “experts” believe that this
Muscle Dysmorphic disorder is where people believe they are too small which
leads them to constantly over train and injure themselves plus apparently
taking steroids.

Dangerous and ill informed information once
again labeling and generalising something which is in fact is a 3 dimensional
problem.

The overall problem which is raised is
regarding those who feel that no matter what they do, they feel small. The
small feeling generally is derived from a feeling either of lack of control,
self esteem issues or as a reaction to feeling powerless. It can come from
during the socialization period being smaller than your peer group, having been
bullied or an attempt to take control of issues which are perceived as being
taken out of their hands.

Now the problem here is that you have two
different clusters of people here. One is the people who just want to be become
larger and increase presence for various reasons which I will go into in a
moment – and those that compete.

Well now, this is where the whole definition
completely grinds  to a halt.

Many children and teenagers begin competing
and their body changes. In many sports the level of body fat carried is low and
they are used to having a toned and probably relatively muscular physique
depending on their sport.

For many, once into adolescence, hormones
and life takes over and having seen how their physique is and how it could be
potentially, can create then a shift into bodybuilding and increase in
muscularity. This is more a minority and is also tied up with the perceived
social preference in males to be “muscular” and may also have, of
course, the additional of getting more girls!

The other side of this is once you have
competed at a reasonable level and are used to having the low body fat and
physique from that training, it is incredibly hard to go off season or in fact
leave the competitive arena and not carry on with a certain level of training
to maintain that physique.

A small percentage of people have had
problems with plain old “body dysmorphia” as they lose their physique
if they stop training, and can go on to develop eating disorders from this
point onwards – and yes that is a problem but completely different from the
alleged “muscle dysmorphia” syndrome and what they purport it to be.

For people who give up competing, they know
how physically good they feel when they train and the mental agility they
derive from the constant challenge which transfers into the rest of their life,
so, why stop training even if they don’t compete?

Is this OCD?

Is this some kind of disorder?

Is this a problem?

Again, I am still discussing those that
compete and will discuss non competitive size issues in a moment.

The implication with the “muscle
dysmorphia” is that all those who have size must be muscle dysmorphic.

Now, for the men who have taken up
bodybuilding, many want to compete one day in a bodybuilding competition. They
see that as how they really want to look and again this is what society says is
what a “man” should look like.

For those who are not naturally muscular –
the battle and journey begins. It is a hugely complex sport which involves how
your body responds to different training methods, learning the correct diet,
using protein supplements, carbohydrate balance, timing etc.

The misunderstanding is that, for
bodybuilding, you have to bulk up to be able to then diet down and remove the
body fat to reveal the lean muscularity. People confuse this with “just
wanting to get big” – its part of the competitive process.

Here is the REAL problem with competitive
bodybuilding – for most men the feeling of the dieting down in pre contest is
very difficult. The size and power and strength they have built up and the self
esteem boost this also gives is wonderful. As they diet down, the strength
starts to be reduced due to the harsh diet and look needed for competing.

The training is changed to lighter weights
and different sculpting movements, the body feels smaller and softer due to the
change in carbohydrate and protein quantities – and so does the self esteem
until their lean physique starts to really be seen.

There is also another problem – once they
have competed, then you have to go back to the “off the season” look
and bulk up again. You lose that amazing sinued definition, watch as the cuts
between the muscles are covered in a thin layer of body fat and this is when a
problem can begin. Its like with athletes, as previously discussed who stop
competing.

What can happen at this point is the need
then to keep the physique at an unattainable level of body fat and so a cycle
of burning off what you put in starts and there you have the beginnings of a
very nice little eating disorder and the end of a great bodybuilding career

I have worked with many athletes and
bodybuilders and strength athletes who have had these problems and from
competing myself from age 16, have managed to effectively assist them to regain
true perception of self and also the difficulties associated with it, plus
reach real success in their competitive careers.

This isn’t “muscle dysmorphia” –
this is a multi layered plain old body dysmorphic disorder from varying
triggers in the competitive world written up by theorists.

This is where there certainly are issues
but once again I don’t believe that this is a “muscle dysmorphia”

There are the 3 categories:

1) The competitive athlete

2) The teenager who wants to gain

3) The adult who wants to gain

We have already covered the competitive
athlete and competitive teenager.

