SPORT PERFORMANCE COACHING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

[Enticement]

Can you separate conditioning from skills development - should skills development not be seen as a function of conditioning!? Furthermore, if your aim is to improve your personal performance, do race strategy and mind coaching not also play a substantial part in your performance? If "yes", why do athletes so often opt for "training programs" that cater for only some of the elements required for sport performance, no matter what level of performance you aim at ...?

[Heckflosse]

In order to get the required outcome at sport performance level, Conditioning and Skills development need to be separated.

[Enticement]

In order to get the required outcome at sport performance level, Conditioning and Skills development need to be separated.

 

Correct cornering, or negotiating a rock garden requires core strength for positioning your body as to en sure that your center of gravity hits the ground through your BB as close as possible to a 90 degree angle. This requires core conditioning, and also increasing the inherent tension of the muscles as to ensure that the "slack" that creeps into tiring muscles does not negatively impact on response. If what you say is correct, when does the integration of bike handling skills and conditioning occur, and how do you manage it? Should this not all be included in a "training program"? Not even mentioning race strategy and planning ...

[BodyBikeFit]

I think it depends on the type of riding that you are doing and reason for doing that specific riding. If you want to be one of the best, then you've got to fold both aspects in smartly. Because both is integral part of riding and really can't have the one without the other. If you're just starting out maybe it's better to focus on skills first and then build conditioning in a bit later?? I could be wrong, any comments?

[Enticement]

I think it depends on the type of riding that you are doing and reason for doing that specific riding. If you want to be one of the best, then you've got to fold both aspects in smartly. Because both is integral part of riding and really can't have the one without the other. If you're just starting out maybe it's better to focus on skills first and then build conditioning in a bit later?? I could be wrong, any comments?

 

You're right - the moment you wish to challenge your comfort zone the focus changes from "riding" to "training". When you decide to "train" there's no use in only doing arm exercises for mountain biking - do the whole complement, including every aspect of performance improvement!

[BodyBikeFit]

What did you think of this weekends XCO GN Provincials at fountains? Pretty challenging route. I struggled to find the "Flow" on the route, is that a skills related issue or fitness?

Edited April 2, 2012 by BodyBikeFit

[Enticement]

What did you think of this weekends XCO GN Provincials at fountains? Pretty challenging route. I struggled to find the "Flow" on the route, is that a skills related issue or fitness?

 

There is no distinct differentiation between impact of skills and that of fitness. It actually changes on a sliding scale - when the rider is fresh he can get a way with brute force and ignorance, but the moment exertion creeps in, skills become more important. That is why it is imperative to view skills as a function of conditioning! So, on Sunday's race: in order to create flow from a technical challenging route you have to be well conditioned (fit) and ride technically correct. Otherwise it will be a matter of stop-start ...

[Enticement]

How much time do you spend on preparing yourself mentally for a hard training session? Or do you just do it mechanically - you can get so much more from it, and that is time optimisation ...

[Enticement]

You can ride blind folded on a straight single track that is about 50cm wide. Why then, if I convert this 50cm wide single track into a 50cm wide log bridge without rails and 20m in the air, am I hesitant (at the least)? Because your mind tells you about the sudden risks involved ... Can one overcome this - the answer is YEAS! The same applies when exerting yourself and everything in your body shouts "you have reached your limit", can you still go faster? YEAS, remember your brain is your anticipatory regulator - and that is why a training programme must contain skills and mind coaching as well!

[Cycho]

Too often the top athletes neglect the mental aspect of training and racing. Even basic psychology talks of the integration of mind and body, and how the mental state has a direct impact on physical state. Stress and anxiety being a primary cause of poor performance, along with negative emotional states affecting the ability to push physical boundaries. BUT are there many out there working with the top athletes locally on the mental aspect of racing?

[Enticement]

Too often the top athletes neglect the mental aspect of training and racing. Even basic psychology talks of the integration of mind and body, and how the mental state has a direct impact on physical state. Stress and anxiety being a primary cause of poor performance, along with negative emotional states affecting the ability to push physical boundaries. BUT are there many out there working with the top athletes locally on the mental aspect of racing?

