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Sierra Center for Peak Perfromance

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Newsletter of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VIII, Number 10 October 2004*

Welcome to the seventieth issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Tuning Up Your Training in the New Year
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

The New Year is traditionally a time for reflection, evaluation, new goals, new directions and consideration of new methods to get closer to our Outcome Goals. The following set of articles, from the November Issue of Ski Racing Magazine, offers a review of non-traditional techniques to enhance athletic performance. I offer them to encourage you to consider something new in your training in 2005. These articles appear with the permission of Ski Racing Magazine and the author Sarah Tuff. Please let me know if you find this series helpful.

GAINS WITHOUT PAIN: HOW ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS CAN TUNE UP YOUR TRAINING

By Sarah Tuff

Austrian ski racer Hermann Maier may be the comeback story of 2004, but his ability to bounce back from injuries dates back to at least 1998, when he crashed at the Nagano Olympic downhill. Just days later, he stunned the world by winning the Super G. The secret to his quick recovery? Acupuncture. Between events, Maier underwent sessions of the centuries-old Chinese practice. Intended to alleviate pain, the treatments may have provided an even bigger boost, flooding Maier’s body with energy and speeding the healing process. “There’s some evidence to show that acupuncture, for a healthy athlete, actually reduces the recovery time between workouts,” says Acupuncture Vermont’s Robert Davis. “People can actually train more intensely.” Chinese medicine is just one of several alternative therapies traditionally used to treat injuries that’s becoming popular with athletes searching for an edge on the competition. In fact, some of the USST’s top ski racers have been known to skip the gym in favor of a Pilates class, and have been overheard swapping names of Rolfing practitioners. So, do these alternative therapies work? “Over the years I’ve probably experienced all of them, both with athletes and even personally,” says the U.S. Ski Team’s Andy Walshe, Assistant Athletic Director for Sport Science and Education. “Just about every technique has something to offer the athlete, but the extent of its contribution, whether perceived or real, is ultimately up to the individual. There are no magic tricks, there’s no cure for everything. Sometimes you just have to experiment and see what happens for yourself.”

Rolfing

After several sessions of Rolfing in 2002, U.S. Nordic Ski Team member Wendy Kay Wagner noticed something strange. “I couldn’t wear my orthotics anymore,” she says. Also known as structural integration, Rolfing involves deep- tissue massage (usually delivered through 10 sessions) aimed to relax the fascia that surround the muscles, thus enabling the body to align itself better and release muscles from years of being bound by bad habits. For Wagner, it changed her structure to the point where orthotics were unnecessary. Because practitioners instigate and teach improved posture, it can also lead to better body awareness; for Wagner, this meant a different approach to the season ahead. “Rolfing opened me up, and got me thinking in a different realm,” she says. “Not just to go out and go hard, but to access my energy by breathing deep and to focus on not having negative thoughts. Plus, it changed my body to help everything work better together.” Often used to ease pain or stress, Rolfing is now becoming a buzzword among skiers looking for better balance. “High-level skiers are concerned, obviously, about the lower leg alignment with the ski,” says Tom Walker, who has given structural integration to many racers, including Diann Roffe. “With some, I’ve done just one session and gotten their torso balanced over their pelvis, and their whole leg alignment changes dramatically.” Rolfing can also help skiers improve their proprioception, ski sensitivity and turn execution. If there’s a slight bend in the lumbar region or in the spine itself (usually unnoticeable to the individual), for example, then the skier might have less efficient angles on one side. Though many clients report success, and a long-term improvement in posture and performance, some find the process (like a very deep massage) painful, or simply pointless. “I know people who have gone to a couple of Rolfing sessions and thought it was the best thing ever,” says Walshe. “And I know others who have done it for an extended period of time and find that it didn’t give them any benefit at all; it was more of a mental thing.” For more information and a list of licensed practitioners visit www.rolf.org.

Reprinted with permission of Ski Racing, 1/15/05, 2005.
Copyright©2005 Inside Communications, Inc.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Mark Wein.

Mark has 72 hours to claim the Personalized Subliminal CD.

