Open Prep Week 4: Get Right Between the Ears
February 22, 2022 | Words by Gabe Yanez
And just like that, we made it to Week 4 of our Open Prep Series, which means we’re just a few days away from the release of the first Open workout for 2022.
Even if you’re not planning to participate in this year’s Open competition, there’s still a lot you can take away from this series and apply it to any big competition, event, or race you may have planned for the future.
If you missed the first three write-ups of this series, you can catch up by clicking the link below:
Now it's time to dive into this week’s topic: How can mindset impact performance at any stage of the competition?
Get Right Between the Ears
You’ve done the training, fueled your body appropriately, and done everything you can to optimize your recovery leading up to your competition. That checks off all the boxes — except for one: Mindset.
Your body might be primed, but in order to perform your best at anything, you need to get right between the ears.
So how can you prepare your mind for a big physical test like the Open?
First off, separate the hard work that went into getting in shape for the big event from the results. The EFFORT that went into your training doesn't simply boil down to how you stack up on a leaderboard.
For most of us, our performance during the Open is not something our livelihoods depend on. These are great tests to push us out of our comfort zone, but the results shouldn’t matter as much as the work that we put in during our training.
Go into the Open or any other competition knowing that you either did the work to prepare. Trust the hours you put in and don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself — that could actually be detrimental to your performance.
Finally, you should also prepare to go into uncharted territory. We train to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, but one of the reasons we test ourselves in a more competitive setting is so we can push beyond the level we’re able to reach in training.
It will get uncomfortable and that’s OK. That’s the point. There are powerful lessons we can take away from pushing that hard from time to time. Embrace the competitive setting of the Open or any other big physical challenge and prepare your mind to wade into waters you’ve never quite experienced before.
ONE THING TO TRY THIS WEEK
Visualize. You don’t even need to wait for the workout to be released in order to do this.
Close your eyes and imagine how you want to feel right before the clock marks the start of your first workout of this year’s Open.
How does your body feel? Thoroughly warmed up, muscles and joints loose.
What are you wearing? Your favorite workout outfit, of course (maybe an NCFIT EFFORT shirt or tank).
How do you feel once the workout starts? You’re calm, remembering to breathe. You have a strategy that you like and a plan B just in case.
How do you feel once the workout is over? You’re exhausted, sweaty, and out of breath, but you’re amped up on dopamine and feeling accomplished.
Visualization might seem silly, especially if you haven’t done it in the past, but give it a try — it could go a long way in helping make your performance in this Open or any competitive event your best yet.
One More Thing To Do This Week
Download the new NCFIT App! Whether you’re preparing for the Open or just looking to be the strongest, fittest version of yourself outside the gym, we have a program for you available on the best fitness app in the space.
Available for iOS, the NCFIT App has quality daily workouts and a custom timer to get you moving towards your fitness goals:
Look good and get strong with NCFLEX.
Prepare for the Open and anything else life might throw your way with NCMETCON.
Need more training volume for your competition goals? NCCOMPETE will do the job.
Want to tackle both strength and conditioning every time you train? NCX is the perfect fit.
Don't wait! We provide great workouts, daily videos, and a custom timer, you bring the EFFORT. Let’s go!
Whether you’re planning to do the Open or not, our NCMETCON track on the new NCFIT App has the workouts to prepare you for anything. Download now on iOS and get ready for when the Open workouts drop!
