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Mental TrainingMental Training

Eric J. Hörst

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Elements of Mental Fitness Elements of Mental Fitness • Self-awareness of thoughts, body, emotions, strengths & weaknesses, results, self-image

• Self-Regulation or “state control” (thoughts, emotions, body)

• Goal Setting, Goal Pursuit, Sensory Acuity and Course Correction

• Mental Agility and Stamina (Ability to problem-solve, persevere, and overcoming adversity)

• Concentration and Focus (Ability to resist distractions & “single task”)

• Fear Management

• Mind Programming and Behavior Modification

• Will Power & Self-Concept

Assess Your Self-Awareness Assess Your Self-Awareness

1. Throughout the day, both in climbing and everyday life, I am aware of my decision-making processes, the direction and quality of my thoughts, and the outside triggers that affect my thoughts.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

2. At climbing rest positions, and between attempts and routes, I monitor how I feel (physically and emotionally) and assess the quality of my thoughts and actions. 1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always 3. At some point during a climbing outing (or indoor climbing session), I solicit my partner (or a climbing coach) for an assessment of how well I appear to be climbing and what aspects of my game need improvement. Alternatively, I use video tape to self-evaluate my climbing every season.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

4. I ponder—or know—my true motives for the things I do big and small. 1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

5. In making major decisions (that will determine how I invest my time, energy, and resources), I consider and leverage my hierarchy of personal values.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

Assess Your “State Control” Assess Your “State Control”

1. I get anxious, tight, and hesitant as I climb into a crux sequence, and I have a tough time preventing this.1—almost always, 2—often, 3—about half the time, 4—seldom, 5—never

2. My confidence gets shaken, or I get angry and frustrated, when I struggle or fall on a route or encounter unexpected difficulties.1—almost always, 2—often, 3—about half the time, 4—seldom, 5—never

3. I can regain a positive mindset and optimize arousal at rest positions, between attempts on a climb, or during a competition.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

4. I engage in self-talk to help maintain a positive, productive state throughout the day, whether I’m climbing or not.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

5. After a bad day of climbing or a poor roadtrip, I can quickly shake off the disappointment and regain a positive, productive, future-oriented frame of mind. In fact, I can find a way to enjoy most any day even if I’m not climbing well or things aren’t going as planned.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

Assess Your Goal Setting & Pursuit Assess Your Goal Setting & Pursuit

1. I set specific goals for my daily training and each climbing outing, as opposed to “making it up on the go.”1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

2. At some point each week I review my long-term climbing and life goals, then mentally work backwards to determine what short-term actions I should take to remain on course to those goals.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

3. I can maintain a positive, productive mindset in the face of setbacks or unexpected difficulties.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

4. When faced with a tough situation or unexpected adversity, I get inspired and accept the challenge.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

5. In the wake of an adverse situation, I spin the negative outcome into something positive by identifying a lesson learned or determining a way that it has made me stronger.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

Assess Your Concentration Assess Your Concentration & Fear Management& Fear Management

1. I am proactive in managing risk in order to reduce the fear factor, control arousal, and improve my chances for a safe, successful climb.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

2. I become distracted and lose my concentration due to activity on the ground or because of the hardships or unknowns of the climb.1—almost always, 2—often, 3—about half the time, 4—seldom, 5—never

3. I get nervous and afraid heading up on an on-sight, project, or competition route; I ponder the potential for embarrassment and I become anxious because of the uncertainty of the outcome.1—almost always, 2—often, 3—about half the time, 4—seldom, 5—never

4. When lead climbing a safe route, I push myself to the complete limit and, if I fall, I fall trying.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

5. I make excuses (to self or others) for why I might fail on a route before I even begin to climb.1—almost always, 2—often, 3—about half the time, 4—seldom, 5—never

Assess Your Mind Programming Assess Your Mind Programming

1. I visualize strategy, process, and the ideal outcome in all important tasks I undertake, both climbing and nonclimbing.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

2. In preparing for a difficult climb, I strive to preprogram the ascent by vividly visualizing myself climbing the route—and trying to imagine the feel of the moves—before I leave the ground.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

3. I use self-talk and mantras to maintain focus, aid execution, and sustain effort during a hard workout or difficult climb.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

4. At some point in my weekly training, I try to simulate the moves and muscle action needed for a current project or upcoming climb.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

5. On rest days, quiet times, or before going to sleep, I engage in meditation, visualization, or some form of mental exercise to prepare my mind and body for future activities and goals.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

Assess Your Will Power & Self-ConceptAssess Your Will Power & Self-Concept

1. If necessary for success in training or climbing, I can push myself to an extreme level of fatigue and pain. 1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

2. I push myself through a long, scary runout between bolts or gear, when I know either that the gear will hold a big fall or that I’m capable of climbing the section without falling.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