*Published in January 2005

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Sierra Center for Peak Perfromance

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Newsletter of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VIII, Number 11 November 2004*

Welcome to the seventy-first issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Tuning Up Your Training in the New Year #2
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

GAINS WITHOUT PAIN: HOW ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS CAN TUNE UP YOUR TRAINING

By Sarah Tuff

Acupuncture

Mention needles to some members of the ski racing community, and they’ll shudder at memories of recent doping scandals or perhaps just childhood shots. But others are catching on to a 4,000-year-old procedure now sought by 10 to 15 million Americans (and at least one Austrian). “I’ve done acupuncture, and it was great,” says U.S. Alpine Ski Team member Daron Rahlves. “It helped to open up the circulation and energy pathways and improved my healing time when I was rehabbing a dislocated hip.” And, it’s not just for rehab anymore. Acupuncture is based on the theory that our bodies have more than 2,000 acupuncture points, which connect with other pathways to conduct Chi, or energy. Sessions can range from daily to yearly, depending on individual needs. While skeptics point out that the placebo effect may explain acupuncture’s success with some patients, improved technology now allows researchers to see tangible evidence of its benefits. “Some of the most exciting research is how acupuncture helps connective tissue or soft tissue problems,” says Davis, who explains how the filament-thin needles spool collagen fibers like spaghetti on a fork. “What we’re finding is how this stimulates the soft tissue to become healthier.” If tissue can heal faster, then, theoretically, the racer can rebound more quickly from an intense dry-land training session. And acupuncture can also be relaxing, improving one’s psychological outlook. “Ski racers need to be tuned up mentally as well as physically,” says Davis. “Many patients find that this helps their mental clarity.” For more information and a list of acupuncture physicians visit www.medicalacupuncture.com.

Reprinted with permission of Ski Racing, 1/15/05, 2005.
Copyright©2005 Inside Communications, Inc.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Glenda Thurmond.

Glenda has 72 hours to claim the Personalized Subliminal CD.

*Published in January 2005

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Sierra Center for Peak Perfromance

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Newsletter of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VIII, Number 12 December 2004*

Welcome to the seventy-second issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Tuning Up Your Training in the New Year #3
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

GAINS WITHOUT PAIN: HOW ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS CAN TUNE UP YOUR TRAINING

By Sarah Tuff

Pilates

This practice, based on core strength, is mainstream enough to land a “Pilates for Dummies” title on the shelves of Barnes & Nobles across America. It still causes a bit of head- scratching, however, for fit folks who’d rather do crunches for free than pay to wriggle around on a mat, or wrestle with what looks like a medieval stretching rack. But Pilates goes beyond acquiring an abdominal six-pack. Developed by Joseph Pilates, a gymnast, diver and boxer, as an exercise system for the mind and body, it targets hundreds of muscles from the inside out, while inspiring better breathing and concentration. The philosophy behind Pilates holds that by focusing intensely on fewer, more precise movements, your mind is able to work more effectively with your muscles, thus providing improved control in every activity. Once students learn the fundamentals on a mat, they can move onto specialized equipment such as the Reformer, which adds resistance to build strength. “We get those muscles that surround the spine stronger, and then work our way out to the surface muscles,” says Park City-based trainer Helen Golden, whose clients include U.S. Freestyle Team member Emily Cook. “Then your major muscles can perform better, and your limbs can perform better.” Because Pilates improves flexibility, it can also help skiers improve their strength and power while training outside of class. “If you can only do a bicep curl from a 160-degree angle, then you are only going to get so strong,” says Golden. “If you can extend that arm fully and do a 180-degree curl, then you’re going to get the maximum strength that your body can obtain.”

Reprinted with permission of Ski Racing, 1/15/05, 2005.
Copyright©2005 Inside Communications, Inc.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Pamela Pearson.

Pamela has 72 hours to claim the Personalized Subliminal CD.

*Published in January 2005

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Sierra Center for Peak Perfromance

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Newsletter of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume IX, Number 1 January 2005

Welcome to the seventy-third issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Tuning Up Your Training in the New Year #4
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

