A selection of results feedback from my Clients:
Lattice Climbing – Professional Climbing Training Coach
Cameron Hartley BSc 2021 Aspirant Phd
(permission given to be named)
“Hey Adam,
I have been meaning to send you an update to my progress with outdoor climbing. Since I got back off holiday in October I have been getting outdoors around 2-3 times a week until the beginning of January, as it isn’t justifiable to go outdoors bouldering at the moment.
In that time between October 2020 and December 2020 I have done around 30 7As, 25 7A+s and 20 7Bs. Previously it had taken my 3 years to complete this many climbs at these grades.
I also completed a benchmarking session at one of the centres in Sheffield, where I go and see how many climbs I could complete on their V5-7 (third hardest) circuit and v7-8 (second hardest) circuit.
In August I completed 10 problems on their V5-7 circuit and 2 problems on their v7-8 circuit.
I had another session in December and it was mega! Every climb I got on, I felt strong, confident and had the skill set to complete it. I lost count of how many climbs I did on v5-7 circuit and I completed 9 problems on v7-8 circuit. I had never felt that confident or psyched before. I just wanted to climb everything and every climb I got on, I knew I had the ability to complete it.
After having a lot of success with the mileage both indoors and outdoors I was looking forward to getting on some hard climbs throughout January, however due to the new lockdown I haven’t had the chance to get outdoors……
Thank you for all the help!”
British Army – Special Forces Aspirant Soldier 2021
“Ay up Adam, I’ve just a couple weeks ago returned from Belize. I was on the jungle warfare exercise in the jungle and before I went I took the time to reflect over the sessions we worked on once again as I always do before departing on similar activities.
Anyway! Arriving in country we found out 2 SAS bods and 1 ex SAS boy about 186 years old were running the show for us. Working through 2 hurricanes which developed into cat 3 and 4 tropical storms and subsequently some of the worst weather in decades, we still went out and operated and effectively grew gills and webbed feet. The outcome of which was a lot of lads creamed in and went back into camp.
It’s only after returning back to the UK and assessing my performance I’ve realised to seriously long lasting effects of just 4 sessions. My mindset was unbreakable not by my own choosing but by what felt natural. Aggression became violent, reactive, and explosive but instantly controlled and suppressed enough to move onto the next task in hand. Confidence in my own work was high but with enough self control to not let it be my downfall.
At the end of the exercise I was extremely proud to pulled to one side and congratulated on my performance by the SAS and told to go for selection as they think I will thrive in that environment. And with a little itch of the nose, unlimited stamina on tap….
Top and bottom of it, thanks again mate!”
Advanced White Water and Open Water Paddler – Richard Moses (permission given to be named)
“Following this course, I am even more of the opinion that this type of performance coaching is absent within the TTPP quadrant of coaching.
What Adam has done is to challenge convention, throw the rule book out the window and start with a blank sheet of paper.
If my experiences are typical of the results that can be achieved though performance mind coaching, then the possibilities are endless.
I firmly believe that British Canoeing should support this style of coaching in full and embrace the trail blazing approach Adam is making.”
“On reflection, it is fair to say that my expectations and the results achieved have surpassed my original objectives. I am now firmly on a direction of travel which will see me achieve my ambition of a strong pass at Advanced Canoe Leader, an outcome that without the intervention, methodologies and skill-sharing provided by Adam, I would not have achieved as easily if at all.
Furthermore, the skill attainment learnt from this course has now transferred into other aspects of my life and has seen a positive change in a number of areas both at work and recreationally.
Previously my default physical response to an intense whitewater environment was to restrict my paddle movements to a very limited range of movement which in turn limited or removed the ability to dynamically and powerfully drive the boat towards its intended destination with conviction. I often likened this to a Tyrannosaurus Rex with its small arms relative to the size of its body and how any movement is almost comedic. Working with Adam has improved my physicality in terms of prowess, fluidity and in turn power generation with the removal of ‘T-Rex arms’!
