CRAIG PRODUCTIONS LLC

"We all have conversations going on inside our heads, I call it self-talk. Every athlete hears two competing voices.  One is a negative critic, and the other is a positive coach. Which voice we listen to is a matter of choice.  Which voice do you hear? Which is louder, the negative critic or the positive coach? You can choose to listen to the voice that offers and reinforces positive thought.  It has been said that thoughts become words.  Words become actions. Actions become habits. Habits become character. Character becomes your destiny." - Gary Mack

I would agree that the majority of each competitors success or failure is due to their mindset.  You can lift every day, but if you're not lifting with a positive outlook, I can almost promise you that you won't get GREAT results.  It's funny how the mind works and I'd love more knowledge on this subject.  All I have is experience and what I've learned from other people, but even that is enough to prove to me how important our thoughts are.  My trainer always says, "What You Think About, You'll Bring About"  This conversation came up when I asked him why I could eat somewhat clean and still workout after show and quickly re-gain a chubby stomach, whereas my sister could eat like crap and not workout right after the show and not gain any weight.  While of course the way our bodies work has something to do with this, but Pete brought up an excellent point.  While I normally let my negative voice speak louder when it comes to my stomach, my sister eats without thinking about gaining weight or getting a chubby tummy.  She is carefree, in that sense.  I thought about what he said and he was right.  The last year I've made great progress...I'm lifting heavier, I've gained more muscle mass and overall, I've lost a lot of fat! BUT even though I've made that progress, I still continue to dwell about my "chubby tummy" It is my problem area for sure, but that doesn't mean I should constantly focus on my stomach in a negative way.  Instead of allowing the positive coach in my head push me to believe that my stomach WILL lean out wonderfully, I allow the negative voice to insist that I'll always have a chubby stomach area. So since my goal is to come in leaner, especially around the mid-section, at the Ironman, I NEED to believe that I will lean out wonderfully.  I need to match up my goals with my thoughts.  If I keep insisting that I have a tummy, I'll never get the cut abs that I want. So today will be day one of REALLY working on my thoughts regarding my stomach.  What's funny is I actually have really positive thoughts towards my training, except for my stomach. SO it's going to take a lot of work to get my mindset right, but without a good mindset, I've got nothing.

Today has been great so far! I met a couple gals at PooPoo Point in Issaquah and we hiked up to the main look out. It's a great hike.  It's pretty steep, yet not too long. SO it works out perfect for me to fit in as a cardio session on the weekends.  Luckily we got there at about 8:00am, so we beat the hot heat! We made sure to keep up a good pace up the mountain.  It's nice to be able to sneak in different types of cardio here and there. Plus it gets my glutes firm ;)

I'll head into the gym in a bit to lift.  Saturdays I normally just pick whatever muscle group I feel like doing.  Last Saturday I did chest and biceps, but I think today I'll do shoulders. When I do shoulders, I do them alone and heavy!! I really need to put on muscle in this area and so far staying heavy and without any muscle groups has been working great! M-F I hit each muscle group once, so Saturday is my day to hit something extra!

Well, I'm out!! I'm starving and need to feed my body!! Eggs sounds great...I'm still craving them like crazy. Weird, but good I guess!

Tomorrow is my day of rest.  I'll be at church in the am, then spending the rest of the day with my amazing fiance!

Remember to really work on your mindset.  There's so much emphasis on physical training in this sport, but not enough on the mental aspects of it.

If you're spending three hours in the gym a day to lift, how long are you spending to train you mind?

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tags: Determination | Goals | Mindset | Thoughts