For those adolescents who need to gain size
this is often from self esteem issues. It could be from bullying, from having
what they perceive to be a “weak” frame, being small or a number of
other issues where they feel have to prove or defend themselves.

Size can be a very powerful way from
keeping people at arms length and a very effective way to project an image of
power and hide low self esteem.

Body dysmorphic disorder is in essence a
condition where the image you see of yourself is different to the true
physique. So, why would seeing yourself as small when you are large and visa
verse in fact be so different?

For those who continue to put on muscle
mass and size generally they will find a difference in the reaction they get
from people.

For some, it will intimidate and therefore
give them the feeling of power they feel they are lacking. For others it is, as
mentioned, ways of hiding shyness or self esteem issues as they project and
live the persona they create.

If the need to be noticed, the low self
esteem or the issues are still not resolved then the need to create more size
may be necessary and then the cycle begins.

This does not necessarily mean they then
take steroids or other illegal substances. For many, they will also put on body
fat as well which helps the size and is different from those who compete and
need to keep the body fat levels low.

The point raised is about feeling small. It
is exactly the same for those who have an image they are fat and therefore hide
how they look. It is also based on the emotional state of mind at the time.

So, if someone who has created size as
their projection is having an emotionally low period, their self perception
will also suffer and therefore feel small, cover up and not wish to be seen.

This will also propel them to want to put
on more size to regain the positive feelings they had previously from
additional size. Much the same way as someone who has lost weight gains the
positive feelings out of the initial
weight loss and then attempts to try to keep recreating that self esteem
boost by losing more weight.

Yes, there will be people who will also use
steroids but this is a minority rather than majority and somewhat of a
scaremongering from the press.

The constant training is usually within
boundaries and they have collected enough knowledge to know that over training
will decrease size so this is generally not issue.

The only time this is an issue is with
exercise anorexia which is discussed under the eating disorders section and not
relevant to the issue of increasing muscle – another myth.

Muscle Dysmorphia is in fact a body
dysmorphic disorder with all the same complications and issues except from the
other end of the spectrum.

Poorly researched and not separated from
the competing community and the essence of self esteem issues there are
sweeping statements attached to these problems.

From dealing with many athletes over a
number of years and clients outside of competing in eating disorders and body
dysmorphic disorders, these issues can be dealt with in an effective and
straight forward manner.

Remember, before you engage anyone in this
type of therapy to ensure they have the necessary competitive background,
understanding and experience to deal with these types of problems.

www.ironpsyche.com

www.emmajamesnlp.co.uk

www.emmajames.net

Excerpt from IronPsyche the book – on competing and training Anxiety

Emma James picture IronPsyche

Well I am pretty sure the excerpts I post will be copied, used badly etc by a few alledged therapists with no real international competing experience and it will appear in someones blog etc as previous excerpts have.

However – for those who actually want to use the work and techniques I do with so many other athletes and with my own competing then I hope you find these useful.

The IronPsyche Book will be out at the end of Septmeber and this is for strength and explosive power athletes so provide real insight and usable information to give you not only the edge but the real ability to tap into your optimum performance. The book should be out (publishing editing etc willing) by the end of September.

Excerpt from Anxiety in Competing and Training from IronPsyche

First of all, be aware of your shoulder position and
breathing rate.  Keep your shoulders down
and relax as much as possible.  This may
go against some of your previous training where you’ll be starting to try and
increase your aggression at that point but remember that increasing your
aggression as you’re wrapping up, as you’re getting ready to go out for the
lift which could be minutes prior to you actually needing it will be a constant
drain on all of the adrenal and neurological responses that you are going to
need to get your nest lift, to get your automated synapses firing whenever you
need to.  If you happen to have been
Braveheart, whenever William Wallace is with his army and he has the English
charging at them and is shouting “Hold, Hold, Hold” and the army are getting
closer and closer and closer until they are virtually in their faces, and he
suddenly shouts the attack signal, it is a little bit like that.  Imagine yourself as William Wallace, just
getting yourself to hold until that critical point and trust that that
explosive power that you need at that moment is going to come through, then
that will serve you well and get you some of your most explosive lifts and
powerful events that will not only blow you away but everybody else away that
is around you.

Chunking down the steps before you actually take your event
or go on to platform is one of the secrets behind this.  As previously stated, be aware of your
breathing rate, slow it down, drop your shoulders, notice the relaxation
running across your shoulders at that point but remember that you will get the
tautness and tension you require whenever you are setting up for the lift or
addressing the bar.

