1. Gimme “5”
Name: 1 pt Date: 1 pt Period: 1 pt Answer (in at least 5 lines): 7 pts For your sport, what does it mean to be “physically tough?”

2. Self-Evaluation
On the road to excellence, you need to take a hard look at yourself.

3. “Know your enemy and know yourself. In a hundred battles
2,000 years ago, ancient Chinese general wrote most important book ever written on waging war. Principles & strategies are still being studied today by the modern military (West Point Academy). His principles of war have stood the test of time because they are based on a solid foundation. This is a simple statement…to ensure victory you must know the enemy inside & out (strengths/weaknesses, tendencies, strategies). Without this knowledge you are gambling with other’s lives. But just as important to know your enemy, you have to know yourself.
“Know your enemy and know yourself. In a hundred battles
you will never be in peril.”
General Sun Tzu, from The Art of War

4. Knowing yourself
This can be uncomfortable…especially when you consider your weaknesses!
ESSENTIAL to our path to excellence

5. Be Analytical, Not Judgmental
Know Yourself
Two Basic Rules:
Divide and Conquer
Be Analytical, Not Judgmental

6. Before you look at yourself,
Divide and Conquer
Before you look at yourself,
look at your sport.
What are the basic skills and abilities that anyone needs to have in order to be good at your sport (or position)?

7. Divide and Conquer BREAK your sport into its fundamental parts:
What are the basic skills or abilities you need to succeed at your sport?
Examples: strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, jumping, timing, rhythm, concentration…

8. Divide and Conquer
What are the specific skills you need to have to be a perfect player?
Example: a quarterback needs quick release
Example: a baseball player needs good bat speed
How do you match up on each one?

9. Divide & Conquer: Review
Break sport/position into fundamental parts (BASIC Skills)
Look for general things first, then specific
Analyze yourself in each area
Identify your strengths & weaknesses

10. Analytical, Not Judgmental
Don’t react emotionally to your weaknesses (natural tendency)…fight the temptation!
Instead of : “I’m really lousy at _____,”
Say, “I need to work on _________.”

11. Analytical, Not Judgmental
Look at your own strengths & weaknesses OBJECTIVELY Step away…EMOTIONLESS…like a doctor or scientist Pretend you are a coach or a recruiter

12. Analytical, Not Judgmental
Where are you strong? Weak?
Isolate weaknesses so you know where you need to improve
Avoid negativity…Why?
It just stops your progress…

13. Analytical, Not Judgmental
Once you’ve isolated your weaknesses, ask yourself:
“What are the root causes of this problem?”
Not strong enough? Endurance? Speed?
“What action needs to be taken to fix the problem?”
Then, DO IT!

14. Don’t Waste Time! Get Started Now!
Sports Analysis
Transfer your analysis
Share your plan with 1 other person (parent/coach) & have them sign off.
When returned, place in a prominent location in your room. Check often, are you narrowing the gap?

15. Being physically fit
Why does physical fitness even matter for a class on sports psychology?
Physical fitness = Confidence
Physical fitness = A greater ability to endure stress

16. Inside-out vs. Outside-in Training
Most of what you practice
w/coaches is outside-in
Training your physical self: muscles, nerves, heart, lungs
The inner you (mind) & your body (outer you) are connected…what happens to your body affects your mind
EXTERNAL TRAINING trickles IN

17. Inside-Out:
Training the inner you – your mind.
The mind-body connection runs both way
Training your mind will have an effect on your body (most of what we will do)

18. Focus now…OUTSIDE-IN Getting physically tough includes 3 areas:
Improving physical fitness
Looking & acting tough on the outside
Being well-recovered before battle

19. OUTER YOU: 4 Basic Fitness Priorities
The “Core”
2) Flexibility
3) Cardiovascular endurance
4) Muscular Strength

20. General Physical Fitness
#1: The “Core”
Your abs and lower back
the “central pillar” of your body
Almost EVERY athletic motion uses with area to generate and/or transfer power
A weak trunk limits your potential; stronger abs help you run faster and jump higher

21. General Physical Fitness
#2: Cardiovascular endurance
Refers to the fitness of heart and lungs
They deliver oxygen to your muscles
Oxygen: key ingredient for aerobic metabolism (way by which muscles create energy)
Training increases endurance

22. Cardiovascular endurance
What is your resting heart rate?
Average adolescent range 55 – 85 (activity, genetics, diet, age, gender impact number)
A lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness ( a well-trained adult athlete closer to 40 beats; 60 – 100 normal)

23. Cardiovascular endurance
Should wait 10 minutes after exercising to check resting heart rate.
Feel your pulse (don’t use your thumb), count the number of beats in 15 seconds.
Multiply this number by 4.