GAINS WITHOUT PAIN: HOW ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS CAN TUNE UP YOUR TRAINING

By Sarah Tuff

Chiropractic Care

U.S. alpine team member Kirsten Clark, back on snow after blowing out both her knees and breaking a wrist last winter, sees a chiropractor once a week “who has helped me out tremendously,” she says. More than just a method to cure back pain, chiropractic work is based on the principle that everything in the body, from our neurological reactions to emotional states, is connected, and that spinal manipulation can dramatically improve the way we move, react and relate to each other and our environment (such as a racecourse). Treatment duration varies. Some of Clark’s fellow racers have benefited from such care in a pinch rather than on a regular basis. Terry Weyman, who served as team doctor for the Norwegian alpine squad during the Lillehammer 1994 Olympics, recalls once incident when a skier complained of low back pain. “Since we were in the middle of a competition, her choices were limited as far as treatment (due to international drug laws),” says Weyman, who saw that that the pain was also affecting the racer’s focus and that she had less than 15 minutes until her next race. “I was able to address the injury and resolve it in a short time, allowing the athlete to focus on the job at hand, which led to a personal record.” Beyond quick fixes, however, Weyman sees her position as similar to that of a NASCAR auto mechanic, to fine tune and prepare the body for peak performance. “By looking for changes in biomechanics, bioenergy and biochemistry,” she says, “then addressing and fixing these changes, I can always help the athlete perform better, recover faster and reduce his or her risk of injury.” For more information and a list of chiropractors visit www.amerchiro.org.

Reprinted with permission of Ski Racing, 1/15/05, 2005.
Copyright©2005 Inside Communications, Inc.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Brian Simeline.

Brian has 72 hours to claim the Personalized Subliminal CD.

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Sierra Center for Peak Perfromance

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Newsletter of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume IX, Number 2 February 2005

Welcome to the seventy-fourth issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Tuning Up Your Training in the New Year #5
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

The first of the year is traditionally a time for reflection, evaluation, new goals, new directions and consideration of new methods to get closer to our Outcome Goals. The following set of articles, from the November Issue of Ski Racing Magazine, offers a review of non-traditional techniques to enhance athletic performance. I offer them to encourage you to consider something new in your training in 2005. This final article, and the four that came before it, appear with the permission of Ski Racing Magazine and the author Sarah Tuff. Please let me know if you find this series helpful.

GAINS WITHOUT PAIN: HOW ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS CAN TUNE UP YOUR TRAINING

By Sarah Tuff

Clinical Hypnosis

“I’m not going to make you quack like a duck or sing like Elvis Presley,” says Gary Beale, who earned the nickname Doctor Relax from the Northstar-at-Tahoe ski team after he had the racers go through hypnotic inductions. Today, the Hawaii-based sports psychologist operates a web-based system (at www.drrelax.com) to help athletes achieve the results of his practice on their own. “This is very systematic and very scientifically based and it’s based entirely on an individual’s needs. Hypnosis is a primary part of what I do, I just don’t call it that.” Forget the swinging pendulum: Today’s hypnosis is about entering a trancelike state to optimize visualization, relaxation techniques and energy regulation. For ski racers, this can result in taming negative thoughts and harnessing mental and physical power for the best possible performance on the racecourse.

Clinical hypnosis involves seeing a licensed psychologist who helps create the best environment for this practice. Beale, who is licensed in clinical hypnosis, creates a customized program, based on goals and a person’s taste in music, which he sends to clients on CD, cassette or .mp3 files. (It’s an all-new way to use your iPod.) “A hypnotic state is just an altered state of conscious,” says USSA sport psychology coordinator Lester Keller. “In the hands of a trained professional, it’s an effective technique for many kinds of work, including performance enhancement.” Keller points out that that there are valid, learnable techniques to promote concentration that go way beyond a coach fruitlessly yelling “relax!” from the sidelines. “That’s the good news there are mental skills, and you can get better through practice,” he says. “But just setting off to do it without any instructional method a good book, tape, CD or even a coach is like getting under the hood of your car with a wrench and no knowledge of what you are going to do.” For more information visit www.asch.net.

Reprinted with permission of Ski Racing, 1/15/05, 2005.
Copyright©2005 Inside Communications, Inc.

Here is another source of information on hypnosis:

Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy UK - Lots of information, articles and links for hypnotherapy. Worldwide information including, how to find a therapist, professional organization etc.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Tamara Ruthaford.

Tamara has 72 hours to claim the Personalized Subliminal CD.

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Sierra Center for Peak Perfromance

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Newsletter of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume IX, Number 3 March 2005*

Welcome to the seventy-fifth issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
“What the Bleep Do We Know!?”
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

Regardless of whether or not the concepts of Quantum Physics as introduced and explored in the film “What the Bleep Do We Know!?” are sound science or simply the slick propaganda of a crack-pot organization based in the Northwest United States, many of the ideas expressed in the film do reflect concepts that are generally accepted in contemporary Sport Psychology. For that reason they are of interest to review and explore. For example:

“We have options and potential that exists but we are unaware of them.”

