Headway PArkour Blog
In the world of Parkour, mindset matters; it is often the difference between overcoming the obstacles and being overcome by them. The crucial moment is just as you take off into the void, placing yourself in freefall, it is at this time precisely when you need a proper mindset most of all. Today I will be expanding your horizon on the topic of music and how it can heighten your performance by honing your mind. The Effect Of Music It has been shown that proper music can heighten athletic performance. So in theory all you need to improve your precision distance is some exciting music, but before you pump up the jams and jump you might want a little more info; Not every kind of music will heighten your athletic output, some songs will actually diminish it. Synchronous music (music with a clear steady beat) can elevate a person's performance by twenty percent, that’s quite a bit! Asynchronous music (background music) on the other hand is able calm the nerves in an athlete by ten percent. It is clear that both types of music are helpful, synchronous music is perfect for getting hyped to break a jump, whereas asynchronous music is the choice for clearing your mind in a dangerous situation. Believe it or not there is actually a science behind this stuff, athletic performance is heightened in a few ways; First the athlete is distracted from fatigue, this allows him to push through pain and muscle failure. Secondly the music can be synchronized with the athlete’s movement pattern, it feels quite nice to move to the rhythm of a song (this is one way to improve flow). And finally music can act as a supplement for helping your muscles to learn new movements, the groovy vibes will assist with muscle memory. It is common knowledge that music makes the training environment much more enjoyable. A more enjoyable environment will consequently increase the athlete’s intrinsic motivation to drill difficult moves, and nothing spells progress like intensive drilling. Songs with the right tempo can promote states of flow; ‘Flow” is referring to the mental state of an athlete when he is in the zone, not to be mistaken with the Parkour version of the term. This flow state can be accomplished by matching a song’s tempo with the intensity of your training, a gradual increase in tempo is a dandy idea if you yearn to speed up your workout progressively in a linear manner. Using Melody To Your Advantage I have now spread some seeds in your garden of knowledge, make use of them! But before you go I would like to present you with the most useful part of this article: Practical methods to get the most out of music. Prepare for a bombshell: Music doesn't actually increase your performance, it’s your perception of it that does. it's the placebo effect at it’s finest, like sugar pills to cure illness. As long as you believe that music helps you, it will. Now for the practical methods: Athletes usually coordinate explosive bursts of effort with certain parts of songs that are especially motivating; With this knowledge you can select music tracks that you are familiar with, it is a good idea to do this due to the fact that when you know a song you are better able anticipate the flow and rhythm of it. But be warned: Music only heightens performance during low to medium difficulty training, when the training gets too hard the fatigue overrides the positive impact of music, this is due to the fact that your body starts focusing on physiological feedback such as your respiration rate and blood lactate accumulation; If you are really struggling with a hardcore workout, stop the music and rely on your willpower. Good news for us Traceurs, application of purposefully selected music can have a positive effect on the stylist aspects of sports such as Parkour; In other words, pretty music equals pretty movement. Always be on the lookout for songs with positive lyrics that will encourage you to push on through otherwise impossible training scenarios. Seek out a music compilation that has a strong and energizing rhythm to keep you motivated. If you are fortunate you may find songs that talk about movement in particular. It’s a difficult feat, but not impossible. Just look at “Mind of a Traceur” or “Stan Lee Parkour” both are great songs that have lyrics about our stupendous discipline, give them a listen. Generally speaking, loud music is what you want for training but be wary, music above 75 dB can result in temporary hearing loss, this is because blood pressure in the ear canal is elevated during physical exertion. Keep the music volume at an reasonable level, better safe than sorry. Most of all, find music that you love and let your body discover it’s limits while riding along side the funky melodies. Never underestimate the strength of music, it has the potential to transform your training, if you let it. I hope that I have attributed to your Knowledge bank today, spread this info and keep the synergistic info cycle flowing. -Dameon
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |