M.M. Kovylin, professor, Ph.D
A.A. Peredel'sky, associate professor, Dr.Hab.
Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sport, Youth and Tourism (SCOLIPhC), Moscow

Keywords: educational experiment, cycling (BMX), mind-body diagnosis, technical and tactical analysis.

Introduction. The essence of the mind-body diagnosis in unity with the technical and tactical analysis is to identify the presence and degree of adequacy (accuracy and efficiency) of the psychophysical support of performance of the range of technical and tactical techniques used throughout the competition as a whole, for example when passing the entire race from start to finish [1].

The purpose of the study was to conduct the technical and tactical analysis used as a control mechanism of the experimental educational programming in cycling sport (BMX).

Materials and methods. In the given case the goal of the mind-body diagnosis in conjunction with the technical and tactical analysis was to identify "weak" aspects in the standard (approved, conventional) training program for cyclists with elite athletes in mind. Male and female masters of sports, members of the Russian national cycling team (BMX) were the main tested contingent of the experimental program. 9 people were picked out as experts for the pilot (preliminary) survey:

– 6 masters of sports of the Russian national cycling team (BMX) (3 men and 3 women);

– 3 specialized trainers (an honored trainer of Russia and 2 trainers of the highest category).

On the basis of the pilot survey we were to develop and integrate into the program of educational experiment a number of necessary training and competition related recommendations obtained through the application of the methods of body-mind diagnosis and technical and tactical analysis. Recommendations are presented in accordance with the list of conventionally allocated fragments of the areas of the successive passing through the track, such as:

• Starting position;
• Starting slope;
• The first jump-ramp and the first turn;
•  The second jump-ramp and the second turn;
• The third jump-ramp and the third turn;
• The fourth jump-ramp and finish.

The isolated fragments are the parts of the velodrome, where relatively independent (individual) practicing of the technical and tactical techniques and the adjustment (correction, polishing) of their mental and physical support are possible and advisable.

However, the fragmentation should not harm the holistic perception of the track. The diagnosis of the general and the individual, the whole and the part, requires their organic correlation, so a body-mind diagnosis should begin with the whole and only then move on to the parts and fragments. Otherwise it is easy to predict the possibility of technical and tactical errors, inaccuracies, reaction delays, slowdowns and distortion of the planned mode of passing through the velodrome.

Results and discussion. The results of the mind-body diagnosis and the technical and tactical analysis.

1. Velodrome as a whole. Identified deficiencies: insufficiently clear understanding of the mental image of the velodrome as a whole; lack of the correct breathing pattern; lack of concentration; partial tension (rigidity) of the leading muscle groups (legs, back, shoulders, arms).

Recommendations: formation of a clear and complete mental image of the velodrome as a whole (exercise: quickly and accurately draw a complete configuration of the track with the eyes closed and without lifting the pencil from the paper); learning the general breathing patterns and techniques; practicing maximum concentration on the basis of the total muscle relaxation (exercise: passive meditation on the associative visuals); practicing separate alternate contraction and relaxing of the muscle groups under the general relaxation of the rest of the muscular system.

2.2. Starting position before the starting signal. Identified weaknesses:

lack of the correct breathing pattern; insufficiently relaxed seating position on the bike; different hand position on the grips; different state of mind; different moment of taking a "ready to start" position”.

            Recommendations: deep, abdominal, slow and steady breathing.

            Note. On the last 3-4 seconds - pumping lungs with air, on red-yellow signal taking a deep breath, yellow-green signal - taking a quick but not a full exhalation;

• To ensure a completely relaxed sitting position on the bicycle (shoulders are packed and lowered; looking straight without turning and, preferably, without lowering the head).
•   Note: Remove the residual tension and points (nodes) of discomfort by shaking the muscle groups;
• a comfortable position of the hands on top of the grips, fingers firmly closed on the grips, but not clenched;
• (exercise: holding the partner's hands with your fingers, eversion (releasing) of the hand from the hold);
• the state of mind is void and detached-focused as much as possible, concentrating on mental images of the velodrome from the "bird's-eye view";
• (Exercise: when closing the eyes, mentally reproduce the image of the velodrome, when opening - correlate the mental image with the original, thereby merging with the track into a whole);
•  While taking the "ready to start" position at the very last moment, after pumping air into lungs, on pause after the final deep breath. Concentration on the image of a flickering TV screen (a white noise image).