As you are getting ready, break it down in to tiny steps so
that you are looking at the wraps, you are noticing which way you are putting
your wraps or which way you are putting your boots or which way you are
gradually getting your shoulder straps up or getting chalk on your hands.  Concentrate on each of those tiny steps
rather than thinking about the lift because remember, you have done this a
thousand times before.  In fact, you’ve
done this so many times that if you even start to think about it, you’re going
to interrupt your body’s incredible ability to replicate the lift and the power
that you know that you have and the one thing that is going to get in the way,
believe it or not, is you and your conscious thought process.  Keep all the steps very tiny and very small
and then just as you’re getting ready for the event or getting ready to walk on
platform, and you hear the shout “Bar loaded”, that is when you suddenly focus
in, that is the second that the adrenal response will really kick in and that
is the moment you make the decision to allow it to happen because once you are
at that point, you are now focussed there is no conscious thought process and
you can allow your adrenal response to run because it is now fight or flight
and you are now under pressure.  As
William Wallace shouts “Attack” and as you attack your event or your bar, that
is whenever your explosive power will come and that is how you manage your
natural anxiety and sit on the nerves that so many people battle with and try
and conquer, you don’t, you harness them, you learn how to manage them and you
learn how to use them to your fullest advantage up to that point.

NLP and the degrading Training standards bringing it to its knees

As an NLP Trainer for some years and also having run trainings in a number of different countries, the standard of Trainers being produced and the momentum for a cash generating machine seen by the unethical seems to have brought a wonderful technique and tool to its knees.

Not only have we got badly trained NLP Practitioners being told they are “competent” and passed to go on to do some of the most appalling work I have seen including in the self-defense field and sport field which is nothing short of dangerous through to infective therapy and atrocious communication skills being touted as “experts”.

The integrity in my industry from a training point of view now has trainers producing 7 day courses with NO pre course study, high numbers and low prices on the courses making it impossible to properly assess if each student is in fact reaching a certifiable standard on each module. I am passionate about what I do and have seen the results well-trained students can get and also the ability to not only transform their own lives but also evolved the techniques even further but this is only possible if true understanding of the techniques is acquired.

On line training, now being market and the appearance of the “Diploma” in NLP which is NOT a certification  – it is a 3 or 2 day introduction ONLY and used as a sale technique in order to get people to buy full NLP Practitioner courses is killing the integrity of this industry. Along with that, certain governing bodies who will certify you as a trainer in only 3 days is probably the most irresponsible and damaging money-making scam I have seen in some time and of course as there is no real regulation, is allowed to carry on.

This is probably one  of the reasons I had decided to back away from the courses, as only taking 6 people and charging £900 is still more than if you choose to do it on line, will pass as long as you pay the money and really wont be assessed at all.

Unless a real governing body (NOT owned by a training company) is produced we will continue to see this once wonderful discipline fall into even more disrepute than it already has and I am now to a degree almost ashamed to say I am a Trainer of NLP due to the level so many have brought it to.

We really must (those that still have some integrity left) call for some regulatory body which hopefully will stop these practices and bring into place the continued upholding of real certification standards which is not run by or associated to a training company which is frankly unethical in its very being and bring this once ecological

NLP Training

discipline back to the ethical state it was once in.

