The Mind Muscle Connection
By Alana Asch, The Better Coach
I used to think that if I worked my physical body more, got more touches on the ball, ran more miles, sprinted more, did more, then I would succeed more on the soccer field. In reality, more was never enough. I was injuring my body by overusing it and pushing it too far while neglecting not only my physical health, but my mental health as well.
Don’t get me wrong, hard work and putting in the time is extremely important. It’s one of the many things that help make good players great. But after struggling with my own mental and physical issues, I’ve learned that rest is just as important for success as hard work. Learning how to balance and utilize mental and physical skills together can give you an edge not only on the soccer field, but in life as well.
My name is Alana. I am a proud Female Footballers mentor, and a strength and conditioning coach with over 10 years experience working with athletes from the D1 level, to new middle school athletes, and everything in between. In this article I will discuss the importance of strength training, and how it goes hand in hand with mindset training.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. If your cup is not full, you can’t pour all of your amazingness into your team, friends, family, school work, and anything else that requires your beautiful uniqueness and presence. Part of your cup is your mental health. Another part of your cup is your body. Your body is connected to your mental health. You feel and store emotions in your body. For instance, think about what it feels like to be reading this article, versus being on the field about to take a PK when you’re down by a goal in the final minutes of a soccer game. Right now, you might feel relaxed and supported by whatever you are sitting on. But during the PK you might feel your hands shaking, sweaty palms, increased heart rate, etc. Just like training your brain for this moment, strength training can help as well.
We’ve been taught to train the mind and the body separately, but they are interconnected. Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the greatest bodybuilders ever said, “the body will never fully respond to your workouts until you understand how to train the mind as well. The mind is a source of vital energy. That energy can be negative and work against you, or you can harness it to give yourself unbelievable workouts.”
You may or may not be a bodybuilder, but soccer players’ muscles work the same as bodybuilders’ muscles. Everyone’s muscles work the same. Genetics may alter some details here and there. Nonetheless, a player with well trained muscles will have an advantage against a player with untrained muscles.
A quick example is that a player with strong, trained muscles can change direction more quickly than a player with non-trained muscles. One reason for this is because trained muscles have higher fiber recruitment than untrained muscles. Higher fiber recruitment will also help players have a more explosive first step to beat their opponents to the ball.
Not only will trained muscles give players a physical edge, but a mental edge, too. For instance, in the final minutes of a tied game when their muscles are burning and their body is slowing down, they will be able to find that extra step and dig deeper by telling themselves they can rely on their training, or simply use a mantra such as, “trust your training.”
Furthermore, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning research states that, “regular participation in a resistance training program has the potential to positively influence several measurable indices of health and fitness. Youth resistance training can improve one's cardiovascular risk profile, facilitate weight control, strengthen bone, enhance psychosocial well-being, improve motor performance skills, and increase a young athletes' resistance to sports-related injuries.”
Strength training can help with long-term athletic development, too. For instance, playing soccer competitively all year long increases risk of not only overuse injuries, but mental burnout as well. Taking time during the off-season to focus on strength training will help reduce these injuries. It will help you develop proper movement patterns, take care of your joints, and fix any muscle weaknesses or imbalances (we all have them). It will also give your brain time away from soccer, which is a good thing, believe it or not. In fact, collegiate athletes will tell you that they don’t touch a ball in the off-season. Instead, they are working with their strength and conditioning coaches. They are getting strong and fast, without the ball, so that when the season starts they can be even stronger and faster with the ball, physically and mentally.
Strength training has mental benefits, too. Female Footballers does a great job at teaching athletes how to train their minds. Just like soccer skills, and muscles, confidence can be trained. Strength training can be another valuable tool in the mindset and confidence toolbox. For instance, a byproduct of strength training might be something such as better posture. When you walk around with better posture, you are more confident. That’s because it has a similar effect on your body as when you smile. Even if you’re feeling down, when you smile, your brain releases hormones that tell your body you are happy. Try walking around smiling and with good posture, and see how you feel (spoiler alert - you may feel happy and confident).
Imagine how you would perceive an opponent jogging onto the field with heavy shoulders, looking downward versus an opponent strutting on the field with a head held high on top of broad, confident shoulders. Take a moment to think about how you look when you jog onto the field before a game starts. Think about the message your body language is sending the other team, spectators, or college scouts.
Learning how to use your mind when you strength train, like Arnold Schwarzenegger said earlier, will give you even better results. You will be unstoppable not only on the field, but off of the field as well.
Just like in the Female Footballers mentorship program, what I strive to do with my athletes is empower and educate them. Athletes can train with me as long as they would like, but eventually, I want them to be able to go on to college, pro, and even after they stop playing competitively, and be able to take care of their minds and bodies on their own. That being said, I am very excited to be hosting a virtual strength and conditioning training session with FF on January 19th. All you need is your amazing body and join via zoom. I can’t wait to see you there.