2.2. Starting position at the moment of the starting signal. Identified weaknesses: lack of the proper breathing pattern; lack of concentration; different types of behavior without a sufficient reason.

Recommendations: a quick but not full exhalation in response to a yellow-green signal after holding the breath after finishing pumping air into lungs; focus on the image of falling into a bottomless pit or on the image of the dive into the deep waters (exercise 1: falling straight on a soft surface (trampoline) bending the arms at the elbows at the last moment before hitting the surface;

exercise 2: a direct punch with the accelerated fall forward putting the foot in front at the very last moment); behavior model: rising in the saddle, moving the center of gravity forwards as much as possible.

3. Starting slope. Identified weaknesses:

– fear of sudden acceleration, of being unable to cope with the speed and collide into an opponent:

– forgetting to breathe coupled with extremely intensive pedaling;

– rigidity of the muscles and partial dysfunction of the peripheral nervous system.

As a result: tempo drop, breathing failure, rapid increase in fatigue.

Recommendations: breathing is fast, thoracic (chest), proportional to the rate of pedaling; getting into a state of void, sliding consciousness (exercise 1: passive meditation; exercise 2: active meditation during pedaling on a stationary bike); focus on the image of a bullet "devouring" space or on the image of teleportation (an instantaneous psychophysical transfer into the point of the first jump) (exercise: draw back the hand and then put it on the forehead of your assistant standing in front of you

Note. The exercises for the right and the left hands are to be interchanged);

 – learning how to relax rather than contract intensively working muscles (exercise 1: "playing the patty-cake game"; exercise 2: maximum intensive jogging in place with relaxed legs, shoulders and arms, correlated with the rapid thoracic breathing; exercise 3: shaking like a dog which has just ran out of water).

4. Jump-ramp + turn, springboard. Identified weaknesses:

– improper breathing pattern;

 – lack of a clear understanding and priorities in choosing of technical and tactical models of passing each of the four jump-ramps.

            Recommendations: when jumping over a jump-ramp, breathing is regulated as follows: the jump is performed on the inhalation, landing and the push for the next jump (or for pedaling) is performed on a quick exhalation - a partial quick inhalation with the further continuation of the thoracic breathing when pedaling;

– when surfing through the jump-ramp the breathing must comply with the cyclist's intensity;

– the technical mindset of passing the jump-ramp in a jumping or mixed style should be focused on the implementation of the following scheme: "push-push" (rather than "push-landing-push") (exercise 1: "leapfrog" with alternation of the feet pushing off from the floor and the hands pushing off from the back of the hunched assistant; exercise 2: a series of forward and upward jumps from the full squat position); Recommended method of passing through: the first jump-ramp - jumping; the second jump - mixed model; the third - surfing; the fourth - surfing; focus on the image of a bird hovering above the ground or on the image of a feather on the wind (repeat exercise 2).

5. Competition. Identified weaknesses: fear of active confrontation; insufficiently sensitive reaction towards aggressive actions of the opponent (bike or body push, turn of the opponent’s wheel interfering with the movement, being pushed out at an unfavorable position).

Recommendations: practicing a simple dodging reaction; practicing a complex dodging reaction after own provocation towards aggressive reaction (exercise 1: shuttle offset from the trajectory of the ball thrown in the body, exercise 2: the same, but on a "provocation throw" - dodging from the trajectory of the throw, exercise 3: "slalom"- passing through a group of assistants standing in columns by two in extended order, zigzag maneuvering: exercise 4: power basketball).

Conclusions. The whole range of recommendations presented should be complemented and completed with the cycling (BMX) technical and tactical exercises. Special training sessions themselves are to be conducted, focused on the use of the method of active three-level meditation. The three levels of the indicated method are the following:

- "Single-point" practicing of simple elements;

- Practicing of relatively stand-alone parts;

- Practicing of "sliding motion" throughout the track.

References

1. Peredel'sky, A.A. Ancient Greek physical education and agonistics, Ancient Roman sport as an anthological basis for genetic definitions of the concepts of "physical culture" and "sport" / A.A. Peredel'sky, S.A. Konikov // Fizicheskaya kul’tura: vospitanie, obrazovanie, trenirovka. – 2010. – № 5. – P. 59–64. (In Russian)

Corresponding author: kmm-74@mail.ru