Is your Athlete Brain Hindering or Helping you?

First of all... remember- You are an ATHLETE.

I know what some of you are thinking.... Dani... what are you saying, I'm not an athlete. I just go to the gym to lift some weights, or train at home with dumbbells and metabolic type workouts. I'm not on a sport's team...

The Webster's definition of an athlete states: A person who is proficient in sports or other forms of exercise.

Meaning... if you are consistently showing up for yourself and doing daily movement (workouts, walks, runs, classes, strength training, you name it...) you are an athlete.

Which is why you need to EAT like an athlete. Your body needs nutrients to fuel itself.

To regenerate cells to be more efficient and effective.

To build muscle mass!

You have an athlete's brain. - You are driven, intrinsically motivated (more than the average, I'll tell ya) to improve yourself, you like your routines, are HIGHLY capable, energized and able to get through and accomplish hard things.

BUT... with an athlete's brain... also comes personality traits like fear, anxiety, stubbornness, being impatient, overworked, controlling, and have limiting self-worth.

Sound familiar?

How can you leverage all the wondering, beautiful elements of having an athlete's brain, while managing that darker, not so perfect side of ourselves?

An athlete's brain can be a double-edged sword. You can push yourself to the best of your ability, but it can leave you feeling unsatisfied. Or, maybe that you are not enough or that you can't ever accomplish your goals. This fear of failure and self-doubt can be limiting, defeating, and exhausting.

So let's think about the goals you are using that athlete's brain to try and accomplish.

Is it realistic? Is it something you can sacrifice or compromise to achieve? Are your expectations, behaviours and habits in alignment?

For example, I'm in a slight cut right now to clean up my physique. I keep having little BLT's here and there and not being as accountable as I could be. How can I expect the scale to decrease? Or make changes to my program when I'm not being consistent with tracking my nutrition?

I'm fixated on the end instead of enjoying and committing to the small moments that actually count. The practices and drills that bore you to tears, but allow you the muscle memory to slip and throw a counter punch when your adrenaline's at an all time high and you aren't thinking about much of anything in the moment, but, "Let's try not to get hit in the face."

You want to win the game, the fight, or the championship without practicing.

So we start messing up. Making little mistakes. Missing the big picture.

Start focusing on the drills. The boring routine that builds muscle memory.

I can plan my meals for the day/week. I can put a star on my calendar before I go to bed on the days I've hit my macros. Then I will know how many days I ACTUALLY showed up for myself.

I can get movement in daily. I can go for walks to reach a 10,000 step count, run on the treadmill for a few minutes after my weight session, and hit the gym to lift 4-5 days a week. Even if some days, I feel like I have 40% capacity, I can show up and put in 40%. Then its 100% effort.

My goals and timeline need to match what I can achieve right now based on my lifestyle. You have to let go of some of your expectations. It will happen when it happens. That's okay. Sometimes there are hiccups, learning curves, or life events that slow down what you thought was going to be your "perfect" timeline. Often, it takes longer than you think.

In conclusion, your athlete's brain is indeed a remarkable gift, uniquely equipped with the ability to thrive under pressure, adapt to challenges, and foster resilience. This dual-edge sword allows you to harness your mental strength and focus, transforming potential setbacks into opportunities for growth. By recognizing and embracing this complexity, you can leverage their cognitive advantages to cultivate a mindset that will benefit you in all areas of your life. Ultimately, the athlete’s brain is a powerful tool that, when nurtured, can lead to extraordinary achievements both in and outside of the gym.