If you are like us, we have been glued to the TV watching
the Olympics. The coverage is incredible
and every sport is featured in one way or another. What amazes me is the various body types and
the sports they excel at. We have the “larger-than-life”
Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt with their long, strong limbs and 6’7” wing spans
(is that even possible?). We also see
the small, powerful gymnasts hurling through the air with incredible strength
and flexibility. The African distance
runners that look like a strong wind would blow them away, yet they can run and
run and run forever. Every body type has
its sport .....and there is something we can learn from this. We often hear people say that they don’t have
an athletic body – yet we know every body type can be athletic.
We watch in awe as elite athletes perform seemingly
impossible feats and wonder, how the heck do they do that? And, more important, how do they make it look
so easy? Maybe it's too late for us to
become Olympic athletes (ahhhh, yes!), but we can still get inspired by their
incredible skill and commitment to reach our own goals.
Train
Like an Olympian
Fortunately,
training like an Olympian doesn't mean running 20 miles before breakfast or
spending half your Saturday doing anaerobic sprints. However, even if you're
not training for the Olympics, you can emulate the best athletes in the world
to get the most out of your workouts:
·
Train
every day. Many people fall victim to the weekend
warrior syndrome: after sitting on a
couch all week, you try to make up for it by killing yourself with hours of
exercise on the weekend. Instead of setting yourself up for injury, think like
Olympic athletes who train every day in order to compete with the best. Exercising
regularly not only helps you lose weight, you also maintain a level of
conditioning that will keep you strong and fit. Exercising sporadically can
cause injury, soreness and the urge to never exercise again.
·
Keep
your eyes on the prize.
Olympic athletes have a specific goal; to compete with the best athletes in the
world and win. Our goals may be smaller, but they're just as important in
motivating to get us out of bed each day to exercise. When setting a goal, keep it simple, specific and, most
importantly, reachable. Remind yourself every single day what your goal is and
how you're going to achieve it.
·
Be
specific in your training. An
Olympic marathon runner has to have incredible endurance and strength in order
to complete a marathon. To compete, he will have to incorporate specific
training such as long runs, speed work and strength training. Whatever your
goal, make sure your training fits. If you're trying to build muscle, focus on
heavy strength training and getting quality calories. If you're goal is to lose
weight, break that goal down into the necessary steps you need to take to get
there. What kind of workouts do you need to do? What about your diet?
·
Fuel
your body for peak performance. We
all worry about food and whether we're eating too much fat, or too many
calories. An Olympian, however, worries about getting the right nutrients and
calories to fuel the most important competition in her life. Instead of looking
at food like its the enemy, turn your thinking around and ask yourself, what is
the best thing I could eat right now for my workout? What kind of food will put
my body at it's very best?
·
Know
when to rest. Olympians walk a fine line between peak
performance and burnout and they know when to throw in a few extra recovery
days. Overtraining for an Olympian can mean the difference between winning and
losing; for the rest of us it means the difference between a great day and a
crappy one. Know the signs of overtraining and when to take a break.
·
Have
perfect form. Did you see Usain Bolt run the 100 m
final? He ran like a thoroughbred with long, loose strides and a tall body. In
whatever activity you do, make sure your form is perfect. If you're running,
stand tall and relax your upper body. If you're lifting weights, do each
exercise slowly to reduce momentum and don't swing your weights. Having perfect
form requires you to focus on what your body is doing, rather than trying to
distract yourself from the pain.
Whatever you're training for, thinking like an Olympian
can help you get the most out of each and every workout. When you find yourself
losing momentum or motivation, just remind yourself how much discipline it
takes for an athlete to make it to the Olympics. Just a fraction of that
discipline can help keep you going every day.