24. Cardiovascular endurance
Know your Max Heart Rate
220 – (your age) = MHR
Example: age 16 → 204 MHR
Determine your Aerobic Training Zone
This is the zone your heart rate needs to be in order for aerobic training to happen

25. Aerobic training zone
To exercise, your body needs to break down sugar and convert it to glycogen (used as energy)
Adequate supply of oxygen for this process: called aerobic
Aerobic: Muscles have enough oxygen to produce all the energy they need to perform

26. Cardiovascular endurance
Aerobic Training Zone (ATZ) (MHR) x 0.8 = High End (MHR) x 0.6 = Low End Example: Age 16 → 204 MHR → 122 to 163 ATZ

27. Aerobic Training Zone: Build endurance
How can you tell if you are training in the ATZ?
Talk test
What kinds of exercise get you into ATZ?
Key? Continuous length of time (30 min/ 3-4 days/wk)
Running is simplest, biking, swimming, cross-country skiing, hard roller-blading

28. Anaerobic training zone
↑ high end, puts you into an ANAEROBIC training zone (“without oxygen”)
Anaerobic workout causes lactate to pool in muscles (feel burning in muscles)
Wear yourself out and not get the cardio-training
Who trains in this zone? (sprinters, interval training)

29. Cardiovascular training
The training goal: 30 minutes in ATZ
All sports require endurance training.
Example:
USA Table Tennis Team runs 60 miles/week

30. Cardiovascular training
Advantages:
Confidence & capacity to endure stress
Train longer & harder; you’ll improve faster
3) The most important moments of a game usually come at the end, when you are tired
This is when you need the edge!

31. General Fitness, cont. #3: Muscular strength
Ability to generate or resist force usually translates into improved play (hit harder, jump higher, run faster)
Most common: lifting weights

32. Muscular strength Adaptation principle:
Exposing the muscles to stress in the form of weight will cause physical changes to occur within the muscle
As muscle strength increases, you increase the stress

33. Muscle strength 3 ways to increase stress on muscle
Increase the raw weight
Increase the # of repetitions
Decrease the amount of rest time

34. Keep a few things in mind…
Goal is usually not to bulk up…but get stronger (bulk can decrease speed & flexibility)
Consult with your coach (helpful lifts for specific sport…squats, leg curls)
TRAIN in proper technique! (use spotter)

35. #4: Flexibility Similar to having a strong core
Enhances functioning & power of your muscles…the more flexible athlete will run faster, hit harder, jump higher
Tendons & muscles are like rubber bands;
MORE STRETCH = MORE POWER

36. Flexibility Consider: When to use different kinds of stretching
How to stretch before working out or competing and how to stretch after

37. Elastic response
Muscles ability to produce GREATER POWER when it has been stretched.
Gives extra “OOMPH” with each motion.

38. Flexibility Static vs. Dynamic Stretching Dynamic:
Taking muscle through a continuous range of motion, allowing the motion to do the stretching

39. Dynamic stretching
Lower back, stomach, and sides. Stand upright, cross your arms, and place your hands on your shoulders. Gently rotate by turning from one side to the other

40. Flexibility Benefits of dynamic stretching: injury prevention
some improved flexibility
does NOT turn off the elastic response; so it is superior for warming up
Drawbacks? Not what you are used to.

41. Flexibility Static Stretching
Hold a stretched position for a period of time.
Hold position 30 seconds – 2 minutes.
You do not move when stretching.
(Some static stretches become dynamic is you BOUNCE LIGHTLY…should you?)

42. Flexibility Benefits of static stretching: improved flexibility
injury prevention
Drawbacks:
turns off elastic response; less effective when muscles are cold

43. Static stretching
Chest and shoulders. Stand upright and interlock your fingers. Bend your arms and place them above your head while forcing your elbows and hands backwards.

44. Summary
BEFORE workout: dynamic stretches *decreases risk of injury *does not turn off elastic response AFTER workout: static stretches *greater increases in flexibility, because the muscles are warm & loose

47. Making it to the end!

48. Physical Fitness
Worksheet 3.3 The Core Flexibility