Dealing with Competing Anxiety – Face your Demons

So there you are, faced with a weight you are either not sure about, got squashed by before, never tried or were told by your Great Aunt Maud that you would never amount to much therefore you probably wont get it. Or everyone is watching you which means if you don’t get it you will look like a twat, you start talking yourself out of the lift by going all analytical or a barrage of negative thoughts come trumpeting across the hemisphere of your brain to give you a good old dose of wobbly knee syndrome, strength disappearing through your feet issue or palpitations that would shake the Great Wall of China to pieces.
The old “experts” out there who fill their empty articles full of crap because they have never competed for their country and had the infinite words “if you don’t get this we will lose the world championships” have no clue as to how this can feel and therefore are null and void with any of their hypotheses. For those of us who have stood there and had are entire souls tested in these situations fully understand that feeling.
So what is anxiety?
Simply put it is a message from your unconscious brain due to past experience, values, self worth etc that you are focusing on what you do not want. Combine this with a chemical change in the brain and signalling running through your system to now initiate a fight or flight response and release the triumphant adrenal cavalry to the rescue and you have a very nice case of anxiety.
The problem we face are the warning signals coming from our “unconscious” to beware of this as potentially for us we are staring into the jaws of potential injury, humiliation and shame (~the latter is the ego sticking its oar in). The unconscious is where all our automatic responses are held, those things that we feel we are not in control of.
In essence – we are in fact in control of them as we had to learn to respond to them in the first place, so when the brain recognition system kicks in and sees a situation where it had to protect you before then it automatically comes to your rescue and low and behold you have an entire reaction designed to keep you safe and NOT commence the lift. It is a very logical reaction even though you may think it is not and you have to remember that the brain is designed to keep the rest of your body (or the brains transportation device) safe at all times.
So – what do you do?
Firstly you have to ask yourself – what is it I am focusing on that I do NOT want? It could be almost anything, from “I’m going to drop this bar on my face” (my own personal favourite) to “you know you’re crap really so you won’t get this”. This is the hardest part – realising what it is that you are actually focusing on. The second you feel that anxiety you have to ask yourself this question. You could in fact recreate that situation in your mind and notice what it is that you are focusing on and you should still get that anxious feeling when you think about it.
Once you have identified it, let’s take my own one of “you’re going to drop the bar on your face” then you have to ask yourself what it is you DO want?
For me, I want to feel strong and controlled. I want the bar to feel manageable and I want a controlled feel through the lift and as I drive, a strong and continued line feeling the crossover into triceps response and lockout and the power feeding through from my feet and following the kinetic chain to rhomboids, rear deltoids through to the triceps on extension.
So – this is what I want and I need to choose a short phrase I can run over and over in my mind to literally block out any other conscious thoughts. This also forces you focus on what you do want, changing the signalling in the brain and producing a different physiological response. You will notice a change in the feelings you get, the anxiety will dissipate and as you focus on the feeling you do want and the outcome you want it stops the pattern of behaviour. We term this as a “pattern interrupt” technique.
It is very simple and I have used it with Premier League Footballers, power lifters, ice skaters, strongmen, runners, high jumpers, moto crossers and a vast number of different sports people I have worked with including myself.
Of course once you feel that change you then can commence the lift and remember this doesn’t just apply to lifters – this also applies to any strength and power sport where explosive movement is used and a number of other sports and issues as well.
From years of experience there are numerous other techniques I use with clients which are all designed around that client’s needs and the way they react. In reality, unless you have actually been there then it is unlikely you can advise anyone effectively and once again the myriad of “experts” appear with their theoretical knowledge based on what they “think” should work. Unfortunately this is dangerous and I have also seen the results of these idiots and had to clean up their mess with clients coming to me after an unfortunate consultation which has ended up in the client injuring themselves or at worse getting no benefit at all.
However, these techniques also depend on the client being really committed to dealing with the issue and ultimately wanting to overcome the problem. So – if you are not completely committed to change or you feel like there is something stopping you from obtaining your real performance level then more than likely there is another issue lurking underneath in the unconscious which has to be resolved and again, unless the person working with you has been there – they won’t understand or know what to look for in the issue.
Anything you use in relation to a sport with potential injury is going against your natural evolutionary instinct to protect yourself, so putting yourself into a situation of potential harm, either physical or emotional is going to produce a negative response. This “override” technique is quick and simple to use and ultimately is only as good as you are prepared to be truly honest with yourself. You may not like the answer you get when you ask yourself “ what is it I DON’T want or am afraid of happening?” but for those clients I have seen that can be brutally honest with themselves and face their demons, they are the ones who have made the most outstanding progress.
Face your demons, be honest and have real heart. That is the essence of a champion.

www.ironpsyche.com

Emma James - World Record Bench Press NEC 2009

Losing in competiton – is it really over?

In competition, most of us have had losses at times. Either spectacular defeats, things not going to plan or just plain beaten.
There are a number of different reactions after this and of course the usual two are
1) THATS IT! IM NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN! ITS OVER!
2) BUGGER THAT! I’ll get the barstewards next time.

