Mental toughness isn’t just a quality prized by athletes and professionals in challenging occupations. While we expect top athletes, fighters, first responders, and military personnel to be mentally tough, we all want to believe we possess this attribute in some measure.
But what exactly does it mean to be mentally tough? Does it mean we’re immune to fatigue, fear, pessimism, and loss of confidence? Not at all. Even the most mentally tough individuals among us experience these feelings and doubts. But they overcome them to perform well. The AI overview on Google defines mental toughness as “a personality trait that allows someone to perform consistently under pressure and stress.”
Attending CrossFit classes regularly makes you intimately familiar with this trait.
A CrossFit workout stresses athletes as they try their best to complete the required movements. Regular exposure to this training builds mental toughness as the athlete’s conditioning improves. What perhaps used to feel like mentally and physically challenging tasks no longer seem daunting. We can also boost our mental toughness by practicing specific mental skills while performing CrossFit workouts. By focusing on technique, using positive self-talk, staying present, and placing a high value on the results we expect, we can develop the mental toughness of a warrior that will help us in all areas of life.
Technique
Excellence in CrossFit has always been based on mechanics, consistency, and only then, intensity. We develop mastery in movements before we push the pace, load, or volume. The time spent practicing movements gives us the physical tools to display excellent technique under stress and fatigue. We just have to add the mental focus to make it happen.
Maintaining technique as we fatigue is a sign of mental toughness and a great way to develop mental toughness. When the last thing an athlete wants to do is squat deep enough, maintain proper back position, or fully extend their hips because their body is screaming at them to stop or take “shortcuts,” it takes excellent mental toughness to ignore these pleas and keep fighting for quality reps. If you want to get tougher mentally, commit to preserving great technique as the pain of exhaustion attempts to make you quit. You will be rewarded for your efforts because, most often, it is the one who can display proper technique when under duress and who will prevail in sport and life.
Positive Self-Talk
When we work out, we are often our own worst critics. The little voice inside our head will say things like, “How can 95 lb feel so heavy? I’m so weak,” or “Why am I so out of breath? I must be out of shape,” or even “I can’t do this. I should just quit.”
Imagine if you had a coach who said these things to you. You’d think they were terrible at their job. Working out should be fun! Instead of crushing your mood and performance with negative thoughts, treat yourself like your favorite coach does. Tell yourself, “I got this!” “I’m moving so well!” or “I can get another rep.” Positive self-talk improves your confidence, increases your ability to withstand stress and discomfort, leaves you feeling good after the workout, and improves your performance. Treat yourself compassionately in your next workout; you’ll foster mental toughness and dramatically improve your experience.
Stay in the Moment
The CrossFit workout written on the whiteboard can be daunting. Your mind immediately starts planning how best to negotiate this challenge. That’s fine during the warm-up and just before the start of the workout. However, once the clock starts, it’s best to stay in the moment and focus on doing the current movement to the best of your ability. Avoid thinking about all the reps you have ahead of you before you finish, and concentrate on your technique and your pace in each moment. Instead of looking ahead and figuring out what you need to do to beat your best time or rep score, monitor how you’re feeling at that moment to decide if you should speed up or slow down. Let your results take care of themselves while you give your best effort at every beat of the clock. No matter what, the workout will end, but if you train the mentally tough habit of staying present as you work, you’ll feel less stress, be more motivated, and perform better.
Know the Value of Your Workout
We are naturally willing to put forth more effort and persist through more discomfort for an activity we perceive valuable. For example, those who complete the most rigorous and demanding military assessments, such as BUD/S, usually have a compelling reason to seek such challenging training. Patriotism, a strong desire to be among the most elite warriors in the world, or a deep sense of service allows individuals to persevere regardless of physical and mental obstacles. Those who sign up for this training simply because it looks “cool” do not attach the same value and are most likely not as willing to push through all the trials and tribulations. And they often don’t make it through.
Similarly, if we value the results we expect to get from our workouts—elite levels of fitness and health, the ability to pursue our favorite hobbies, the physique we desire, confidence, and pride in challenging ourselves—we are willing to push ourselves longer and more often to attain these results. Knowing what’s important to us and how much we’re willing to work for it gives us a strong mindset and resolve.
CrossFit does a tremendous job of conditioning our bodies to be healthier, fitter, and more resilient. Yet, it is even more effective at developing our mental abilities. There’s a saying that the most essential adaptation that occurs with CrossFit is between the ears. Those who have been doing CrossFit for some time know this to be true. A great example of this is the improved mental toughness CrossFit athletes gain. By employing the strategies listed here, you can use your CrossFit workouts to take your mental toughness to the next level. Then, notice how you can use this superpower in everything you do outside the gym, from your job to handling adversity to participating in challenges you thought were beyond your capacity.
This is just another way CrossFit can help you thrive as you work to live your best life.
About the Author
Stephane Rochet is a Senior Content Writer for CrossFit. He has worked as a Flowmaster on the CrossFit Seminar Staff and has over 15 years of experience as a collegiate/tactical strength and conditioning coach. He is a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CF-L3) and enjoys training athletes in his garage gym.
Mental Toughness in CrossFit