Training Week 4- 15th/17th April

Psyching up Music

Aim- This week is all about Athlete Z listening to Music before his matches to help motivate and psych him up. This is really important as Athlete Z must get psyched up so he can focus and be up for the match he is going to play.

Music to Motivate

Well we are back for another week of blogging and this week it is all about Music!

Latest research suggests well-chosen tunes at the right time can aid performance and recovery by up to 10%. With the help of an expert playlist, here’s how. Searching for that extra half-a-second to catapult you and your team-mates to glory? According to leading sports psychologists, music is a powerful tool which Athlete Z will be using, which can give a competitive advantage at any level.  Ranging from slow tempo, inspirational tracks the day before a match to high-octane anthems immediately before kick-off, researchers believe music helps mental preparation and establish routine. Athlete Z will be told to synchronise whatever activity he is engaging in to the tempo of music there's a very clearly energetic effect that is bound to show. Various studies point to a 10% reduction in perceived exertion because the body’s emotional state can be transferred into a physical reaction. The dressing room jukebox is a perfect setting where high tempo tunes can match a player’s anticipated heart rate and inspire them to on-field success.

Players should incorporate music into pre-game rituals at an early age because, once in their 20s, players are unlikely to break habits. The best results come from songs that have meaning to the individual, music’s subconscious power. Athlete Z will benefit from listening to a soundtrack immediately before kick-off.

To give Athlete Z a head start I have compiled a list of songs which could inspire the Athlete to achieve as much as a 10% performance increase. Split into three sections – visualisation, pre-match motivation and post-match reflection – the Motivational Music Playlist for Footballers explains what the player should listen to, and when, to help hit top gear.

Visualisation

Voices of the Valley Abide with Me (42 beats per minute)

A song to stir the heart of any footballer, this choral piece is as interwoven with the sport’s heritage as the FA Cup itself.

R Kelly I Believe I Can Fly (60BPM)

Whether it’s soaring to meet a cross or sprinting down the touchline like Ryan Giggs in his prime, this track is sure to promote inspiring imagery.

Luciano Pavarotti Nessun Dorma (50-60BPM)

Inimitably linked with England’s gallant showing at Italia 90, this aria brings to mind images of footballing greatness, striving for glory, and passion.

David Bowie Heroes (113BPM)

Driven by Brian Eno’s wailing guitar licks and Bowie’s call to arms, if the Berlin wall can be brought down then so can the opposition back line!

Keith Mansfield (composer) Grandstand theme (132BPM)

This rousing up-tempo number served as a frame to the BBC’s football coverage for generations and provides a definitive soundtrack.

 

Pre-match motivation

Queen We Are the Champions (64BPM)

Premiership sides’ victory anthem since the early 1990s has a rousing crescendo which will quicken your pulse and strengthen your resolve to succeed on the pitch.

The Farm All Together Now (112BPM)

An evocative tribute to the impromptu England vs Germany match in 1916 no man’s land, this classically-inspired piece has become associated with several teams including England’s challenge at Euro 2004.

Tinie Tempah Pass Out (127BPM)

This dance floor romp’s visceral bass, combined with Tinie’s confidence and intense vocal dexterity, will lift your spirits as you prepare for action.

Dario G Carnival de Paris (137BPM)

A thunderous samba rhythm section serves as a pre-match stimulant while the triumphant horns resemble a rallying call to arms.

 

AR Rahman and the Pussycat Dolls ft Nicole Scherzinger Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny) (137BPM)

The curtain fall for 2008’s uplifting film Slumdog Millionaire, mesmeric Indian rhythms and soaring harmonies combine for an uplifting and energising listen.

 

Post-match relaxation

Enya Anywhere Is (100BPM)

This refreshing celtic-influenced ballad is an ideal soundscape to induce relaxation and a feeling of harmony after the battle on the pitch has subsided.

Sergio Mendes Mas que Nada (99BPM)

Synonymous with Brazil’s inimitable football style since featuring in Nike’s pre-France 98 commercials, Mendes’ lilting Latin jazz rhythms have a relaxed feel.

Groove Armada At the River (68BPM)

With its signature lazy trombone solo, this tune is packed with the carefree, meandering tranquillity of a summer’s day; the perfect restorative after 90 intense minutes on a frosty pitch!

Seal Kiss from a Rose (44BPM)

Sometimes it’s hard to select relaxing music that retains a “masculine” energy, but the London soul man’s iconic track is dark, brooding, and yet strangely soothing.

Fleetwood Mac Albatross (67BPM)

This shimmering instrumental calms the spirit and replaces any tension with a floating serenity and assured calm. A perfect backdrop to reflect on your performance.

 

Athlete Z has a say

This week has been fairly easy, I have been told to listen to the music playlists created by the blogger during periods of time where it is said of what playlist to listen too. At first I thought honestly it wouldn’t work, but then actually listening to the change of music and the drop of the beat really did act as a stimulant to my performance as it really did spur me on to play up to my level best and create chances and score goals for my team during the match. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened this week. We won 4-0 against a fairly decent side from Yorkshire; I had assisted twice and scored a goal myself in a man of the match performance which really has pleased me as I really did work hard. I believe some of the contribution to my great display did come from listening to the high octane music which really did help me heaps and bounds. It has been a great week and I will definitely be adding this to my routine every week before my matches as I believe this can keep bolstering my performances and keep me on form by performing on another level every week hopefully.

Conclusion

Well as you have read this week was another success as the high octane music before matches really did ‘bolster’ Athlete Z’s performances like he had said. It really has become an integral part of the Athletes routine before matches as he now can make this in to a habit which cannot be broken, hopefully helping him to be consistent in his game play too which is vital for him and he really does believe that can happen and it possibly can if he remains psyched up listening to music.