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Welcome to the first installment of our Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) program blog series! Each week, we’ll delve into different topics designed to help our young athletes grow not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Our goal is to cultivate well-rounded individuals who excel both on and off the field. This week, we’re focusing on a concept that’s vital to every athlete’s journey: embracing failure. The Role of Failure in Growth Failure is often seen as something negative, something to be avoided at all costs. However, failure is an essential part of the process of getting better. It’s through our failures that we learn the most valuable lessons and make the most significant strides toward our goals. When we push ourselves, we inevitably encounter setbacks. These moments can be frustrating and disheartening, but they are also opportunities for growth. By facing and overcoming failures, we build resilience, improve our skills, and gain a deeper understanding of our strengths and weaknesses. Unconscious Avoidance of Failure Sometimes, without even realizing it, we avoid situations where we might fail. This unconscious avoidance can freeze us in our tracks, preventing us from pushing our hardest and achieving our full potential. It’s crucial to become aware of these tendencies and actively challenge ourselves to step out of our comfort zones. Avoiding failure might feel safe in the short term, but it limits our growth and hinders our progress. By recognizing when we’re holding back due to fear of failure, we can take steps to confront these fears and embrace the challenges that come our way. The Speed of Recovery: A Trainable Skill How quickly we recover from failure and try again is a trainable skill. This week, we will be working with our athletes to develop this crucial ability. Not only will we place them in environments where they might fail, but we will also guide them through the process of quickly reflecting on their experience and trying again. Rapid recovery from failure involves: Immediate Reflection: Quickly understanding what went wrong. Best to share with someone – this builds self-awareness Actionable Adjustments: Making small, changes to improve. We do not want to try the same thing over and over but also don’t always need to start from scratch Resuming Effort: Getting back into the task (the hardest part). By practicing these steps, our athletes will learn to bounce back faster, maintain their momentum, and build the resilience needed to handle challenges more effectively. Learning from Failure In youth sports and even in school, there is often a significant emphasis on success and achievement. While striving for excellence is important, this focus can condition young athletes to fear failure and avoid taking risks. This avoidance can stunt their growth and limit their potential. Consider these quotes from our athletes: “I remember when the mental side of soccer got to me. The fear of failing froze me up on the field. I just wanted to stop playing.” “There was a game where we were so much better than the other team, and we lost. We didn’t know how to handle it. It’s really hard to bounce back when you were expected to win and lost.” “One of my teams hasn’t won a game in 3 years. It’s tough. We don’t know how to win.” These experiences highlight how the fear of failure and high expectations can paralyze young athletes, causing them to avoid risks and miss out on opportunities for growth. This can be especially prevalent in school, where the pressure to achieve high grades and meet expectations can lead students to avoid challenging subjects or activities where they might not excel immediately. The Journey Ahead As we kick off this blog series, remember that the road to excellence is paved with challenges and failures. By embracing these moments and learning from them, our young athletes will develop the resilience, discipline, and mental toughness needed to achieve their full potential. We look forward to sharing more insights with you in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for next week’s topic. Until then, let’s embrace the journey, learn from our failures, and celebrate the small victories along the way. Steve Cimino

Staying motivated to hit the gym regularly and push through tough workouts can be challenging. Whether it’s the temptation to stay in bed or the urge to skip that last set, we all face internal battles that test our commitment. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman offers powerful insights into the concepts of limbic friction and delayed gratification—two critical components that can transform your approach to fitness and help you achieve your goals. What is Limbic Friction? Limbic friction is the resistance you feel when trying to take action, especially when that action goes against your immediate comfort or desires. It’s that inner voice telling you to hit the snooze button instead of heading to the gym or to grab a snack instead of sticking to your meal plan. This friction originates in the limbic system, the part of your brain responsible for emotions and behavior. Top-Down Control and Limbic Friction To overcome limbic friction, you need to engage “top-down control.” This cognitive process is managed by the prefrontal cortex, the brain region that allows you to override immediate impulses in favor of long-term goals. Every time you push yourself to go to the gym despite feeling tired, you’re using top-down control to overcome limbic friction. Dopamine and Reward Anticipation Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation, plays a crucial role in delayed gratification. Surprisingly, dopamine is released not just when you achieve a goal but also when you’re on the path to achieving it. This means the anticipation of future success—like the sense of accomplishment after a great workout can motivate you in the present. When you practice delayed gratification, you train your brain to associate effort and discipline with positive outcomes. This shift in perception helps you overcome limbic friction, as your brain starts to anticipate the dopamine rush associated with future success. Cold Plunge Example Huberman explains how immersing yourself in a cold plunge can significantly boost dopamine levels—up to 2.5 times higher—similar to the effects of certain drugs but with longer-lasting benefits. The anticipation of relief and accomplishment after enduring the cold plunge can help you push through the initial discomfort. This concept can be applied to your workouts: find activities that provide a substantial dopamine boost to train your brain to link effort and discomfort with positive outcomes. Watch the video: HERE Using Workouts to Train Top-Down Control and Overcome Limbic Friction Your time at the gym is a perfect opportunity to train your ability to overcome limbic friction and master delayed gratification. Engaging in regular, challenging workouts forces you to exercise top-down control consistently. Each time you push through a tough session, you’re not only building physical strength but also enhancing your mental resilience. The act of starting and completing a workout, despite feeling tired or unmotivated, strengthens your ability to override immediate impulses in favor of long-term benefits. Similarly, incorporating a cold plunge into your routine can be an effective way to train top-down control. The initial shock and discomfort of the cold water require you to summon mental fortitude to stay immersed. As you endure the cold, your body releases dopamine, rewarding you with a sense of accomplishment and relief afterward. This experience reinforces the connection between enduring short-term discomfort and achieving a rewarding outcome, making it easier to apply this mindset to other areas of your fitness regimen. By regularly pushing through challenging workouts and incorporating practices like cold plunges, you train your brain to associate effort and discomfort with positive results. Over time, this makes it easier to overcome limbic friction, stay motivated, and consistently work towards your fitness goals. Embracing these strategies can transform your approach to fitness, helping you unlock your full potential and achieve lasting success in the gym. Conclusion  Limbic friction and delayed gratification are not insurmountable obstacles but trainable skills that can be developed with practice and perseverance. By understanding the neurological mechanisms at play and implementing strategic practices in your workouts, you can enhance your ability to stay motivated, achieve your fitness goals, and unlock your full potential. Embrace the journey of mastering these skills and watch as you transform your approach to fitness and success in the gym.

