Basic Sport Psychology for the Personal Trainer - Part I

By Jeff Fields MS ATC CSCS

 

When we speak about fitness and health we cannot ignore the connection between body and mind. As personal trainers your job is to help your clients adhere to a fitness program so that they may reach their goals. For some, reaching a desired weight or achieving a greater level of strength are both part of a larger quest for personal transformation. The question is then, is it enough merely to design an exercise program without also considering the client’s personality, goals and emotional needs. A basic understanding of sport psychology, motivational styles, goal setting, and other intervention strategies may be helpful in assisting a client reach his/her goal, helping you to retain clients and grow your business.

Sport Psychology is considered a subdivision of sports medicine. Sport psychology deals with the relationship between psychological variables and sports performance. At the elite level there is often little difference among training methods, what often separates a gold medal from a silver medal is the athlete’s mindset on that day. Sport psychology interventions can help the athlete achieve the optimum state of mental and physical preparation, especially when accompanied by a sound physical training regimen. Sport psychology techniques and concepts can be equally effective for the week-end warrior or fitness enthusiast trying to keep on track and get the most out of his/her exercise experience. Sports psychologists are highly trained professionals that apply theoretical knowledge and testing in order to better understand and improve performance. Often they work as sport psychology “consultants” to teams or individual athletes.

Motivation

Motivation is an essential concept to understand in terms of a client’s mindset. In sport psychology terms motivation is often more than just ones desire to try hard or endure the discomfort of difficult training routines. Motivation can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic types.

Intrinsic motivation: The individual is a self-starter because of a love for the game or activity. This type of client is not driven solely by awards, praise or attention but rather by increased feelings of self-worth, confidence and the competence that the activity provides.

Extrinsic motivation: This individual is drawn to sports or weight training by awards, trophies, and external praise. Winning a fitness contest or getting a prize for reaching a specific fitness goal are both great motivators and will help keep this client committed.

While it may be common for the individual to display aspects of both motivational models, intrinsically motivated individuals are more likely to continue in a given activity long after the praise and awards disappear.

There are several ways in which to enhance intrinsic motivation. The following are just a few suggestions.

1. Allow the individual to experience a certain amount of success each training session.
2. Allow the client to have a greater role in goal setting and decision-making. Although many clients choose to surrender responsibility for their own training to the personal trainer, this can enhance their commitment to the whole process.
3. Give praise for a job well done. First focus on what the client did correctly and then give suggestions for improvement.
4. Keep things interesting. Vary the exercise program where and when appropriate so that the client does not feel stagnant.

Understanding your clients’ motivational leaning may help you design a more effective program, keep him/her exited, get better results and ultimately retain a satisfied client.

The “Zone”

Ultimately what we try to achieve, whether on the playing field or in the gym is the ideal performance state, also called the “Flow State” or being in the “Zone”. This term has received attention in the past. The flow state is the “ultimate state” of consciousness for many, and for those that have experienced it, it is a feeling that cannot be forgotten. I clearly remember feeling this state during grueling karate sessions and heavy lifting days in the gym. After sessions like those I had a smile on my face for days.

Being in the “zone” is often characterized as follows:

1. Having no fear
2. Not thinking about the performance
3. Being very focused on the activity
4. Not feeling the need to try to hard, i.e. being part of the activity itself
5. Feeling increased personal control
6. Seeing the event in slow motion

Many of us have experienced these feelings during an athletic activity, but aspects of this are possible during a focused, serious training session. This state can be fostered by connecting the body and mind during each session. While this may sound very esoteric or mystical to some I am referring to a focused state of mind. It is the difference between smoothly moving from exercise to exercise while bracing the trunk and squeezing the muscles through each repetition of a heavy lift or talking on a cell phone while sitting on the hip adduction machine.

Fitness professionals can help facilitate this state by preparing their clients both mentally and physically. Teach them proper breathing, proper form and guide them towards taking responsibility for their own health. Once you lay the proper groundwork it is possible to keep your verbal cues simple, positive and few in number. Let the client “get inside their own head” while you guide them to an empowering training experience.