Now, for most of us a loss, especially at a high and very public level (eg me at televised world championships) can not only cause a severe loss of confidence which then leads you to question whether you really have the necessary ability or talent, but also leads you to form a barrier about coming back to do it again and being put in another situation like that.
Now, this is where problems can occur where on the one hand you want to compete again to reclaim the status and place you had before and surpass it but you also seem to suffer a direct lack of motivation and it almost feels like dragging your feet through mud OR excessive nerves pre competition leading to huge question marks about your ability to win.

Now, I am not writing this article blindly, I had a similar situation this year where I decided to defend my world title after having major shoulder surgery. At the last world championships I had not only taken the title  but also taken a major world record. I wasnt ready, my shoulder wasnt ready and I had to retire after my first lift (there were other factors to this). This 60 seconds where I was sanding with my coach with TV cameras on me trying to make the decision whether to carry on and go for a second lift knowing it could end my lifting career completely through further injury to the shoulder and the overwhelming burning need to fight like hell plus the ego factor – made that 60 seconds the longest I ever remember.

Everyone was expecting fireworks from a woman known for big lifts, big noise and being “out there”.

Now, I have worked with many sports people over the years and really, unless you have actually been there and experienced real competing yourself over a ling time you will never understand the complexities of loss and particularly at a high level with all the added pressures. Again this makes my point that without extensive competing experience you should NOT be working with sports people.
The only way to redress the balance and regain the motivation you have lost or the fear of losing again is in two ways,

1) first of all you need to look at why you lost. What happened on a practical basis. You have to swallow your ego for this and really look from the point of view of a coach,
You have now in a unique and much better position than if you had won every competition or fight. You have now been exposed to criteria highlighting new areas you need to improve you wouldn’t have noticed before, your opponent or competition has forced you into new situations you can learn from as well and you need to LIST THOSE POSITIVES and then beside each one write an action plan of what you can do about it and bring with you to the next competition.

I can think of one particular client who had the worst ever outcome to a fight imaginable but if you look at it another way, he survived the fight, nothing could ever be worse than he had encountered and he was still improving and he was going to bring all of that plus everything else he learned to the ring for the next fight………….and he did ………….and won and is still winning.
this process is hard to do and sometimes needs someone else to helpyou do that.

2) You must address what will happen in you do lose again. Always work forwards day by day. So you back to training, then you get back into your training and then you see another competition you can do or another competition is arranged etc. You may go in at a lower level but you are still in a better position to improve consistently and you have to remember that the people who support you want to see you do well.
If you address all those fears then it takes the pressure off and lets you focus on what you really do want and work out a solid strategy for the next competition.

You also have to remember that all those people you think you let down? You havent.
All the people involved with you are doing it out of support for you, love for the sport, commitment to you and they do it willingly. The only way you are going to let them down is if you give up when you have talent and ability to go on and take it further. That is how you let them down and the only person who is putting the pressure on you……………….is you. or a lot of coaches and people who help you that have been involved in sport a long time, they will give you everything they have got as long as you are committed and making the effort and ask when you are in trouble. That is what they do it for and its doesn’t matter if you win or lose to them.

Obviously there are a lot of other issues that I deal with in regards to clients and the problems that can occur and the fear that goes hand in hand with losing and the 27 million “what if’s” that go with it. These are just a few basic steps I take with most clients (and myself), whether at amateur or at professional level with all the world press looking at them.

No matter what happens, it isn’t the end and it isn’t over. It is the beginning or a new level to your training, competing and mindset – so damn well use it.

For further information please go to www.ironpsyche.com or email me directly.

Rehab the Expert Day 7 & 8 – A poke on the nose

Day 7 & 8 – 25^th & 26^th  December 2009

Dear God – Christmas Day.

Struggled out of bed and whacked on the ice packs straight away. The shoulder was now in fact beginning to work properly and I could feel the fibers where he had taken the end of the collar bone off as though it needed a bit more of a polish. The actually areas where he had worked were starting to ache and as always in a good way.

So – out of bed and staggered into the bathroom to shower. As I was standing in the shower I suddenly realized that I had both hands on my head shampooing my hair!! Doesn’t sound like much but when you have been frightened of the impending implosion of your should because it moved too much, suddenly finding it allowing you to co-shampoo your hair is a big deal.

It was odd how such a small thing suddenly made my competing future and perception of what was achievable at that moment in time completely change and in fact become literally brighter. Thinking about the world championships end year 2010 was a definite instead of a possible and the Expo in May became a question mark instead of a NO!

