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The mind is often stronger than the body 

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The mind is often stronger than the body 

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Imagine standing in front of a squat rack which is currently holding 255 pounds. You had just attempted to squat this weight, but ultimately were unable to do so. So what do you do? Do you give up and walk away? Or do you push through the frustration and try again? This is an exact situation which I have encountered many times. And more often than not, I refuse to give up. But clearly the strategies I had previously employed were unsuccessful and in order to approach the rack again, I need a new plan.  This is where I turn to mental practice.

Mental practice is the mental rehearsal of a physical skill in the absence of overt physical movement. While performing mental practice, individuals often imagine themselves performing the skill, analyzing each component of the movement. The ability to generate a mental picture upon command is referred to as imagery ability.

Thus, before once again approaching the rack, I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and begin to imagine myself performing the task. I think about the breathing I must do, the muscles I must contract, and the energy I must exert in order to successfully complete the lift. Upon doing this I feel calm and collected and am able to correctly and successfully complete my squat!

(The image below includes one of the greatest physique performers of all time, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold mentions 'mental toughness' in may of his interviews. While mental toughness often refers to having the mental determination that comes with being a performer, it also refers to the ability to mentally practice one's skill. He often explains himself mentally rehearsing his routines prior to going on stage.)

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My father was in the Israeli military for 12 years. As a general, of Aluf as they call it in Israel, it was important to him that we were well versed in various military tactics. This often included long weekends at different basic training camps as well as summers in Israeli where I participated in the military program designed to prepare young children for The Israeli Defense Force called Gadna.

It was at these camps that I remember shooting my first gun at the age of 12 (yikes!).  Under heavy supervision, we participated in various shooting sessions where we practiced under different conditions.  Sometimes our targets were moving, sometimes they were located rather close, and other times they were very far away.  It was during these practice sessions that we participated in either blocked or random style sessions.

The term blocked refers to trials or practice sessions which require similar strategies for subsequent trials. Shooting at the same target 15 times in a row is an example of blocked trials, because each these 15 shots utilized the same motor program. In contrast random sessions require that an individual participate in multiple strategies. This could include shooting at a still target, followed by a moving target, followed by a target which is still but 15 meters closer. As I recall, beginners often shot using blocked sessions where they would become familiarized with one condition first before moving to the next. In comparison, more experiences guns-man were able to move about from condition to condition as they pleased because they were better able to alternate from one motor program to another.

(The image below was taken in the summer of 2012, during my third summer participating in the Israeli army youth program. As you can see, our uniforms often required that we carry M-16's and because of this we needed to be comfortable with using this form of firearm. It was though using blocked and random practice sessions that were were able to become familiarized with these guns.)

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Having grown up in the midwest, the game of corn-hole holds a great deal of importance to my family, friends, and I. While it might just be a silly game that people play at BBQ's or tailgates, this game governed who had to do the dishes during the summer in my house.

The game of corn-hole is quite simple. There are two boards which are placed at a specific distance apart from one another. Towards the back of the board resides a hole with which participants attempt to toss bean bags into. During any given round, two teams are selected which are each comprised of two players. One member from each team tosses from one core-hole board, while the other member pitches from the opposite side. In order to win, your team must acquire EXACTLY 21 points. Tossing the bean bag in the hole is worth 3 points, while simply landing on the board is worth one. If a player's bean bag lands no the board, but is then pushed off, they no longer receive any points.

Now, in order to be declared the winner, and be safe from doing dishes, we participated in a bracket style tournament. At the completion of each round, the boards would be distanced further and further apart from one another in order to increase the difficulty. Therefore, in order to continuously progress, I needed to develop new schemas. According to the Schema Theory, when people practice a particular class of movements, they acquire rules, also known as schemas, that they can use to determine the parameter values necessary to produce different versions of the action. As it pertains to the game of corn-hole, I needed to determine new parameters for each round which would allow me to successfully land each bean bag into the hole. These parameters included the heights, distances, and forces which I would need to manipulate from round to round in order to be successful.

(Although I was not able to find any images of my family playing corn-hole, I was able to find many online. It is here that we see a player preparing to toss their beanbag. Based upon our understanding of schemas, we can infer that he is creating a plan of action which utilizes the correct force, distance, and height with which to toss the beanbag in order for it to land in the hole.)

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During the course of this semester, the study of reaction time and the ways in which it is influenced was of great importance. And although we talked about the many ways with which one may cope with delaying reaction time, anticipation remains a great example.  Once an individual becomes familiar enough with their performance, they are able to predict what is going to happen in their environment as well when it will happen. This allows for the performance of variously information-processing activities in advance of the stimuli.

The ability to anticipate various stimuli is very important for athletes, especially those participating in the olympics. For individuals participating in Track & Field events, the ability to anticipate when the gun will go off allows for them to propel out of the blocks as quickly as possible. Swimmers similarly benefit from this advantage when listening for the starting tone. Therefore as I ready myself for the watching of my 5th summer olympics, I will be watching for anticipation.