Many of us are unaware of the existence of the Relaxation Response and yet the proper use of this innate, involuntary natural response can help propel us to higher levels of athletic, academic and professional performance to name just a few.

"The brain does not know the difference between what it sees in the environment and what it remembers."

Analysis of neuromuscular activity that occurs when we imagine (remember) an action, like curling a dumbbell, reveals that the pattern of discharge is almost identical to the pattern that occurs when we actually curl a dumbbell.

"When we associate things over and over again (in our brain) the nerve cells make more attachments and create stronger, longer-term relationships."

Frequent and proper Mental Rehearsal tends to make practice of repetitive actions, like the shooting of free throws, more automatic and accurate than physical practice alone. In fact there is evidence that suggests that Mental Rehearsal without physical practice enhances performance more than no physical practice and no Mental Rehearsal. Mental Rehearsal is better than doing nothing at all.

"Every time we interrupt the thought process we disrupt the establishment of long-term relationships."

Clinical studies validate the use of "Thought-Stopping" as an effective and practical tool for changing thought patterns and behavior. "Thought-Stopping" is a method that incorporates the intentional interruption of the thought process.

"Your consciousness (thought) influences others and the reality around us."

When we learn to think more confident thoughts we tend to act in ways that reflect more self-confidence. When we behave in ways that show our inner self-confidence it can significantly affect our opponents and the way that we perform.

These are just a few of the interesting ideas put forth in the film that have parallels in Sport Psychology. If you have not yet seen the motion picture I would strongly encourage you to do so. The thinking and conversations that it is likely to generate are well worth the price of admission, DVD rental or purchase. For this reason, and others, I hope you will see it with a friend that you enjoy sharing ideas with.

*Published on March 32, 2005

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Alex Herrnsdorfd.

Alex has 72 hours to claim the Personalized Subliminal CD.

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Sierra Center for Peak Perfromance

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Newsletter of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume IX, Number 4 April 2005

Welcome to the seventy-sixth issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
“Three Questions”
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

I recently received the following questions in an email from a young rodeo competitor who I have had the great good fortune to work with. For reasons of confidentiality I shall refer to him as "John". John is also a post-secondary student. He is entering Phase II* of his Mental Strength Training and writes the following:

I was wondering if the terms imaging, visualizing, and image streaming are all talking about the same thing or is there a difference between them?
Can you trick your mind into thinking your a CONSISTENT world class competitor by acting skills, affirmations, and visualizing and then it will bring the results by some sort of rewiring in the brain? (I was reading about this rewiring in the brain in my research for my paper) ....Aren't the limits that most people set to be accomplished just an illusion and keep (us) from realizing (our) full potential?
What do you think of meditation and hypnosis? It seems like meditation would work to require a quiet, thought free state just before getting on. I think the one concentration exercise*** is some type of meditation.

I have a lot of questions now and I think I may be using the phone service** more during this next phase.

Here are my responses to John's first question:

Imaging and visualizing are often used interchangeably and generally refer to the same phenomenon. In my mind they most closely correspond to the concept of "Ideosensory" activity. Ideosensory activity refers to the ability of the mind to create and manipulate sensory recall that may involve touch, smell, sight, sound, taste and the kinesthetic. As my mentor, Dr. William Kroger, describes it in his book "Hypnosis and Behavior Modification: Imagery Conditioning", "...the memory of a pine tree is a positive ideosensory activity. A negative ideosensory activity would be the denial of given sensory experience ; for instance, not seeing one's keys on the desk or not hearing one's name called..."

Imagery Streaming more closely corresponds to Mental Rehearsal. Mental Rehearsal is the recall of more complex patterns of behavior such as imagining getting onto the back of a bull in the chute and riding it well until the time signal is given.

One of the goals of your Phase I, of the Mental Strength Training Process, is the development of your ability to recall, create and manipulate vivid ideosensory activity. Throughout the training process you have and will be involved in as many ideosensory experiences as is practical because it facilitates the conditioning process.

Conditioning your body and mind to more consistently help you achieve your goals is one primary aim of your training. That is, the better you can recall what you touch, smell, see, hear, taste and the movements you experience the more vivid your mental practice seems and therefore the more effective your self-conditioning.