I caught site of myself in the mirror and was shocked that I looked so smooth. Usually my abs have some definition, you could see the cut through my shoulders and my legs had a cut through to the groin from the quad. I coudnt see any of this and also noticed a pocket of water over my stomach and I shuddered. That feeling I had to so many years ago washed right over me and I felt sick.

Got ready, iced the shoulder a bit more, kissed my poor Mum a Happy Christmas and escaped out the door for an hour of heavy duty terrain walking.

The feeling I got when I looked in the mirror was the old body dysmorphia coming back. When I don’t train or feel that I am losing my physique or think I have not trained hard enough I get my old feeling back and my vision of how I look distorts. I know the problem I treat people with the problem and specialize in it. I also know how to deal with it myself and and manage it but I hadn’t had it quite that strongly in some time.

As I was walking – the thought patterns were going over the negatives of how I had not trained in 7 days apart form some ropey leg workouts for 2 days which I wasn’t counting. The worry about never competing again etc etc had disappeared and been totally overtaken by body image.

I allowed the thoughts to run and then noticed the self conscious feeling of not letting people see me in this “fat” state and how could I have any hope of ever regaining my physique as I had let myself go so much in 7 days!!!!!! Wooooooooooooooh!

Its amazing what you let yourself think.

Coupled with that thought process was the old feeling of self loathing and the picture of how I thought I looked imprinted in my head.

Ok – that’s enough. I’m not letting that run any further.

So – simply I backtracked. I did exactly the same as what I do with my clients and focus on the bodyparts that come up first in my mind as the negative ones I focus on. With each one I then ask myself – in 7 days how different does it really look and then the picture starts to change.

As I worked my way through them I felt my posture change while I was working. Starting to walk taller instead of an apology for being there. My breathing changed and the self loathing feeling disappeared and then the question – “what is NOT the Problem?”

As I worked through the process the internal view I had of myself changed quickly and the feeling of softness also altered.,

In reality I did have a large amount of water and fluids which had dropped from the operation and I did have a pocket of fluid from that but now I could see it as that – and that only. I had smoothed out a bit from the drugs I was on post surgery but it all fitted into context.

What was really interesting was how out of control my thought processes got so quickly even though I knew exactly what was happening and in fact was a therapist that deals with it! With ALL of this – it still happened but I could stop it when becoming consciously aware.

The lessons today were the vast reality of how much my own issue of body image was fed by what I perceived as “acceptable” in terms of my own appearance and how if that was not met on a daily basis how much that interfered with my internal view of myself and the extent this affected by distorted body image.

the views we hold of ourselves on a day to day, hour by hour and minute to minute basis depend hugely on our concept of acceptance of not only others but of ourselves. That acceptance is based on our routine, environment and what we believe we have control over. Move any of these and our universe is somewhat taken out of our grip and our reality changes.

Our moments are filled with infinite possibility – packed with the essence of ultimate sudden euphoria or complete degraded disillusionment and only we can determine how we see our worlds at any given moment. Today – I turned my world into a better place, tomorrow maybe it will be different but we have that choice, every second of every day.

Rehab the Expert – sport performance consultant charts her journey

 

DAY 1 – December 18^th 2009

It had been a long 3 months. From the day I was told I needed surgery to a long standing problem of over 10 years, the thoughts and what ifs began.

I had managed to deal with the pain for years but over this last year it had become unbearable and I knew I had to do something, otherwise I probably wasn’t going to be able to compete again.

The decision was made after seeing Mr Eames at the Ulster Independent Clinic in Belfast that I would get through the WPC World Championships in November and then have the surgery in December. Somehow, I managed to win the world Championships with a 172.5kg bench press and also took a World Record as well. This competition had meant so much because at the back of my mind I really wasn’t sure if this would be my last or if in fact I would ever lift to the same level again.

The prognosis was unknown as my surgeon had been honest with me and said that he wasn’t sure what else we were going to find on top of the problems we knew already existed. He had also explained that by doing a decompression of the AC, the pain would probably not reduce for 6 months.

If you don’t already know – I have competed for over 20 years now at international level and taken world, European and british titles along with records and my competing is part of me, my life, my mind and has in fact got me through and kept me sane through the times and incidents I thought I would never survive. It also gave me the unique understanding of my clients when they needed someone who could help with their performance or loss of confidence or addiction or any of the myriad of problems a sports person can face. My competing had given me my life – in a nutshell.