3. I march to my own drummer and possess the confidence to step away from the crowd and follow my own path.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

4. I get down on myself and question my abilities and worth when I struggle on a climb or have an “off day”?1—almost always, 2—often, 3—about half the time, 4—seldom, 5—never

5. When the chips are down, I can perform up near my maximum ability and throw all I’ve got at a climb or goal.1—seldom or never, 2—occasionally, 3—about half the time, 4—often, 5—always

Action 1 - Increase Self-AwarenessAction 1 - Increase Self-Awareness

1. Grow your metacognitive ability (self-awareness of thoughts). Strive regularly to think about what you are thinking about, then assess whether thethoughts are helping or hurting you. Ask inwardly directed questions to assess your current“state.” Cultivate process-oriented and positive ways of thinking.

2. Slow down your thought process in critical moments. Eschew reactive decision-making, and instead strive to factor in the range of possibilities,

past experience, alternative approaches, and the likely (and possible unintended) consequences of a particular decision.

3. Strive to read the physical feelings of your muscles and joints. What’s the message? Which muscles harbor tension? What external factors might have

triggered the physical tension you are feeling? Grow awareness of proprioceptive clues in order to improve quality of movement on the rock.

4. Foster higher awareness of your emotional state and common “triggers.”

Assess the nature of your emotions and the level of arousal, and then determine whether they are ideal for the task at hand. Identify, and then avoid, triggers of negative emotions. your true values.

Action 1- Increase Self-AwarenessAction 1- Increase Self-Awareness

5. Develop sharpened awareness of your weaknesses. Retake the self-assessment once per year, since your weaknesses are a moving target. If available, elicit the input of a climbing coach. Constantly ask yourself, “what is my limiting constraint?”

6. Search for clues in performance feedback. Analyze the stream of ongoing results feedback from the climb. What’s the message? Do you need to climb faster, slower, or use a different approach?

7. Focus on the process of climbing, not the outcome or your “greatness.” Arrogance and self-awareness are mutually exclusive. Stay in the moment, stay humble, and learn from the climb and experience.

8. Cultivate a deep sense of your values—know who you are and what you want. Establish a ranking or hierarchy of values to leverage in decision-making. This way you can invest your time most wisely in pursuit of your goals.

Action 2 – Improve Self-Regulation Action 2 – Improve Self-Regulation (“State” Control)(“State” Control)

Mind-Body-Emotion Interaction

The Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation Process Loop

Improve Self-Regulation Improve Self-Regulation (continued)(continued)

• Adjust Your Physical State1. Take control of your breathing.2. Modulate your arousal level and change your posture.3. Stretch and use progressive relaxation.4. Use nutrition to stabilize and sustain energy levels.

• Change Your Thoughts1. Direct positive, goal-directed self-talk and helpful mental imagery.2. Use meditation to quiet your mind.3. Narrow your thoughts to the present moment.4. Simplify your life.

• Modulate Your Emotions

1. Create and leverage positive emotional anchors.2. Direct grateful ways of thinking.3. Take a mental inventory successes, experiences, and blessings.

Action 3 – Set Goals & Take Daily ActionAction 3 – Set Goals & Take Daily Action

• Set Goals in 4 Time Frames1. Mega Goals2. Long-term or Annual Goals3. Medium-term, Seasonal, or Monthly Goals4. Short-term (daily and weekly goals)

• Keys to Effective Goal Setting and Pursuit 1. Write down your goals.2. Define the goal specifically and with as much detail as possible.3. Make your goals lofty, but realistic.4. Set deadlines for medium- and long-term goals.5. Enlist a partner(s) for the journey a recruit a friend/coach for

accountability.6. Determine one thing you will sacrifice in order to reach this goal.

Set Goals & Take Daily Action Set Goals & Take Daily Action (continued)(continued)

• Strategies for Effective Goal Pursuit1. Perform a “gap analysis.”2. Engage in detailed weekly and monthly planning. Plan your work, and

the work your plan.3. Set specific process and performance goals for each climbing/training

session or trip.4. Take change of the “moment of decision.” How will a given decision

change your trajectory for better or worse.5. Constantly evaluate the effectiveness of your short-term actions. Are

you on track or do you need to make course corrections?6. Become an avid time manager—make the most of your waking hours.

Action 4 – Welcome AdversityAction 4 – Welcome Adversity

1. Exercise your mental agility and become a spin doctor! • Use your imagination to find a reason how the negative situation could

actually be a positive. • How might the lesson or learned toughness you gain from a setback

help you in the future? • Be flexible in your thinking and make a game out of trying to

transcend the setback or block. Use mental gymnastics to stay positive and prevail despite the current problems.

