If you haven’t been able to pick up on the theme
of these articles, they all tie in an element of the mind. Whether it’s making
it a point to go to the gym, choosing a salad over a sandwich or doing one
thing you fear a day, all of these endeavors involve the psyche. One man who
has mastered his own mind, and now is consistently helping others master their
own is Shawn Myszka. Former bodybuilder and now known as Dr. Jump, Shawn is a
strength and conditioning expert working with NFL players in Minnesota.
Now you might be saying what does an NFL coach
have in common with me? The truth is a lot. Not only are we interested in our
health, but if we can take something away from Shawn about the power of the
mind, we are closer to becoming our best. I am constantly motivated and
inspired when speaking with Shawn and I hope after reading this article you are
as well! Let’s talk to Shawn!
KV: Being an elite athlete takes a lot of work.
Reflecting on your training and eating now vs when you were competing, how do
they differ?
SM: My life and the day-to-day of it is
drastically different these days. During my bodybuilding days, everything was
laid-out. I ate the same things at the same times each day (no matter what day
it was…Christmas, Thanksgiving, my b-day, etc). I napped from 1:30-2:30pm each
day. I did cardio to start the day at 7am. I trained at night from 7-9pm. I
meditated from 5:30-6:30pm. It’s just the way it all was. I was a machine. Now,
there is not very much structure nor could there be. Depending on the time of
the year (like during NFL training camp/season preparation), I may be working
14-16 hours days.
Because of this, even though I try to take care
of myself and my body as much as possible, I only get to train 1-3 times a
week. I honestly don’t do any resistance training anymore on a frequent basis.
Instead, I perform movement-based training so I am fully and physically
prepared to be able to sufficiently demonstrate exercises/drills to my NFL
players. That said, I could still get under a squat bar loaded with 4 plates on
each side and rep it out…the function of my training (movement-based) has
allowed me to keep a great deal of my former structure (muscle and strength
qualities). My nutrition has changed significantly as well. There are days
where I am busy training athletes from very early in the morning till very late
at night with little to no break all day long. So, on those days I may get to
consume nothing but meal replacement shakes and energy drinks (sorry I am not
sorry!). Then there are other days, like right now when I am traveling to go
from training camp to training camp, where I have to eat a lot while on the
road. None of that would’ve led to as successful of results when I was
competing but it’s the nature of the beast now and it still allows me to
achieve the goals for my lifestyle because those are much different now as
well.
KV: How would you say your mindset has changed
from your days of bodybuilding to where you are today?
SM: You know, most people find it odd when they
hear that my mindset really hasn’t changed all that much from my bodybuilding
days till now. There is good reason for this. Any success that I ever achieved
in any aspect of my life can be traced back to the way that my mind ticks. When
people find out that I used to be a pretty big dude (5’6” and 275lb in the
offseason constitutes as big right?), they automatically think that I must
really like the way that muscle looks, etc. That’s not what bodybuilding ever
was for me.
Instead, I just always wanted to be the best at
whatever I could. I just happened to have a high aptitude for the sport of
bodybuilding from a very early age because of what it required from
participants. But my mentality is what made me. It’s the reason I was able to
go a handful of years without a single cheat meal and the reason I was able to
gut-check through injuries that would’ve sidelined most human beings. Thus, it
(i.e. the activity) could’ve been chess or knitting or whatever…I was just
always committed to going all-in with it if I was going to do it. Thus, when I
retired from the sport I just devoted the same type of passion and energy into
different avenues. This is the reason why I now apply myself with deliberate
effort and intention on a daily basis to my current craft of producing the most
masterful athletes in the National Football League.
KV: Now having the opportunity to work with
professional athletes, what is a fundamental mental training component you
instill in them in terms of a successful mindset? Are there any similarities
between the average person and the professional athlete in terms of the mind?
SM: I have found that among the 1,696 athletes
playing professional football (53 on each team among 32 teams), there really is
very little difference in their physical characteristics compared to one
another. Instead, the thing that often allows the best to be better than the
rest is the substance that lies between the ears and inside the chest.
Unfortunately, pro athletes are as susceptible as
the rest of us to the negative self-talk that can ensue if we choose to listen
to the outside world or just look for short-term gratification from any initial
achievement steps being taken. They (the pro athletes) just happen to be able
hide it a little better than others through their supreme confidence (otherwise
known as swag).
That all said there are definitely similarities
between the average person and the pro athlete when it comes to mindset. At
least there needs to be if we are all going to be able to fully realize our
goals and aspirations. On the surface, the average pro athlete may appear to be
wired completely different mentally. Though it is true that they hit the sperm
lottery when it comes to their physical capabilities, they often have the same
mental barriers that they must overcome (as I alluded to above). Fortunately,
we can all do something about developing a champion mental set. I work to
instill this in them from the start. Our very first training session isn’t
typically physical at all. Instead, he and I sit down and talk through who it
is that he wants to be…without limitation. We are trying to remove every SINGLE
limit off of him and out of his mind. Being realistic is the fastest way to
mediocrity. Thus, I want to know everything he wants to achieve in his life in
the sport (and sometimes outside of the sport as well). This is where one’s
passion and energy is going to come from…his (or her) purpose. People with that
level of passion have the opportunity to change their world. So I encourage them
to verbalize these sometimes outlandish goals for their lives. They are only
outlandish for those that don’t have any business achieving greatness in the
world.
KV: Can you tell us a little bit about your
morning, when you wake up, what is the first thing you think and do?
SM: This is a great question because I firmly
believe as though people can significantly impact the outcome of their entire
day based on the outlook that they start their day with. I also believe that an
attitude of gratitude is the only one to have if we want to appreciate our
current life situation as well as attract more great things into our lives.
Thus, it may sound odd, but I start each day by first being grateful for me
waking for that day, everything that I am on this given day, and everything that
the new day will bring. I notice that if I go without doing this, I won’t have
the mindset required to keep things in perspective as the day unfolds in front
of me. I then go to reminding myself who it is that I am and what it is that I
want to achieve (not for that day but for my greater overall vision). I will go
as far as telling myself, for example, “today I will make the best players in
the NFL even better. I have a unique opportunity in front of me to impact the
world.” This all happens before breakfast so by the time I hit the road I am
ready to conquer the day.
KV: If you were to give us one piece of advice
regarding the power of the mind, what would that be?
SM: No matter how I answer this question it is
going to seem like it is filled with nothing but clichés of sunshine and
rainbows. But I have found (not only in my own personal life but also with my
athletes) that there really is no way to overestimate the power of our minds
and what we are truly capable of if we tap into it by possessing the optimal
mental attitude. Thus, my own piece of
advice is to never underestimate what you are truly capable of! You will
need to truly see with your unique vision what it is that you want and you can
have anything that you foresee in this life. You will need extreme, unwavering
faith and belief that this can come true no matter what the outside world is
showing you or what others are telling you. You will need to continue following
the path of your vision and belief with total commitment even if you may fail
temporarily at times. And when you reach and achieve what it is that you set
out for, you can and should be proud but never ungrateful as well as never
content for you should realize that it is part of something bigger for not only
your life but for others as well.
On that note, never underestimate yourself! Get
out there an take a step toward your dream today!
Have an amazing day! See you tomorrow,
Kel
