I was trying to think of nice by-lines for this blog and just before I thought of ‘Preparing for Real Competition’, the play on words, ‘Train Like a Locomotive’ came to me.

Train big, strong, powerfully.

I love such short, powerful sayings - you know, the kind you see dotted around the gym walls, designed to inspire and motivate.

A great use of such terms can be during the execution of skills. These cue words, which can be as simple as ‘drive’ or ‘push’, serve to focus attention and lead the effort.

When doing a bench press I’d think to ‘drive it through the ceiling’ - obviously, a fairly lofty goal, but it provides a solid directive.

I came up with another set of words - ‘roll, dash, hike, trim’ to key me into the actions needed to so a tack while sailing. Sailing’s a sport where there is a lot going on and then suddenly you have to execute a different skill. So, it can help to have these words to cue up the necessary actions in your mind just before doing it.

Go ahead and think now of a word that creates positive images or feelings in your mind that might help you with a specific task in your sport. You could ‘float like a butterfly’ or ’sting like a bee’, to quote boxing great Ali.

Here’s a list which might help:

To increase effort: Strong, Drive, Push, Explode, Pump, Kick, Lift, C’mon!

To focus skills and technique: Follow through, Strreeettch, Feel.

To settle and improve efficiency: Smooth, Relax, Steady, Breathe.

Cue words will help anchor your mind, but they’re personal, so choose a combination which will work best for yourself.

The impact of cue words may also wear off after a while, so it’ll pay once a year to decide whether a refresh is needed.

Related posts

1. Skill Acquisition & Falling Off a Windsurfer
2. Off-Season Training and Transition to the New Year
3. Getting to Sleep During Important Competitions