The tips4running review of Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence by Gary Mack

It's time to work out by reading Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence by Gary Mack. This book focuses on strengthening our mind as if it were another muscle. I have always believed that mental toughness is very important to a competitors success, and this book can teach an athlete how to gain that psychological edge.

Gary Mack has helped many professional athletes with developing a better mental edge. He details many different activities he does with these athletes to help them become more successful. At most levels of athletics, the best players are simply tougher mentally. This is a learned skill.

The book details many different ways you can mentally prepare yourself for competition. Using mental imagery, relaxation, and constant positive thinking can make a huge difference in an athlete's performance.

I stand behind these claims 100%. My high school cross country coach was a believer in mental preparation too. Our team made it to state my Junior and Senior year as a huge underdog. We weren't ranked to finish even in the top 10 out of the 16 teams. With mental imagery practice, and a well thought out race plan, we finished 2nd both years. We weren't that good, we just were able to perform at our best when it counted the most.

Read Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence and see if Gary Mack can convince you too. Remember, there is no subsitute for being in great shape, but you can work out so much. Is your mind as ready to compete as your body?

- Reviewed by David Tiefenthaler

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