Josh Horowitz and Rick Collingwood's "The Ultimate Cyclist" Sports Hypnosis CD

This "Ultimate Cyclist" sports hypnosis CD Heightens your Powers of Perception and sharpens your physical performance through powerful sports hypnosis techniques such as visualization and positive affirmations.

This sports hypnosis CD has been formatted with the assistance of top U.S. cyclist Josh Horowitz. The"Ultimate Cyclist" is a professionally guided sports psychology session designed and created by Rick Collingwood and Josh Horowitz. trhe review below says everything i would say:

Review by Jered Gruber-Pezcycling
Josh Horowitz, founder and Head Coach of Liquid Fitness (and periodic PezCycling ToolBox contributor) has recently collaborated with Australia's foremost mind clinician, Rick Collingwood, Ph.D., on a new audio CD, The Ultimate Cyclist, to train your mind to make you a better cyclist.

The CD combines progressive relaxation techniques, positive affirmations, guided imagery, and Rick's patented theta rhythm audio technology which helps induce a deep state of relaxation. The CD is designed to help cyclists improve their relaxation on the bike (a key element to improving efficiency and avoiding mishaps), their motivation, and their overall enjoyment of the sport.

Why Train The Mind
Horowitz suffered a horrible wreck at the Redlands Stage Race in 2004 which left the competitive Cat. 1 with a severe concussion. The physical injuries were soon overcome, but Horowitz found that he was petrified to return to the bike. Luckily, he didn't give up the fight and sought the expert help of Sports Psychologist Michael Madison. Josh learned that the root of his crash was an inability to relax and focus on the bike. As well as using several different sports psychology techniques, Horowitz started listening to Rick Collingwood's relaxation CDs. Josh found them very helpful, but wanted to find something specifically designed for cyclists.

Finding nothing that remotely addressing the mental aspect of cycling, Josh contacted Rick, and they worked together to create the world's first ever CD focused entirely on the mental aspect of cycling, dubbed The Ultimate Cyclist.


But Is It Science?
Using mental imagery to enhance physical performance is nothing new, and a study done in 1932 by Edmund Jacobson showed that visualizing an activity produced small but measurable reactions in the muscles involved in the imagined activity. When you go through a guided mediation or hypnosis session, you are implanting learned memory of a successful action. The amount of nerve activity is so slight you might not be aware of it, but sensitive electronic equipment can pick it up. Thinking is real practice!

There are many examples of top athletes using guided visualization to improve their sports performance. Boxer Ken Norton used hypnosis training before his famous victory where he broke Mohammad Ali’s jaw. Others who have openly discussed their work with self hypnosis are 1980 National League batting champion Bill Buckner and Baltimore Oriole Jim Palmer. Jack Nicklaus has stated that golf is 90 percent mental and only 10 percent physical. He prepares for matches by visualizing and mental rehearsing the toughest holes on the course. He’s claimed that he’s never hit a ball in practice or in competition without seeing the swing and the outcome in his head before actually taking the shot.

Even Lance Armstrong talks about visualization during his fight against cancer in his book, It’s Not About the Bike. These are all examples of using imagery and visualization to overcome obstacles when a simple physical approach is not always adequate.

The Ultimate Cyclist CD utilizes the "latest scientific audio technology" through Dr. Collingwood’s clinical techniques in advanced trance hypnotherapy - namely, positive subliminal messages, exact trance inducing frequencies, and mantra. The CD is taken directly from Collingwood's sessions, and you get the privilege of being hypnotized by one of Australia’s (and possibly the world’s) leading and most experienced therapeutic hypnotists all at less than half the price of a professional sports psychology session.

Modern clinical hypnosis goes under a variety of labels such as visualization, guided imagery and goal-directed relaxation and has been used for pain control, improvement of quality of life for terminal patients and to treat general stress and mood disorders. Clinical Hypnosis is not to be confused with stage hypnosis which is a show or performance, more similar to a magic trick or stand up comedy than real science.

The 60 minute CD contains a number of levels which flow seamlessly into the next:
Level 1 incorporates Spoken Voice to induce hypnosis and re-educate the subconscious mind.
Level 2 is a constant F Sharp - scientifically proven deep trance inducing frequencies.
Level 3 uses Subliminal Impulses as a subliminal positive message program.
Level 4 comes at the end of the CD and uses Dr. Collingwood's Theta Rhythm, which is an effective frequency to sustain the trance.

Go To Sleep?
Personally. I have never put much thought into the mental side of bike racing, and I’m willing to bet I’m the same as most of us. In fact, I probably put more thought into picking my breakfast in the morning - which is always cereal. I get on my bike and ride. Evidently, this is the perfect background to test for this product.

It's commonly known that physical adaptation from training takes place mostly as we sleep and our muscles repair themselves. The mind is no different. I've found the easiest and most effective way to use this CD is to put it on as you are getting into bed at night. Rick's voice and the theta rhythm should quickly put the most die hard insomniac to sleep (it worked for me), but the positive messages on the CD will work on the subconscious mind even if you are not aware of them in your conscious mind. You can even put it on repeat so that you will be listening to the messages several times throughout the course of the night.

Hmmm, sounds pretty good to me - I just slip the CD into my laptop, put it on repeat and go to bed? Nice. You're directed in the first part of the CD to listen to the entire CD everyday for a week, and then afterwards as needed. Since it's so easy to do, I've just put it on every night since I got it - about a month ago.


Jered Gruber - Read below for Jered's feedback on use of the CD