On top of that, I thought of all the people who had supported me over the years and invested so much time and love to help me to where I was now. It always felt like if I stopped, I would be letting them down.

So – there I was – now at my Mum’s in Strangford, Northern Ireland, about to get in her car to drive into Belfast. The wave of questions ran through my head, what if I never lift again, what if he finds other issues that will mean I never compete at the same level, what if I cant train, what if what if. Now, I could have dealt with that whole negative thought process there and then but I wanted to let it run as I recognized the pattern from past injuries like when I blew 3 discs in 1996.

It was a “negative motivation” drive which I used to drive me beyond passion to get back into competition which then became not useful and in fact destructive. The problem with the negative motivation is that it means you always feel you have never done well enough and you end up deconstructing every success you ever had,.

The learned change to positive motivation changed the feel of it – that desperation to succeed became more like a quiet stealth bomber and this time it was just like that instead of the palpitations of fear of losing or “not being good enough” after the operation.

I told my Mother I wasn’t going – while I started her car. I continued to tell her I wasn’t going  as I drove along the country roads towards Belfast and then finally I pulled up outside the hospital and took 3 goes at trying to park the car.

So- in the hospital – in my room. In walks the anesthetist, handsome, oooooooooooooh he was handsome! Allergies, medication, the 4 G’s (garlic, ginger ginseng and something else which when taken in combination can be the anesthetists nightmare) and dealing with a neurotic patient – he must have thought it was going to be a long day,

Then Mr Eames – the straight talking surgeon used to dealing with sports people and giving me no room at all to back out. However, as we went through the possibilities of what would happen the absolute gut clenching fear hit me as he told me the worst case scenario of what he might find and the agreement I had to make to allow him to fix and deal with what he found – or only do the minimum and probably end up back in theatre again with no hope of ever competing again after wrecking my shoulder completely from carry on competing…………….

What was interesting was the reaction to potential restriction on my training, loss of performance and having to rebuild the mechanisms I had put in place from years of training to achieve the best I had ever done at the Worlds a few weeks ago.

It was almost as though someone had a noose around my neck and was tightening it slowly. Sounds dramatic but the very thought of not being able to train even for a short period of time literally sends panic into my soul. That was quickly sorted with a quick reframe and then I was being wheeled to theatre.

Lying there talking to the anesthetist, I suddenly had another bout of doubt then causing me to go completely conscious on the whole conversation with my surgeon. I asked to speak to him again as I suddenly had doubt over the entire conversation and what he was going to do. Did he really understand how important my competing was to me? Would he just be like my orthopedic surgeon Father and do what he thought best regardless of the patients wishes? Mr Eames patiently came back in and reassured me of the conversation we had and with that I drifted to sleep with the last thing I was to see – the handsome anesthetist.

Waking up and the pain hit me – bless them, bless them – I had gone into shock and they couldny give me anything until it passed and then morphine………….what amazing stuff that is and I have to warn you – you will LOVE everyone! Be very careful and get someone to cellotape your mouth. Don’t call your surgeon a God, do not tell the anesthetist he is lovely and certainly don’t tell the nurse that the op feels like a “fucking miracle” as she wont believe you.

The pain I had before was GONE. The arm pain had for years – was gone. Even though I was full of morphine I could still feel the difference and then Mr Eames came in. It was a massive success – he had completed a subacromial decompression and had also taken the spurs off. He had also found a lot of arthritis through the joint which he had cleaned up and he pointed out that short of replacing the shoulder, that was best he could do. That seriously hit home as to how far I had let my shoulder deteriorate and also started to make me wonder about some of the techniques from NLP and hypnosis in regulating and reducing the pain and using it for pain management. The pain had increased to a level I couldn’t cope with it any more though and none of the techniques were working but I did wonder if I hadn’t used them, would I have dealt with this sooner????

More to come on that one.

My entire thought process – although seriously loved up – had altered as I was able to feel a difference in the reactions in my arm, hand and notice the immediate change and almost miraculous reduction in the “old” pain which had always been there. I was now wondering whether I could be back in time to compete at the Expo in May and everything was pure unadulterated towards motivation and the stealth attack was back.