Z Fanatical Fitness recognizes that fitness is never just physical. Success begins with your Mindset. If you master your mind, you will master your body. Z Fanatical provides this blog with a weekly MINDSET MONDAY to aid you on your journey.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Mindset Monday 4/30/12- What happiness has to do with your success in wrestling, finals, and interviews
Being nervous, anxious, worried, or scared has a predictable affect on your mind. Tunnel vision sets in. You revert to your most rehearsed behaviors for safety. You become literal-minded. Have you ever tried telling a joke or being sarcastic with someone who is in this state of mind? Notice how they don’t quite get what you are talking about right away. These people have difficulty understanding even semi complex material. Creativity and flexible thinking go out the window. Creativity and flexible thinking are absolutely essential in a sport like wrestling where there is no set routine. On board course corrections become necessary. How well do you think a wrestler in this mindset will make appropriate adjustments in the middle of competition. Again remember, we tend to revert to our most rehearsed behavior while nervous. Now think about taking a final exam. Many tests are difficult because the teacher/professor asks you to apply the knowledge that you know. Multiple choice and fill in the blank questions may be easy if you studied adequately, but what happens when you are presented with familiar material and you are asked to do something novel with it? This often trips people up. Typically when the teacher goes over the test, after the fact, we see the simple adjustments and application that should have been obvious to us beforehand because we did, “know the material.” When you panic, creativity and flexible thinking are out the window. Imagine now you are on an interview and the interviewer asks how you would react in a novel scenario. How might your nervousness affect the quality of your answer?
Keep in mind, this phenomenon occurs regardless of your skill level. Panic, fear, nervousness will block you from achieving your potential. You can still perform well despite this feeling, you can succeed, but wouldn’t you rather bring out the you that you know is within you- your potential?
Here’s the remedy- happiness- being in a good mood. The next time you feel nervous, begin to act the opposite way. Fake it till you make it if you have to. Better yet, fake it till you feel it. Keep the “tense” atmosphere light-hearted. Joke around. Smile. Pre-plan ways to make yourself smile and laugh during these situations. Some coaches and teachers may not like this because they think you are not taking the situation seriously, but they just don’t understand this important lesson. This is crucial to your success, especially in situations that require you to make adjustments and react in novel ways. Get good at laughing at yourself and mistakes. Stop taking yourself so seriously. Most people don’t care about you, they’re too busy thinking how they look. Practice how you will look and feel before, during, and after a competition, or test, or interview. See yourself smiling and enjoying yourself out there. You will be surprised how well you perform when you stop taking yourself so serious, let go, and have fun. Flexible thinking, adapting, creativity will be open to you from now on.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Mindset Monday 2/20/12 - Taking Risk in Sports
A word about risk from Kendall Cross 1996 Olympic Champion:
"If you want to sail the high seas, you got to be willing to step offshore"
http://www.flowrestling.org/speaker/5508-Kendall-Cross/video/206428-Kendall-Cross-Explaination-Of-Techniques
In many instances in life it is beneficial to play it safe. Don't text and drive, look both ways before you cross the street, practice safe sex, and say no to drugs. Failing to abide by these rules could get you in serious trouble, if not killed. This is REAL RISK.
When the stakes get high and a big competition comes up. We tend to avoid risk. We err on the side of doing less. Play it conservatively. Try to be perfect.
What we forget is that sports is just a game. It is play time. We can take risk and not be in any REAL danger. In sports, taking risks is fun and often very rewarding.
When I say RISK, I mean Calculated risk. We should know the difference. Technique that succeeds. We know what to do, but we second guess ourselves. What I am really taking about is attacking your moves and technique without fear. We tend to get so afraid things may not work out if we go after a move. So what? You will live to see tomorrow. That is a comforting thought.
Avoid life threatening risk like I mentioned before. In sports, you must embrace the unknown and approach your goals. Do not shy away. It is fun to play hard and go after moves. That sure beats hanging back and waiting for something to happen.
If you are afraid of making mistakes, you will probably not make much of anything.
Get after it. Go all out. Get Fanatical
Gene Zannetti
Owner of Z-Fanatical Fitness
Peak Performance Specialist: One-on-one consultation & Motivational Speaking
genezannetti@gmail.com
908-337-6143
www.zfanatical.com
"If you want to sail the high seas, you got to be willing to step offshore"
http://www.flowrestling.org/speaker/5508-Kendall-Cross/video/206428-Kendall-Cross-Explaination-Of-Techniques
In many instances in life it is beneficial to play it safe. Don't text and drive, look both ways before you cross the street, practice safe sex, and say no to drugs. Failing to abide by these rules could get you in serious trouble, if not killed. This is REAL RISK.