As a result I am significantly more confident and in turn this allows me to maximize my physical capability in almost a self-fulfilling circle of enrichment.
Psychologically I have seen significant improvement within my pre-paddle routine which in turn has led to a more accomplished performance when attempting more challenging white-water environments. This extends past my preparatory routine once on the water and specifically when I’m about to commit to a big move or one that has potential consequences as an outcome. In entering a state of flow, I can now more easily rationalize and put into perspective the planned intent and exclude the ‘what ifs’, In excluding the ‘what ifs’ and focusing on the objective to the exclusion of negative interruption or ‘mind chatter’, my paddling in turn becomes more efficient and accomplished. Ironically, one of the single largest improvements from a psychological perspective has been the ability to accept that things do go wrong and when they do I have both the technical and practiced ability to cope with the situation and laugh about it afterwards; i.e. its OK not to be perfect all of the time and if things do go wrong, sort the situation out and then have a good chuckle about it!
As an example, I am now challenging myself to make eddies previously reserved (in my mind) for kayakers and if I make them great, if I make them with style – fantastic, if I get flushed out backwards and swim on the eddy line – so what!
I found the self-hypnosis and reassertion of positive sentiments particularly powerful and have now extended this into other parts of my life. The final ‘cherry on the cake’ session was particularly inflential and although not entirely certain of what information or adjustment was made whilst in hypnosis, the outcome continues to improve in terms of strength of solidity of message.
Initially I thought the pre-course questionnaire was excessive in its questioning however having now completed the course, I can understand entirely the importance of the questions asked and how they solidify the direction of travel taken towards a successful outcome.
From my perspective, the outcome has been so successful and empowering that I wouldn’t change anything. I actually enjoyed the Zoom calls rather than face-to-face as I always feel more relaxed ‘in my own space’.”
Performance Expedition Canoe Paddler
I am extremely satisfied with the results we have achieved together. I had no specific preconceptions as to what this Mental Game coaching would involve because I wanted to be receptive towards the process rather than overthinking in advance and putting obstacles in my own way. I possibly wouldn’t have been able to come up with the last statement prior to doing Mental Game coaching with Adam.
Definitely improved paddling performance on moving water
Much calmer when planning how to paddle on moving water – deeper / steadier breathing and lower heartrate.
More capable of paddling at a higher level for longer periods of time
Improved attentional focus when on the water.
Definitely improved paddling performance on whitewater. I now feel physically stronger as I move from eddy to eddy and I no longer need to rest so frequently or for as long. I also used to get thirsty very easily and this has noticeably lessened.
My energy levels have increased as my self-confidence has increased and this means that I approach the next section of water with eager anticipation rather than “running on empty” because I feel physically drained due to mental fatigue.
I’m now physically much calmer when I’m planning how to paddle the next stretch of moving water. My pattern of breathing has changed. Rather than taking short rapid breaths, my breathing is deeper and I take relatively fewer breaths. In the early stages of my Mental Game Coaching, this was a technique which I had to learn from Adam and then consciously put into practice. I’ve practised this highly effective breathing technique on and off the water so now it happens without me having to consciously think about doing it.
When this effective breathing kicks in, I can also feel my heart rate slow down and this too has a calming effect upon me. The energy that I used to expend on overthinking is now easily diverted into physical action so that I can up my game on the water as and when it’s necessary.
I’m now far more capable of competently paddling on higher grades of moving water and for longer periods at a time e.g when paddling on the River Goyt. There were only a few sections of slow-moving water and more “obstacles” to negotiate than I would previously have attempted. In the past, I would have felt physically drained before I’d even got onto the water and I would have got progressively more physically tired as the day wore on. Without a doubt, the day spent on the Goyt was my most consistently competent paddling performance on whitewater to date. My physical performance wasn’t hindered by negative mental thoughts because I only had positive mentally thoughts. I knew without a doubt that I was going to paddle well. And that’s exactly what I did.