However, there are many costs to anticipation, one of which includes falsely anticipating when an event actually occurs. As it was explained above, a sprinters ability to anticipate when the starting gun will go off gives them a great advantage above their fellow competitors. But there are instances when sprinters, such as Usain Bolt, incorrectly anticipate the timing, resulting in a false start.  Thus it is understood that even at the most professional levels, athletes sometimes abuse their ability to anticipate and end up suffering the consequences.

(This video below was chosen to illustrate Usain Bolts false start, which occurred in 2011 during the World Championship.)

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Usain Bolt disqualified after first false starts, 100m; race

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Athletic competitions are often filled with a great deal of excitement, however anxiety and nervousness are often to follow. At the age of 7 I joined my first track club and within a matter of weeks I was competing in my first track meet. I remember feeling butterflies in my stomach all night and experiencing various emotional sensations, and as a result I was not able to sleep. The next day I could tell that my performance was not where it should have been and this is because of many of the crucial processes which occur during sleep.

Sleep is understood to enhance the learning of motor skills, as well as play a role in memory consolidation. By sleeping, our mind is able to rehearse various motor patterns and strategies which had previously been obtained during practice. This rehearsal is thought to strengthen the neural connections necessary for performance of the skill. Similarly, in order to regain skills that may be lost during injury or neurological impairments, one must sleep in a manner which induces slow-waves.

Therefore moving forward, I took it upon myself to go to bed especially early on the nights before track meets. While the anticipation of the slowly approaching competition was still there, I was at least able to get more sleep than I would have been able to otherwise, and as a result was able to perform more optimally.

(The image below explains the many benefits which come as a result of a good night's sleep, many of which include weight control, decision making, motivation, etc. These components are important when it comes to the performance of motor skills and as a result it is important to understand the many benefits.)

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When it comes to my memory, my mind works in bizarre ways. Although I may not be able to remember your phone number, or what I ate last Tuesday, my capacity for episodic memory is fairly developed. Episodic memory refers to memories pertaining to certain events. This enables us to understand when and where events occurred in order to place them into a meaningful time frame. This form of declarative memory, meaning our knowledge of what 'to do', includes knowledge we are consciously aware of and are able to verbalize the information we maintain.

According to a child development course I took spring semester, the majority of autobiographical episodic memories do not begin to be remembered until approximately six years old. However, I have memories which precede the age of three. I remember the look of astonishment on my moms face when I would talk about things that had happened in my past that were never discussed or even photographed before. An example of this includes the birth of my sister. I remember that evening as though it had occurred yesterday. I recall everything from my mom going into labor, to the temper tantrum I threw when I had to get dressed in order to leave for the hospital, and the little orange bear my grandpa had waiting for me as a 'Congratulations you a big sister' gift.

(The picture below was taken on the night my little sister was born. I was only 2 years and 6 months old when she was born and I am able to remember that night quite vividly.)

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Abilities: you either got em' or you don't 

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Abilities: you either got em' or you don't 

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As we've learned, there are many factors which have to possibility of influencing our success in any given skill domain. However, one typically attempts a particular skill due to the abilities they possess. Abilities are the general traits or capacities that an individual possesses which are a determinant of a person's achievement potential for the performance of specific skills. These abilities are often rooted within genetic variation and as a result, no two individuals possess the same abilities. Many abilities
stem from various physical characteristics such as height, age, gender, etc. This variation among individuals is often refers to as individual difference variables.

For example, as a child I was very energetic and fast, therefore my gym teachers recommended that I join a private track club in order to harness my potential. It was there that I compete in multiple events and participated in the Jr Olympics three years in a row. Similarly, I was very small and flexible and because of this gymnastics came naturally to me. I participated in gymnastics from the age of 2 all they way until I was 14 and had to end my career due to lets say 'physical changes'..... This is when persistence comes into play -------->

The photo below was taken during one of my high school track meets. It is here that we are able to see my ability to consistently run with speed and endurance. While endurance is something which can be acquired over time, having the ability to fun fast is something which you are either born able to do or not do.

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While many people rely on their natural born abilities to support their talents, others must rely on a different characteristic of learning known as persistence. As an individual who is merely 5'4", there are many activities which I am not deemed fit for. However, my persistence enables to improve and succeed in many motor performance tasks.  Persistence is the ongoing practice of a particular skill long after its performance has been initially completed. This enhances the learning of a skill in a manner which promotes relatively permanent improvement of said skill.

As previously mentioned, I am a 5'4" FEMALE, therefore there are many activities which people believe aren't suitable for me. However, I refused to allow peoples beliefs dictate how I lived my life. In the 8th grade, I was told that my time as a volleyball player needed to come to an end. While the coaches were impressed with my performance, they claimed that I wasn't what they were looking for in terms of team composition. Instead of allowing that to end my time as a volleyball player, I spent the following months practicing blocking, hitting, passing, and serving all in an attempt to regain a spot on the team the following season. Sure enough when the next fall tryouts came around, I tried out once again and made A team! Although I am not the definition of a typical volleyball player, my persistence enabled me to improve and succeed in a motor skill domain which my abilities wouldn't have otherwise enabled me to do.

I selected this cute little clip as a reminder that, yes although persistence does require a great deal of time and effort, it is important to remember to have fun and laugh while practicing. Enjoying what you do makes performing it that much more worthwhile, and your performance reflects that.

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Discover & Share this Fox TV GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.