Get in Game Shape

Friday, March 27, 2009

The last "C' of training

Concentration

The last of my essential “C’s” of training is Concentration. Just like the “Hitman” I consider concentration an essential. Concentration is vital to playing the game of baseball and having productive workouts. If you play at the Major League level, concentration is must. If you want to make your school’s team, concentration is a must. If you want to make progress and see results from your training, concentration is a must.


Here are some keys to better concentration while working out.


1. Don’t have your cell phone anywhere near you! If you are expecting an important call or email, working might not be a high priority. Take the call, then shut the phone off and dedicate time to your workout.
2. Give yourself the proper time to workout. If you’re a busy person, you might have to workout in the early morning hours, like me. Try to find a time that will give you the best chance to succeed. Don’t try to “sneak” away to the gym for a workout if you are busy at work. Your time will be unproductive and your mind will be elsewhere.
3. If you’re in the gym, ignore the T.V. newspapers, magazines and chatty gym employees. Get in and turn everything off around you. If you only have 30 minutes, use them!
4. Don’t read emails or open snail mail, like bills, before your workout. Again, your focus will be on “what else” you could be doing, rather than what you “should” be doing.
5. Hire a strength coach to keep you on track. Working out is valuable time, any for many, time is at a premium. A coach will keep you focused and make great use of your time.

Simply put, to see results in any aspect of hitting or fitness, you must concentrate on the task at hand. In hitting you must concentrate on your stance, the pitcher’s release point and the situation. While working out you need to focus on what muscles are “firing” and concentrate on proper technique at all times. Loose focus for a minute and you leave the door open for an injury or you can turn a good at-bat into a lost at-bad!

If you can follow my 3 “C’s”, (Commitment, Core, Concentration) you will see great results at the plate, and with your personal fitness and conditioning.

The key to my three C’s, starts with commitment. If you don’t have the commitment, it will be impossible to make gains. You can’t work on your core strength one day, and then take 4 days off. It all starts with commitment. You only have a certain amount of time during pre-game batting practice. Concentrate every minute you have while in the batters box!

Once you set a schedule and commit to it, your core strength and concentration will improve. “This domino effect” also leads to a secret “C”!!

The secret “C” is confidence! Once all three essential “C’s” fall into place you will have much more confidence. This new found confidence will permeate all aspects of your life, from how you feel about yourself to how you perform on the diamond! Confidence breeds confidence. The more you have, the more you will get!

The bottom line is, if you stick to the “C’s” you will “Move Better, Feel Better, Play Better.”

Stay committed,
Brandon Smith C.S.C.S

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