 

Hallo Cycho

 

That is the dilemma we have: we have many training programme generators but a very small number of qualified performance coaches! And don't make the mistake to think that this only pertains to top performance sport - it is equally applicable to the "normal" guy wishing to enjoy the challenge and be at his best! This is about the philosophy underpinning the coach's methodology. Is it a "quick-and-dirty" or is it really about giving guidance for improving someone's personal best. If a coach understands the anticipatory regulation of the brain in the conditioning process you are halfway there ... and this applies to physical conditioning, skills, training preparation, race preparation, etc. And it need not cost you an arm and a leg!

[Cycho]

Hallo Cycho

 

That is the dilemma we have: we have many training programme generators but a very small number of qualified performance coaches! And don't make the mistake to think that this only pertains to top performance sport - it is equally applicable to the "normal" guy wishing to enjoy the challenge and be at his best! This is about the philosophy underpinning the coach's methodology. Is it a "quick-and-dirty" or is it really about giving guidance for improving someone's personal best. If a coach understands the anticipatory regulation of the brain in the conditioning process you are halfway there ... and this applies to physical conditioning, skills, training preparation, race preparation, etc. And it need not cost you an arm and a leg!

 

Agreed! Too often it seems the world of psychology (and the professionals therein) and the world of sportsmen are vastly separated. I am guessing that this is a field you are involved in? Drop me a PM maybe - would love to chat further, as I am situated in both worlds as a coach and trained in psych... but rarely get the opportunity to join the two. Would love to hear your thoughts on how this can be used / made to happen in the sporting world.

[andydude]

Wouldn't actually doing the training in the way you want to use it be the best method to train the skills?

 

For cycling - the best way to learn how to corner would be to cycle and corner. That would be better than standing on a half-ball and leaning to one side?

 

For rugby - you can seperate the skills (throwing the ball up and down to practise passing) and conditioning (running).

 

Mental is very difficult to teach and I think it has more to do what kind of person you are/upbrining/experience than actually trying to simulate situations that you know is not real life.

[Enticement]

Wouldn't actually doing the training in the way you want to use it be the best method to train the skills?

 

For cycling - the best way to learn how to corner would be to cycle and corner. That would be better than standing on a half-ball and leaning to one side?

 

For rugby - you can seperate the skills (throwing the ball up and down to practise passing) and conditioning (running).

 

Mental is very difficult to teach and I think it has more to do what kind of person you are/upbrining/experience than actually trying to simulate situations that you know is not real life.

Hi Andydude, if it wasn't for time constraints actual repeating an activity could work wonders. Unfortunately our time-restricted existence requires a very specific approach that facilitates "learning" as well as optimizes time utilization. The 10,000 hours philosophy is scientifically proven to be unscientific! Also, if you shuttle with your bike between home and work you will eventually become a world champ in that - but only that. Conditioning is a sequential process of exposing your mind to all the types of activities that will convert the "I can't" into "I can", thereby preventing cognitive dissonance and fueling cognitive association! This implies doing the right things right, which equates to efficacy. Like cornering on your bike: your center of gravity should always hit the surface right through your BB as close as possible to 90 degrees, meaning you must cantilever with you body. If you don't know how to practice this, you need a proper coach teaching you to corner!

[Enticement]

Agreed! Too often it seems the world of psychology (and the professionals therein) and the world of sportsmen are vastly separated. I am guessing that this is a field you are involved in? Drop me a PM maybe - would love to chat further, as I am situated in both worlds as a coach and trained in psych... but rarely get the opportunity to join the two. Would love to hear your thoughts on how this can be used / made to happen in the sporting world.

 

Hi Cycho, studied sport science at Stellenbosh and furthered studies in Industrial Psychology, and yes, I am a professional/full time sports performance coach. I accommodate multi-sport but do competitive mountain biking myself and therefore I'm a bit biased towards mountain biking :-)! Us mortals are complex as you cannot view an individual from a single perspective, That is why "integration" serves the purpose much much more than any other approach. Will PM you ...

Edited April 11, 2012 by Enticement

[Enticement]

You can learn to "ride on water" with your bike, but if you do not inculcate these skills into your daily/weekly training regime you will never apply them when you desperately need them ...