M I N D GAMES Mental preparation during tactical strength training to ensure optimal performance under physical duress T hroughout my professional life spent as a tactical athlete and now as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), a keen adherence to mental preparation during tactical strength training has always been paramount both for myself and the tactical athletes and first responders that I serve. Mental preparation is essential in the tactical athlete field of work when called upon at times of physical, mental, and emotional duress in which we can rely upon our training of both physical and mental modalities. Mental preparation can be 22 | Tactical Training & Conditioning | Summer 2023 By Daniel Borowick, MS, CSCS, Retired DEA Special Agent DOMEX Strength and Fitness, LLC relied upon at times when we need to be either resilient or mentally tough. HOW TO BECOME RESILIENT OR MENTALLY TOUGH AND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? Resiliency and mental toughness are relative concepts however you can illustrate both and also you can exemplify one and not the other. Resiliency is what an individual does to mentally overcome a stressful or isolated individual event. It is what the tactical athlete does while under duress to overcome a sudden obstacle either