When the stakes get high and a big competition comes up. We tend to avoid risk. We err on the side of doing less. Play it conservatively. Try to be perfect.
What we forget is that sports is just a game. It is play time. We can take risk and not be in any REAL danger. In sports, taking risks is fun and often very rewarding.
When I say RISK, I mean Calculated risk. We should know the difference. Technique that succeeds. We know what to do, but we second guess ourselves. What I am really taking about is attacking your moves and technique without fear. We tend to get so afraid things may not work out if we go after a move. So what? You will live to see tomorrow. That is a comforting thought.
Avoid life threatening risk like I mentioned before. In sports, you must embrace the unknown and approach your goals. Do not shy away. It is fun to play hard and go after moves. That sure beats hanging back and waiting for something to happen.
If you are afraid of making mistakes, you will probably not make much of anything.
Get after it. Go all out. Get Fanatical
Gene Zannetti
Owner of Z-Fanatical Fitness
Peak Performance Specialist: One-on-one consultation & Motivational Speaking
genezannetti@gmail.com
908-337-6143
www.zfanatical.com
Monday, February 13, 2012
Mindset Monday 2/13/12- Entering the Post-Season
When entering the post season, many athletes make the same tragic flaw: they lose sight of why they do what they do.
It is easy to get caught up in the significance of an event. Just pick up a newspaper, go on a forum, and talk to some of your friends, family, and coaches. The focus will quickly turn to winning, or even worse, not losing.
Athletes begin demanding more from themselves as the post-season approaches. They try to do more than they usually do. They make the upcoming event "special." Everything is important, nothing is special. Once you make something special, you put the performance on a pedestal, and this adds a tremendous mental weight for the athlete to carry, as if the athlete was not dealing with enough physically.
We learn from sports movies and media the wrong way to think about the post-season. "This is it, now or never, do or die." "This is all that matters, what you have been working your whole life for" etc etc. You get the picture. People hype it up. This is great for selling movies and maybe 10% of the athletic population, if that.
Watch the Olympics or World Series or Super Bowl. Listen to those interviews. they will likely tell you a very different story than Hollywood. Real athletes talk about consistency and staying within themselves. Doing what they do every day. Not focusing on the event, but on effort, attitude, and execution of skills (technique).
A great way to separate yourself from the masses you will be competing against is remembering what you love about your sport. I would assume you are playing the sport you are because at some level, you enjoy it. Enjoyment is the base of the pyramid to feeling the Flow State of being In the Zone, where you just cant miss. Most athletes recall being in this Flow State at some point in time. To get back to it, you must enjoy what you are doing. You won't achieve a Flow Mindset if you are frustrated, annoyed, upset, or angry. The sport must be it's own reward.
Activity of the week: Create a long list of everything you enjoy about your sport and read it multiple times a day. If you are looking for that Flow State in the next few weeks, you better do the things that will facilitate its occurrence.
In a period of time where all your opponents are stressing out and worrying about a future challenge or potential loss, remind yourself why you love doing what you do. Your mind will make an immediate shift, and the results will likely follow your good feelings.
Gene Zannetti
Z-Fanatical Fitness
Peak Performance Specialist
www.zfanatical.com
genez@zfanatical.com
It is easy to get caught up in the significance of an event. Just pick up a newspaper, go on a forum, and talk to some of your friends, family, and coaches. The focus will quickly turn to winning, or even worse, not losing.
Athletes begin demanding more from themselves as the post-season approaches. They try to do more than they usually do. They make the upcoming event "special." Everything is important, nothing is special. Once you make something special, you put the performance on a pedestal, and this adds a tremendous mental weight for the athlete to carry, as if the athlete was not dealing with enough physically.
We learn from sports movies and media the wrong way to think about the post-season. "This is it, now or never, do or die." "This is all that matters, what you have been working your whole life for" etc etc. You get the picture. People hype it up. This is great for selling movies and maybe 10% of the athletic population, if that.
Watch the Olympics or World Series or Super Bowl. Listen to those interviews. they will likely tell you a very different story than Hollywood. Real athletes talk about consistency and staying within themselves. Doing what they do every day. Not focusing on the event, but on effort, attitude, and execution of skills (technique).
A great way to separate yourself from the masses you will be competing against is remembering what you love about your sport. I would assume you are playing the sport you are because at some level, you enjoy it. Enjoyment is the base of the pyramid to feeling the Flow State of being In the Zone, where you just cant miss. Most athletes recall being in this Flow State at some point in time. To get back to it, you must enjoy what you are doing. You won't achieve a Flow Mindset if you are frustrated, annoyed, upset, or angry. The sport must be it's own reward.