John, in your case the more you can repeatedly pair the vivid sensory recall of being in the chute with the desired level of focus and the proper energy/relaxation balance, for example, the more you will be able to establish an association between being in the chute and having the desired levels of focus and balance present. Ultimately we want the desired levels to happen automatically.

It is generally thought that at the neurological level the more you cause the neural pathways to link through repeated, vivid experiences the stronger you forge associations. Keep in mind that the pathways fire as a part of both the real and the imaged experience. An added benefit of repeated linking is that it increases the potential for the establishment of alternate neural routes to the same associations. More ways to achieve the desired levels of focus and balance.

My next article will address your second question.

* Mental Strength Training is made up of many Phases. Phase I is the most basic level and Phase II is the next step up. Over 95% of all enrollee's elect to move to Phase II once they have achieved fundamental and successful levels of skill and application in their sport or area of focus such as Day Trading for example.

** Unlimited, free Telephone Coaching and Consultation that is highly encouraged and an integral part of Phases I and II at certain enrollment levels.

***Concentration Exercises (Part 1 & Part 2) are often used in Phase I.

Would you like to have the same type of proven-successful, skilled and experienced individual attention that "John" is receiving? Drop me a line and I'll tell you how you can.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Suzy Strazzulla.

Suzy has 72 hours to claim the free Personalized Subliminal CD.

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Sierra Center for Peak Perfromance

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Newsletter of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume IX, Number 5 May 2005

Welcome to the seventy-seventh issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
"Three Questions" Part II
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

I recently received the following question in an email from a young rodeo competitor who I have had the great good fortune to work with. For reasons of confidentiality I shall refer to him as "John". John is also a post-secondary student. He is entering Phase II* of his Mental Strength Training. Here is his second of three questions and my response:

Can you trick your mind into thinking your a CONSISTENT world class competitor by acting skills, affirmations, and visualizing and then it will bring the results by some sort of rewiring in the brain? (I was reading about this rewiring in the brain in my research for my paper) ....Aren't the limits that most people set to be accomplished just an illusion and keep (us) from realizing (our) full potential?

John, I have found that one of the more accurate ways of thinking about how affirmations, visualization and scripted behavior work together to help improve performance is to think of them first as reminders. They are ways of reminding yourself of what you must do to consistently perform at your best. If you use them together often they will remind and urge you to think the productive thoughts, take the goal oriented actions and gain the benefits. (See Law of Concentrated Attention at http://www.drrelax.com/Tezine4.htm)

For example, if one of your process goals is to practice physically at least once every day and your affirmations say things such as “I SET ASIDE TIME EACH DAY TO RIDE THE BARREL” or “I LOOK FORWARD TO AND ENJOY RIDING BAREBACK AT LEAST ONCE EVERY DAY” or your scripted behavior suggests that you "...TAKE THREE DEEP, BELLY BREATHES EACH TIME I MOUNT A BAREBACK..." then you are more likely to do so and by so doing improve your ability to perform.

If you also frequently visualize or mentally rehearse riding at your best on a good bull for one split second after the signal is given, you are more likely to have the expectation of and confidence to ride well on a good bull for the full seven seconds. Remember that the brain takes the visualization as though it were real-life so the more often you do it in your brain the more often the brain feels as if you have done it in real-life.

In this hypothetical case you have used the affirmations, visualization and scripted behavior to reinforce and support taking the steps that lead to achieving your goals.

While it is true that affirmations, visualizations and scripted behaviors are thought to help you rewire your brain the process by which this is thought to occur is one of association or Associative Learning. The more you associate having the thought, saying your affirmations, taking the steps and being at your best the more nerve connections within the brain you establish between those actions. The more nerve connections you establish the stronger you forge the link between thinking the thoughts, taking the action and getting the desired results. The more pathways you establish the more likely you are to remember, or feel compelled, to take the actions.

Now I submit to you the question: Looking at it from a slightly wider prospective wouldn't it be more accurate to think of these tools not as tricks but rather as practical, safe and effective methods that are based on logic, experience and science?

My next article will address your third question.

Would you like to have the same type of proven-successful, skilled and experienced individual attention that "John" is receiving? Drop me a line and I'll tell you how you can.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Tim Durrett.

Tim has 72 hours to claim the free Personalized Subliminal CD.

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