2. Use optimism as a tool. • Accept the brutal facts of a bad situation, but analyze the data and

make course corrections. • Don’t internalize bad results; instead strive to have amnesia to past

results and let a sense of optimism overwhelm you. • Find reasons that you can and should continue onward, and then

push forward with determination and optimism as your sword and shield.

Welcome AdversityWelcome Adversity (continued) (continued)

3. Become a “reverse paranoid.” • No matter the problems you face, believe that the universe is conspiring toward your success, and that “what you want, wants you.” • View obstacles as signposts that will direct you toward a better course of action.

4. Develop “hanging-on power.” • Progressively subject yourself to greater and greater challenges that safely stretch your mental and physical limits. • When pushed to your limit, strive to hang on for one more move, one more pitch, or one more day.

Action 5 – Improve ConcentrationAction 5 – Improve Concentration

1. Deal with potential distractions before you climb. If necessary, ask your belayer or spotter for their compete attention, and don’t be shy about asking other climbers on the ground to limit their movements and noise until you complete the boulder problem or climb.

2. Use preclimb rituals to narrow focus.Capture mental concentration—and seal off distractions—by engaging in a preparatory sequence that includes your physical warm-up, stretching activities, racking your gear, scoping the route, and the like.

3. Proactively direct self-talk to lead the conscious mind down a productive path.Fill your conscious mind with positive self-talk such as relax, stay in the moment, keep breathing, and focus on footwork, along with encouraging statements like I can do this move, I love challenge, and hang on for one more move.

Improve Concentration Improve Concentration (continued)(continued)

4. Limit your eye focus on task-relevant targets.Focus your vision only on the holds you are about to engage, the gear you are placing, and the rock immediately around you.

5. Keep your thoughts in the moment.Quiet your mind and get in the moment with meditation, breathing exercises, and process-oriented focus.

6. Use will power to narrow focus despite adverse conditions. Accept the reality of the situation, dismiss unproductive thoughts, and lose yourself in focused action.

Action 6 – Actively Manage FearAction 6 – Actively Manage Fear

1. Analyze your fears to determine if they are real or imagined. Take action to mitigate the risk(s) associated with your legitimate fears. Strive to become a master of risk management, and you will be able to reduce a wide range of fears including the fear of falling, getting hurt, and the unknown.

2. Overcome imagined fears with reason—know that these phantom fears are bogus.Fill your consciousness with productive, positive, process-oriented thoughts and dismiss all other illusionary fears that might surface.

3. Eliminate the fear of failure by acknowledging your preparedness and training. Take a mental inventory of your training, planning, and past successes, then lose yourself in your proven preclimb ritual and get climbing!

Actively Manage Fear Actively Manage Fear (continued) (continued)

4. Challenge the fear of falling by taking practice falls. All the climbing in the world won’t get you past this fear—only in falling will you come to manage this fear. Take a few practice falls (on safe routes) at least once per week during your first couple years as a lead climber, and you will lose the fear of taking reasonable falls.

5. Change your interpretation of the fear response. Some butterflies and nervous energy are natural before an important performance—acknowledge this and use the energy to enhance your focus and commitment, rather than letting it scare you.

6. Use self-talk and breath control to remain in a centered state. Direct positive, process-oriented self-talk and strive to maintain steady, deep breathing throughout your ascent. Check in on your breathing, and renew focused self-talk at every rest position.

Actively Manage Fear Actively Manage Fear (continued)(continued)

7. Focus on the process of climbing, and detach from the possible outcomes. Concentrate on the things immediate to your performance, such as precise foot placements, relaxing your grip, and moving quickly onto the next rest position. Let the climb unfold one move at a time.

8. Adopt the attitude that it’s okay to fail (assuming a safe fall).Decide that falling won’t bother me, I’ll just get back up and give it another go. By willingly accepting this fate (if it should even happen), you totally dissolve the fear of failure that weighs down so many climbers.

9. Accept that feeling some fear and experiencing occasional failure are part of the climbing process. Adventure and fearful feelings are inseparable, just as failure and learning go hand in hand. If you love climbing, then you must learn to accept some degree of fear and failure. Trust that with increasing experience (and patience) these fears will wane.

Action 7 – Actively Program Your MindAction 7 – Actively Program Your Mind

1. Use mental rehearsal before every climb and important task.Use dissociated mental rehearsal in deciphering route sequences, developing climbing strategy, and in risk-management planning.

2. Use vivid visualization to mind program for all climbs & goals. Associate with the mental movie—see the action in vivid color and feel the motion and emotion of the process.

3. Utilize simulator training to build task-specific skills & strength.Physical simulations will program/condition the muscles, motor skills, and mind for the specific demands of a project climb.

4. Use affirmations to create an optimal mental state and unconscious behavioral forcing. Actively use self-talk to direct your conscious mind and as a method of programming your unconscious mind.

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