We are thrilled to welcome Marissa to the Prototype Training Systems team! With an impressive background in health, fitness, and wellness, Marissa brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our gym community. Marissa holds a Bachelor’s in Health Science and a Master’s in Public Health from Boston University. Her passion for fitness and health is further backed by her certifications as a NASM-certified personal trainer, with additional specializations in Nutrition and Health coaching. From a young age, Marissa’s life has been intertwined with movement. She danced competitively throughout high school and continued her dance journey with BU’s Dance Theater Group in college. After college, Marissa’s love for movement evolved as she took on new challenges as an aerialist and runner. To date, she has completed 14 half marathons and 3 marathons, with an inspiring goal to run a half marathon in every state. She is currently training for the 2024 NYC marathon. Marissa’s passion for fitness extends beyond her personal achievements. For the past decade, she has been dedicated to teaching dance to youth ages 2-18. Additionally, she has made her mark as a ninja warrior coach, leading both recreational and competitive classes, and coaching athletes at local, regional, and national competitions. Marissa previously worked at the Hockomock Area YMCA as their director of community wellness, where she oversaw youth programming aimed at helping kids and their families live healthier lives. At Prototype Training Systems, Marissa will be coaching CrossFit classes and personal training sessions. She will also be leading our fundamentals classes, focusing on youth training and development. Join us in welcoming Marissa to Prototype Training Systems! Stop and say hi to her the next time you see her in the gym.

Prototype Performance and Recovery Series: Part 8 Why we get sore: The Science of Soreness: Understanding Muscle Pain and Adaptation As we progress with Prototype Performance and Recovery, it’s on our mind to continue to educate all of our members and give our insights into why recovery matters . As I was discussing what topics The post Prototype Performance and Recover Series Part 8: Why we get sore appeared first on Prototype Training Systems.

Prototype Performance and Recovery Part 7: “Enhancing Performance and Recovery with Blood Flow Restriction Training” We are constantly innovating and looking at what is working and what’s not working at Prototype. One of the things we pride ourselves in at Prototype is that we aren’t stuck to our believes and we will adjust if there The post Prototype Performance and Recover Series Part 7: Blood Flow Restriction Training appeared first on Prototype Training Systems.

Prototype Performance and Recovery Series: Part 6 “The Benefits, Use, and Protocols of Compression Sleeves for Recovery” At Prototype Training Systems, we strive to provide our clients with the best tools and methodologies for optimizing performance and recovery. One such tool that has gained popularity among athletes, including professional athletes, is the use of compression The post Prototype Performance and Recover Series Part 6: Air Compression Sleeves appeared first on Prototype Training Systems.

Prototype Performance and Recovery Series: Part 5 “The Power of Taking Breaks and Deliberate Oscillations” In the fast-paced world of fitness training and business, maintaining peak performance requires more than just hard work and dedication. It involves strategic recovery and mental oscillations to ensure sustained energy, focus, and productivity. This blog post explores the The post Prototype Performance and Recover Series Part 5: Taking Breaks and Oscillations appeared first on Prototype Training Systems.

Prototype Performance and Recovery Series: Part 4 “The Benefits, Use, and Protocols of Infrared Sauna” At Prototype Training Systems, we are building something special with our Prototype Performance and Recovery program. Our ethos is the notion::” Live better, longer”. As we strive to provide our clients with the most effective tools for performance and The post Prototype Performance and Recover Series Part 4: Benefits of Infrared Sauna appeared first on Prototype Training Systems.