Research in the field of performance psychology informs us that additional effort can either help or hinder performance, as it depends on the situation. Typically, additional physical (key word) effort enhances performance and this is logical, yet there are some instances where extra physical exertion can hamper an athlete, either by causing injury or by over-recruitment of motor units (muscle fibers), interfering with proper form/technique (e.g., dexterity). Hence, efficiency of movement can be decreased when attempting to “muscle-through” a workout. The trick is in knowing when this additional physical effort is not improving the performance.
Likewise, additional mental effort usually aids performance due to increased focus and/or motivation. However, in some instances, too much focus means over-analyzing a movement or situation, which then interferes with neuromuscular efficiency. If someone has already mastered a given task to the point where he/she can perform it “automatically” (i.e., the state of “automaticity”), then too much activity in the brain is what leads to poor technique/mechanics. We often see this as “choking under pressure”. Hence, additional mental effort can also do more harm than good. The trick here is in knowing that there are different types of mental effort. For example, focus and motivation are similar but not the same, and there are several different aspects of performance to which an athlete can focus (e.g., stride, breathing, pace, competitors, etc).
A goal of all athletics is to stay technically attuned during your competitions and workouts, especially when an athlete becomes fatigued, whether it’s running or strength training (ST). I hammer home this point in the ST chapter of my book when I discuss the priority of form/technique over mindlessly pushing yourself to simply do more reps (“more, more, more!”). There is an obvious connection here in how our form tends to break down when we go to the upper limits of our long runs and/or harder speed workouts. This is all in itself a healthy reminder, but I'll take it a step further.
As a coach, I want to make sure that my athletes and I allow for different ways of defining the phrase “pushing yourself”, and that we are using the same definition in conversation. For example, are we talking about pushing with extra physical effort vs. mental effort(?)…and then which type of physical (or mental) pushing are we discussing?
Yes, in general, pushing yourself means stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing the harder workouts, the jacked-up heart rate on occasion, the labored breathing, the muscle burn, etc; however, it can also mean choosing to do a workout vs. skipping it (I discuss this in more detail in a section of my book called “Aggressive Training”), and also maintaining proper focus when the going gets tough (i.e., composure and self-talk).
Another section of my book is titled “Mental Toughness is Overrated” and it's relevant here. How do you know when you're pushing yourself? …is it based on how many reps you do? …the numbers on your watch? Or is it a subjective feeling? …does it require extra mental effort in order to qualify as “pushing yourself”? No matter how you cut it, “pushing yourself” might sometimes get in the way of optimum/maximum performance.
To reiterate, there are internal focal points (“staying in your element” as I phrase it), which are your breathing, technique/form, stride, perceived exertion, etc., and there are external focal points, such as the crowd, the competition, the trees, your pace, etc. Side note: Some of you are wondering if pace is actually an internal focal point. I encourage you to view it as external, and that is the difference between “Pace vs. Intensity”, the most powerful point I make in all of my coaching. Most (not all) studies show internal focus leads to better performance when compared to external focus. There's obviously room to bounce back and forth between the two, especially in relatively long events (it's natural and needed), and that in itself is a skill (i.e., knowing when to do each), but now I'll bring us back to the main point.
Precision is a better way to improve performance than simply grunting it out (pushing). In fact, you can all think of examples when someone you or someone else was so determined to push hard that their technique suffered as a result and they missed whatever mark they were aiming for (injury is the worst-case scenario). This naturally is more evident in tasks with a cognitive component (running isn't very cognitive, or at least it's not supposed to be!), but it does apply to endurance sports too. For example, in cases of fatigue, a cyclist must decide in the moment if he/she is going to focus on the pedal stroke (i.e., “smoothness” = internal) or focus on “keep going!” (external). The former might be better than the latter. If your pedal stroke remains smooth (i.e., efficient, just like running form) then you don't put as much strain/stress on your body (muscles, tendons, etc.), thereby making it physically/physiologically easier to “keep going.” This is the essence of why mental toughness is sometimes overrated.
Maintain precision when the going gets tough, it'll help you hit the target. The movies Braveheart and Robin Hood both have scenes about this type of precision under pressure. So, don't just close your eyes and plow through, you might screw up your form, and it's our form that carries us through!
Train hard (and smart)!
Mike