Activity of the week: Create a long list of everything you enjoy about your sport and read it multiple times a day. If you are looking for that Flow State in the next few weeks, you better do the things that will facilitate its occurrence.
In a period of time where all your opponents are stressing out and worrying about a future challenge or potential loss, remind yourself why you love doing what you do. Your mind will make an immediate shift, and the results will likely follow your good feelings.
Gene Zannetti
Z-Fanatical Fitness
Peak Performance Specialist
www.zfanatical.com
genez@zfanatical.com
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Mindset Monday 1/30/12- The Key to a Quiet Mind Before Competition...and how to get it!
The key to a consistently high performance and mental quiet before competition is a solid Pre-Competition Routine. After developing and intensely practicing your routine, it will become a safe place you can live by, compete by, and train by. Your routine will become home. You will no longer get pulled physically and mentally from idiosyncratic occurrences and random thought before competition because your sole focus will be on performing actions that are designed to specifically bring out your optimal emotions and thoughts.
Take out two blank pieces of paper. On the first paper, write down your three best performances (leave enough room for equal spacing). What were you thinking before the performance? If you feel your best performances were in practice, that is fine too, simply write them down. Specifically, what were you thinking? How warmed up were you? Were you speaking with anyone, or were you to yourself? Who was around? What specific thoughts were going through your mind and what specific emotions were you feeling?
Label the second paper, three worst performances. Follow the same instructions as above.
Most people find there to be a major contrast between their mindset and physical warm-up when they are at the top of the game versus the bottom.
You now have a baseline for your mindset and physical state before you compete. You will benefit from returning to this mindset regularly if you would like a consistently high performance.
Over the next few weeks we will be discussing this topic more and more in depth. In the meantime, put the idea of a pre-competition routine and what it will entail for you personally into your mind. Stay tuned…
Gene Zannetti
Owner of Z-Fanatical Fitness
Personal Trainer, One-on-One Mindset Consultant & Motivational Speaker
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
www.zfanatical.com
Take out two blank pieces of paper. On the first paper, write down your three best performances (leave enough room for equal spacing). What were you thinking before the performance? If you feel your best performances were in practice, that is fine too, simply write them down. Specifically, what were you thinking? How warmed up were you? Were you speaking with anyone, or were you to yourself? Who was around? What specific thoughts were going through your mind and what specific emotions were you feeling?
Label the second paper, three worst performances. Follow the same instructions as above.
Most people find there to be a major contrast between their mindset and physical warm-up when they are at the top of the game versus the bottom.
You now have a baseline for your mindset and physical state before you compete. You will benefit from returning to this mindset regularly if you would like a consistently high performance.
Over the next few weeks we will be discussing this topic more and more in depth. In the meantime, put the idea of a pre-competition routine and what it will entail for you personally into your mind. Stay tuned…
Gene Zannetti
Owner of Z-Fanatical Fitness
Personal Trainer, One-on-One Mindset Consultant & Motivational Speaker
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
www.zfanatical.com
Monday, January 16, 2012
Mindset Monday 1/16/12- 4 Mandatory Mental Attitudes for Sports
I posted this message on my previous blog, but it is worth revisiting.
Pre-Competition
1. I don't care who I go against, I want everyone. I go after the tougher opponent. I live for the challenge.
The best defense is a good offense right? Same thing with your mindset. If you seek the challenge and look for tougher opponents, you're not worried about competing against someone good. You want them!
2. I'm good enough to beat this person, or anyone else for that matter.
Confidence Plus is a Must.
3. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now. I live for this. I love it!
Present, In the moment. Devoted 100% to the experience you're having.
Post-Competition
4. This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
Learn from everything- wins and losses. Learn lesson regardless and move on.
Note- If you are missing ANY of these mindsets, it is important to rethink your mental game and take the steps necessary to change them to the ones above.
Gene Zannetti
Z-Fanatical Fitness Owner
Mindset Mastery & Fitness Instructor
888-804-1819
genez@zfanatical.com
www.zfanatical.com
Pre-Competition
1. I don't care who I go against, I want everyone. I go after the tougher opponent. I live for the challenge.
The best defense is a good offense right? Same thing with your mindset. If you seek the challenge and look for tougher opponents, you're not worried about competing against someone good. You want them!
2. I'm good enough to beat this person, or anyone else for that matter.
Confidence Plus is a Must.
3. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now. I live for this. I love it!
Present, In the moment. Devoted 100% to the experience you're having.
Post-Competition
4. This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
Learn from everything- wins and losses. Learn lesson regardless and move on.
Note- If you are missing ANY of these mindsets, it is important to rethink your mental game and take the steps necessary to change them to the ones above.
