Mental Preparation for Fitness and bodybuilding competitions )Emotional control(

Bodybuilding and fitness athletes in Iran at high competitive levels are exposed to strenuous dietary regimes (especially food and water restriction in competitions), lack of standard nutritional supplements, reduced sleep quality, heavy training sessions twice daily, chronic injuries, past experiences of failure, high sensitivity to achieving physical fitness, job and income (economic problem), derision and negative social labeling by the community and on social media, handling registration tasks and arrangements for participating in competitions, absence of family support, personal and communication difficulties, and feelings of loneliness in training and life. As competition and the stress of achieving results approaches, this will initially lead to mood disturbances, followed by a reduced tolerance threshold, and increased irritability (particularly when events contradict the athlete’s values and goals). Finally, the likelihood of aggressive (verbal-behavioral) reactions increases during training and competitions. Thus, care for physical health, emotional-psychological health, and adherence to competition rules that affect results and the athlete’s future require education and training (months beforehand) in skills such as mindfulness and rational emotive behavior approaches (e.g. developing self-awareness, recognizing and changing emotional thoughts and beliefs, and momentary reactions such as catastrophizing, demandingness of “musts and must-nots”, low frustration tolerance, as well as creating physical relaxation, and controlling habitual behavior). All of the above influences the psychological impulse control and behavior of athletes on the competition stage (Britton, Wood & Pitt, ۲۰۲۴). Therefore, it is recommended that every professional athlete and team use a sports psychologist alongside other scientific experts to learn the mental skills of emotional control in competitions and enhance their chances of success.

کلیدواژه ها:

Sports psychology ، Mental readiness ، Competition ، Bodybuilding and fitness