Am now far better at approaching potentially stressful situations with a positive mindset.
Rather than letting negative thoughts cloud my paddling judgement, I can now come up with a paddling plan and focus on executing it. I now have the confidence that if my initial paddling plan needs to be improvised, I can quickly switch to another paddling plan and focus on doing that. I now focus on enjoying the experience of paddling well rather than being daunted by the prospect of paddling badly.
I’m far more confident in my own ability to paddle well and I now focus on paddling calmly and yet effectively. “Plan my work and work my plan” rather than coming up with a plan , adding lots of permutations to that plan, dithering about and then losing attentional focus on the water because there was too much going on inside my head.
Now my main focus is to “SMASH IT”!!
It was all very useful although I think the Visualisation Strategies are highly effective for me. I’m definitely a visual learner and find it relatively easy to put myself into the hypothetical situation of either being on the water or observing someone else who is on the water.
All the component parts were instrumental in achieving the end result. I can’t separate the parts out and say that one was particularly less useful.
The whole process was extremely well-organised. Dates and times of sessions / phone calls were agreed in advance and everything ran smoothly
I can highly recommend Mental Game Coaching with Adam for anyone who wishes to improve their physical and psychological sporting performance in both the short and longer term.
Under Adam’s guidance, I have learned and developed simple and repeatable methods which use mental processing in order to make plans and effectively execute those plans.
I am now able to connect both meaning and purpose to my paddling so that I can set myself future goals which involve pushing myself even further. I want to increase my comfort zone on white water so that I truly feel that I’m fulfilling my potential as an all-round expedition paddler.
My major issue in the past was over-thinking. In the past, I generally had no problem with formulating a whitewater paddling plan. The problem was second-guessing myself in advance and then coming up with multiple paddling plans. It wasn’t helpful as it only served to distract me!
Since having Mental Game Coaching with Adam, I’ve truly embraced the concept of self-belief in my ability to formulate and execute a effective plan when it comes to paddling on white water. I’m now no longer distracted by thinking about all the things which could go badly and have replaced this with positive thoughts about things going well. It’s less about there being a right way or wrong way of doing things. It’s more a case of having the skills to deal with whatever I need to deal with, when I need to deal with it. Now I’m able to easily adopt and maintain a positive attitude and that has automatically improved my paddling performance. That feeling of confidence has increased as my paddling performance has increased and this has led to even greater confidence and enjoyment.
To quote J Earp, “We steer the boat, we don’t alter the river.” Now I know that I can steer my boat wherever I want us to go and the rivers will transport us on our awesome
adventures. It’s a wonderful feeling and an absolute game-changer.
For anyone who may have doubts about what Mental Game Coaching can offer them, I would encourage them to contact Adam. You have nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. For me, it’s been life-changing and I’m looking forward to a future of “SMASHING IT” on a regular basis!!
Lattice Climbing Training Coach – Cameron Hartley BSc Aspirant Phd 2020
(permission given to be named)
Hi Adam,
…” I have noticed that I am getting to the top of a lot more boulder problems indoors. I did everything in the new (boulder room problem) reset in around 1 to 3 attempts, at substation, apart from 2 blues. Usually if I didn’t flash it or like the look of it, I would move on and just go on the board instead. This time around I was psyched to get on everything and didn’t care if I fell off. I just wanted to get up everything.
The two standout outdoor climbs that had showed something had switched in my mind were:
Flashing the V8 highball – I would have avoided that style of climbing or if I did attempt it, I would bail before I got scared and blame it on another factor. So, to rock up, pull on and commit to the mantle (which was hard in summer conditions) I was really chuffed with and showed me that something had switched in my mind.