Gene Zannetti
Z-Fanatical Fitness Owner
Mindset Mastery & Fitness Instructor
888-804-1819
genez@zfanatical.com
www.zfanatical.com
Monday, January 9, 2012
Mindset Monday 1/9/12- Jordan, Tiger, Gable, Ali, Arnold, & Phelps on Mindset HERE
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU PUT INTO YOUR MINDSET? Maybe the greats will convince you to work as hard mentally as you do physically-
Arnold Schwarzenegger
“The Secret is to make your mind work for you, not against you.”
(Arnold’s approach to bodybuilding was more mental than physical)
http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_60/69_fitness_tip.html
Michael Jordan
Michael's biggest strength was his mental game. Jordan held a decisive mental edge over his opponents throughout his entire career. It was his mental toughness... Jeff Janssen, M.S.
http://www.teamarete.com/ificouldbe.html
Wayne Gretzky
…he (Gretzky) was not very strong physically, but he made up for that in the mental edge he held over opponents.
http://www.lycos.com/info/wayne-gretzky-hockey.html
Tiger Woods
Tiger's biggest club is his mental strength –USA Today
His mental game is every bit as good as his physical game. –Bob May
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/2004-02-10-tiger-toughest_x.htm
there’s another quality even more important than skill. It’s his mind, and that very well could be his greatest weapon.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/09/sports/sp-mindgame9
Michael Phelps
His strongest asset is relaxing & focusing in competition. He can take himself mentally to a place. That’s what separates him from his competitors. –Coach Bowman
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/bowman-on-phelps-mental-strength/3003143297
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was a master of psychology…his mental toughness played a great factor in many of his fights. There was no one stronger mentally then Muhammad Ali.
http://greatestofalltime.homestead.com/muhammadali.html
Dan Gable
“Mental Toughness is the key of all keys…Mental Toughness is the foundation.”
http://www.briancain.com/articlesbybriancain/Dan%20Gable%20-%20Brian%20Cain%20CBN.pdf
Coach John Wooden
“I am constantly trying to make players realize the mental side.”
Coach Vince Lombardi
“Mental Toughness is essential for success.”
He was always working on both the minds and bodies of his players. The guy was a beautiful psychologist. – Jerry Kramer (former player)
Coach Bobby Knight
“Mental toughness to physical (toughness) is as 4 is to 1.”
Learn How to Train Your Mind with Evidence-Based Techniques taught by:
Gene Zannetti
Peak Performance Specialist at Z-Fanatical Fitness
One-on-One Consultation and Motivational Speaking
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
www.zfanatical.com
Arnold Schwarzenegger
“The Secret is to make your mind work for you, not against you.”
(Arnold’s approach to bodybuilding was more mental than physical)
http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_60/69_fitness_tip.html
Michael Jordan
Michael's biggest strength was his mental game. Jordan held a decisive mental edge over his opponents throughout his entire career. It was his mental toughness... Jeff Janssen, M.S.
http://www.teamarete.com/ificouldbe.html
Wayne Gretzky
…he (Gretzky) was not very strong physically, but he made up for that in the mental edge he held over opponents.
http://www.lycos.com/info/wayne-gretzky-hockey.html
Tiger Woods
Tiger's biggest club is his mental strength –USA Today
His mental game is every bit as good as his physical game. –Bob May
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/2004-02-10-tiger-toughest_x.htm
there’s another quality even more important than skill. It’s his mind, and that very well could be his greatest weapon.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/09/sports/sp-mindgame9
Michael Phelps
His strongest asset is relaxing & focusing in competition. He can take himself mentally to a place. That’s what separates him from his competitors. –Coach Bowman
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/bowman-on-phelps-mental-strength/3003143297
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was a master of psychology…his mental toughness played a great factor in many of his fights. There was no one stronger mentally then Muhammad Ali.
http://greatestofalltime.homestead.com/muhammadali.html
Dan Gable
“Mental Toughness is the key of all keys…Mental Toughness is the foundation.”
http://www.briancain.com/articlesbybriancain/Dan%20Gable%20-%20Brian%20Cain%20CBN.pdf
Coach John Wooden
“I am constantly trying to make players realize the mental side.”
Coach Vince Lombardi
“Mental Toughness is essential for success.”
He was always working on both the minds and bodies of his players. The guy was a beautiful psychologist. – Jerry Kramer (former player)
Coach Bobby Knight
“Mental toughness to physical (toughness) is as 4 is to 1.”
Learn How to Train Your Mind with Evidence-Based Techniques taught by:
Gene Zannetti
Peak Performance Specialist at Z-Fanatical Fitness
One-on-One Consultation and Motivational Speaking
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
www.zfanatical.com
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