The following two theories are important to understand when discussing exercise and sport performance and should be addressed. They are always present in the back of my mind when training athletic clients as well as the general population.

Self-Efficacy Theory (A. Bandura)

This refers to perceived self-confidence. It is when an individual feels a decreased sense of doubt in his/her own ability, increased feelings of control and a resulting improvement in performance.

It is difficult for an individual with no experience in a weight room to have strong self- efficacy feelings in this area. There are ways, however, to increase self-efficacy.

By providing the client with small attainable goals we can create an atmosphere of success. This allows the client to build on previous successes, thereby learning from positive past experiences. The client is more apt to expect future success if he/she has already experienced past success. This allows one to store positive experiences in the long- term memory. Imagine a woman who was always overweight as a child, never very athletic and always felt self-conscious about her physical abilities-what type of change could you affect by showing her success where she never had before? Personal fitness professionals have an opportunity to bring about immensely powerful changes in their clients simply by understanding and applying this theory to their training. Start slowly and help the client realize how far he/she has come since starting to train regularly. Positive reinforcement and praise is more powerful than negative reinforcement and scolding. While sometimes it is necessary to tell someone what they did wrong make sure that the majority of comments focus on what they have done right. Clients who lack self-confidence or self-esteem may benefit greatly from this type of approach. When dealing with an athlete this theory may be helpful when beginning to teach a difficult lift that the athlete is unsure of. First build the strength base, break the movement down to its parts and then, before you know it, the athlete will perform the lift with confidence.

Arousal Theory-“Inverted U” Theory

The image of football players banging their heads into their locker to psych up for a game may not be an appropriate technique for all individuals. This type of arousal technique can cause headaches. Sometimes too much arousal will create a decrease in performance. Imagine a golfer slapping his face and banging heads with his caddy before a difficult shot! While it may make for an interesting game it will not ensure a low score. Sport psychology looks to create an optimal level of arousal in athletes. The “inverted U” theory suggests that there is an optimum level of arousal and that too little arousal or too much arousal will both result in deficits in performance.

Even in sports like football or boxing getting too psyched up can lead to anger and a loss of control. It is often the athlete that maintains control over his anger and strength that will come out the winner by exploiting the weaknesses of the opponent. Activities that require a great deal of strength and power production require a high state of arousal but the trick is to achieve this state without hyperventilating or causing a self-inflicted concussion. Mental visualization and positive self-talk are two techniques that may help in this case.

When a task is more complex the less arousal will be tolerated. The golf swing is a good example of this type of task. In this case the golfer would not want to take the same approach as a weightlifter attempting a heavy lift or a fighter going into the ring. Techniques that will focus the mind and create a calm but energized state will be most effective.

It is important to recognize that the greater the skill level that an athlete/exerciser possesses the more latitude he/she has for reaching that optimal arousal state. Before you start psyching your clients up make sure that they possess the necessary technique and skill to perform the exercise or activity safely in the first place.

In Part II we will examine the process of goal setting and intervention techniques that will help your client and you achieve a higher level of achievement and performance.

Jeff Fields, MS, ATC, CSCS, is an expert at utilizing unconventional training methods to help his clients reach their peak potential. He has been a consultant to personal trainers, conditioning coaches, world-class athletes and international competitors, both in the US and abroad.

He holds a Masters degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Florida, conducting his major research in Sport Psychology.

Jeff has 30 years experience in the martial arts and holds black belt ranking in multiple disciplines and has instructed civilians, military and law enforcement personnel in the US and abroad, and served as a combat medic in the Israeli Military.

Check out his site at  www.StrongtotheCore.com

The articles at GolfFitnessProducts.net are for informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute for direct examination and exercise prescription by the appropriate health professional.  It is strongly recommended that you do not perform any exercise program without the consent of your personal physician.