The second standout was getting a V9 on my first go. This is something I have never really been close to. It usually takes me 2 hours or multiple sessions to climb V9, not because I find the moves hard, instead because I do not believe in my ability to do it. For this V9 I turned up with a different strategy. I accepted that I was not going to flash it. So, I pulled on at the start of the crux and did that sequence first go, I then practiced the rest of the move’s individually. I then rested for 5 minutes before pulling on and doing it on my first attempt ground up. I felt in control and noticed the force I was generating through my feet and heel on each move. They felt like they were stuck to the rock. Overall, it took me 15 minutes to do the problem, from arriving at the climb through to getting to the top …… As soon as I can leave quarantine, I am going to be getting outdoors 2-3 times a week (if weather permits) to increase my mileage base so I should be able to report back even more successes.
I will definitely be in touch regarding further mental coaching. My current plan is to use the next 3-4 months developing my pyramid base before I start working towards a bouldering trip to Font in late March/ early April.
Thank you for everything so far!
Cheers,
Cam”
Continued
“…..Throughout the process I feel that my view of climbing has changed and come in line with personal goals that I am happy with achieving. Now I am not concerned with my goal of achieving the problem I originally joined the sessions for. I know I have the capability and confidence to achieve it but there are external factors I cannot control (conditions and covid) that are holding me back from achieving this goal at the moment. There is a part of me that knows when the time is right and that is when I will go do the climb but for now it is more effective for me to focus on other goals.
I was at the Bouldering Centre on Thursday evening climbing with a very experienced coach, who in my eyes is a lot more technical than me. At one point he turned to me and said “your footwork is exceptional. You can keep tension with every foot move and move efficiently and precisely between footholds. I wish I had your ability to use my feet.” I was a bit taken back by the statement as I have always gone through my climbing career thinking my footwork was alright but not the best (as a kid I was told my footwork was rubbish). To hear a technical climber, who I would have said had a lot better footwork than me, say he wished he had my footwork, really increased my confidence and when I reflect back on my sessions after our final sessions I do believe my footwork is a lot better. I feel a lot more relaxed when climbing, everything feels slowed down, my feet feel sticky and my body knows when it is the right time to cut or maintain tension with my feet.
I have noticed two things:
I have noticed that I get up a lot of climbs now without thinking. As soon as I start doing the move that’s it everything switches off and my only focus is reaching the next hold. This is something I have always wanted to do, and I am happy you helped me achieve this.
Next, I have noticed that I can visualize a lot easier in and out of hypnosis. When I look at a climb, I can picture myself doing each move, know how it is going to feel and where each foot placement should go. I feel my ability to route read and plan has drastically improved because of this. I no longer approach a climb apprehensive about my plan, I know what I am going to do and If my plan doesn’t work the first time I will just trust my body and do the move it says is correct. It is almost like I switch the mind off and let the body do what it has spent years practicing. I am learning to trust my body and its instincts a lot more.
I really like the self-hypnosis. I do not use it that much to control emotion anymore. They feel on point most of the time. Instead I will use it before attempting a hard first attempt at a problem. I will plan my route and then enter a state of self-hypnosis whilst lying on my back. Once I am ready, I will let me mind take me through the experience. I can visualize each move, each hold as well as activating the muscles I need to complete each move. As soon as I pull on the climb (if it is within my ability) it feels like I have done it 100 times before even though it is my first time…..
This has been a fantastic process! I do not feel that I have only changed as a climber but as a person. The biggest change I have noticed is that I have learnt to trust my body. When it comes to climbing or difficult challenges, I feel the mind switch off and the body take over. Any negative thoughts I previously had, have been replaced by positive thoughts that give me the confidence to do whatever I put my mind to. Even in dangerous situations where too much confidence can be a bad thing, I feel that I still have the ability to decide when to continue pushing on, because I know I have the ability to do the climb, or when to back off because the external factors are not right for the situation and it would be unsafe to continue.
Overall, this has been a brilliant experience. You can see the hard work that Adam puts in the foreground as well as the background.
I will be using Adam in the future if I feel that my psychological components are a limiting factor for my climbing performance.”
