Mentally Tough: Conquering Competition As A Masters Athlete
Jen Thompson began powerlifting in 1999 and continues to set world records in her 50s. She practices the skills of mental toughness: “You have to have a strong mental mindset and an understanding of how to run the numbers.”
Introduction
Sports demand equal parts physical and mental strength. As we mature into masters athletes in our 40s, the second part becomes essential. Improved mental toughness drives sport performance and recovery amidst ever-greater life stressors.
This article will delve into comprehensive strength and conditioning programs that address both. Spoiler alert: it's not about pushing beyond your limits all the time and screaming at the powerlifting gods.
Understanding Mental Toughness
Let's start by unpacking this term. Mental toughness in sport includes three distinct parts.
The ability to follow structure and discipline.
Think of this like anti-ego training. Take powerlifting as an example. As you move from general strength training to training like a powerlifter, your training program will follow a certain logic. You or your coach will create deliberate plans for everything from daily percentages for your top lifts to nutrition timing. Going off script because you ate your Wheaties diminishes these plans.
The ability to engage in active mindfulness.
The best athletes deliberately focus their energy on the present moment. Instead of getting hyped at every practice or throughout a competition, they can display controlled aggression. They channel intensity into the current play, rep, or race phase.
The ability to push beyond self-doubt and fear.
Any level of competition tests our confidence. You're measured on your objective best, whether it's a local powerlifting or the Ironman. Endurance sports, in particular, require a lot of positive self-talk and visualization techniques.
The great coaches I've worked with build these capabilities across all age groups. But the reality is that a high school football player has different needs from someone 35 years old or a high-level fencer in their 50s.
becoming a mindful athlete
Competing at a high level over decades requires the following strategies.
Periodization and Training Variety
I provide my clients with a 12-month roadmap. This structured (or periodized) scheme gives athletes context for their training, including when to expect higher intensity. That makes it easier to focus on the more workmanlike cycles, in which they’re accumulating submaximal squat reps or mileage.
During specific cycles, my barbell lifters will explore novel barbell exercises or develop new physical capabilities like aerobic capacity. By contrast, my runners will build top-end strength with the barbell deadlift, bench press, and squat. They can then express that strength as power in the next race season.
In both cases, these blocks offset fatigue and keep enthusiasm for competition training.
Mindset Shifts and Goal Setting
Developing smarter goals and adopting a growth mindset enhances performance. This is where online strength coaches can be beneficial, thanks to online coaching apps. Many feature habit coaching in which athletes receive assignments outside the gym on a weekly basis.
Visualization and Mental Rehearsal Techniques
One or two simple rituals can prepare you for training and competition. Visualization most impacts lifters who experience anxiety or self-criticism when missing lifts. Learning to separate your thoughts from your immediate feelings makes for more productive sessions. One of my favorites is Leaves on a Stream, which you can practice with this video.
Breathing and Relaxation Exercises
Lifters of all abilities and ages should practice breath control. Mastering deep breathing improves lifting technique, athletic performance, and recovery while being a good tool for overall health.
The Ongoing Journey of Mental Toughness
In our culture, we lionize natural attributes. We love to embrace the genetic freaks and the natural stoics. But mental toughness is a skill, and like any other skill, you have the power to improve it.
Mental toughness is a series of abilities reliably demonstrated. It is not about pushing through our intolerable pain or psyching yourself to an 11 during every training session. It's better understood as a process you can utilize.
Masters athletes have the advantage of more lived experience and a long-term perspective. As we age into our 40s, we can develop these mental skills to prepare ourselves for the next four decades of athletic competition, whether it’s rowing regattas or powerlifting meets.
Conclusion
Any athlete benefits from enhancing their mental strength.
Despite popular conceptions, we can develop the necessary attributes of mental toughness. These skills become increasingly important in our 40s as we manage more life stressors. Thankfully, with age comes experience and wisdom, too.
A strength coach can help implement a mental training program. The relationship between coaches and athletes allows for self-reflection, which is vital to embracing a growth mindset and using tools like periodization.
Chris Van Nostrand is a personal trainer and online strength and conditioning coach based in Evanston, IL. His coaching services include comprehensive monthly plans.