Lattice Climbing Training Coach – Cameron Hartley 2020
British Army Special Forces Aspirant Soldier 2020
“I decided to approach for mental game coaching to gain confidence in an upcoming course at work and learn some mental tactics on increasing physical performance, overall I’m amazed with the results of the 4 sessions as I can already tell a difference in my performance during a course I’ve recently come off.
(I’ve improved my) Ability to control aggression during high intensity moments and regain some energy during the lull in between high intensity moments and therefore increasing my stamina.
Before I started the mental game training I wasn’t sure if I could pass my upcoming course. It’s the first time this has happened to me. Within a matter of weeks I had the confidence to pass and a more focused view on how to do it. (My) Physical performance has improved as I now have the understanding of what to do when I drop out of flow and realise I’m tired and need to keep going.
Since taking part in the sessions I’ve used all the skills taught to me whilst in high intensity moments and the collaboration off all of them have drastically improved my attitude, physical performance and ability to succeed. So I wouldn’t say one particular skill stood out as the most useful because without all of them working together I think my performance would have had a much lower outcome.
I was massively impressed with the time and effort gone into tailoring a package to the client. I haven’t had any experience with any kind of training like this before so I would say it’s 10/10. Emails are easy to follow and the content involved in the sessions in explained in a way that anyone can understand in a friendly and focused environment. There are limitations with working over zoom but this is absolutely no fault of anybody’s and such is the nature of working in lockdown (2020) and over the internet. Even if problems do occur, the process was adapted and overcame the initial issue.
Adam is fantastic at what he does, he will deliver a professional and very tailored package to his clients that shows he goes above the expectations by using his own time to read up on subjects to give you the best experience possible. Initially I thought I may have come to him with a very large project that might have been unattainable in such a short time frame, but with his help and working around my hectic work schedule he delivered 4 sessions that have drastically improved my physical performance just by giving me the tools to address any problems that crop up. If you need any help with mental game coaching Adam’s experience speaks for itself, his sessions are engaging, friendly and genuinely very useful going forward into the future.”
British Canoe Leader and Guide – Richard Moses
More than happy to provide the following signed testimony
After several years of performance coach training in development for and progression towards the British Canoeing Advanced Canoe Leader award, my paddling was displaying a lack of consistency.
This was particularly evident in big volume Grade 3+ environments where the intimidating nature of the river was creating a perpetual cycle of anxiety/apprehension/performance fade.
As a teenager and latterly a young soldier, I had experienced two episodes where kayaking in similar environments had resulted in my near-drowning following capsize and strainer entrapment.
A coach suggested that my current inconsistencies could be directly related to these events and that a sports psychologist may be able to offer some help.
I contacted Adam who immediately identified with my issues in a supportive and professional manner. We arranged two sessions which conveniently sandwiched a White Water Safety and Rescue Training course I was already attending.
Through a combination of techniques, Adam explored the feelings I was experiencing and connected them to the negative situations I had when kayaking. A number of coping mechanisms and visualization exercises were explored and I left eager to see what affect the session would have.
To say the outcome was transformational would be an understatement! For once I was entirely comfortable being thrashed around in a retentive stopper, I had situational awareness but without the overwhelming surge of anxiety and subsequent performance fade I would normally have experienced.
Regular paddling colleagues were genuinely astounded by the difference in my positive environmental assertion and leadership confidence.
The subsequent follow-up session reinforced the work previously completed and focused on aspirational attainment of my own personal goals and ambitions.
If you relate to my story, I cannot recommend the services of Adam highly enough. He is both professional in delivery and successful in outcome.
R.M. Canoe Leader March 2019
Hi Adam, hope your enjoying all your adventures. I just wanted to message to say thank you for everything you taught me …….. I got signed off at my new job in the underground maze / artificial cave and I ran my first session yesterday.
I absolutely loved it and felt so happy to be comfortable under ground again.
JS 2020
Justin Horton NFL Line Backer
Ladakh Expedition Guide
