So, you want to be an athlete?
So many people who are trying to improve their fitness don’t consider themselves athletes. I think this is a detriment and feel that if more people worked on seeing themselves as athletes, they would take their fitness goals more seriously. There is a saying in sports psychology “fake it till you make it”. It has nothing to do with being ingenuine, it is all about adopting the persona you plan to achieve, just a bit early, so you can achieve that persona faster! Think about it, if you considered yourself an elite athlete, would an elite athlete go through the Dunkin Donuts drive-through every morning and get 2 doughnuts and a large sugary coffee and call it “breakfast”? No! Would an elite athlete skip their workout because they would rather binge the latest season of Yellowstone in the evening for the next 5 days? No! Hopefully, you understand with these examples how “getting into the mindset” of an athlete will help you achieve your fitness goals faster. Here are some more “athlete-minded” tips.
Set Achievable & Realistic Goals
When training, it is important not to push yourself and set yourself targets and goals that are simply impossible, or very nearly impossible to successfully attain. Design your personal and tailor-made exercise and gym program and be sure to include a variety of different exercise, cardiovascular movements, and strength training within your training schedule. Getting professional help with this is essential. There is no “one size fits all” training regime that works for everyone. The key elements would be that they are:
Enjoyable
Sustainable
Going to help you progress and get fitter over time
Are at the right fitness level for you right now and will not cause you injury
Engage in some constructive criticism
It can sometimes be hard for anyone to be able to take constructive criticism. However, what you absolutely must either be able to currently do or else quickly learn how to do is to be objective about your own progress levels and your ability to achieve the targets you set for yourself. We also suggest that you add an accountability partner with this same job. Someone outside of your head may have a better perspective on how you are doing with your goals. If you ever feel stuck and like you are not progressing, I can bet it is because you are skipping this step. As Michael Jackson said, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror. Take a look at yourself and make a change.” Change only can come with real honest, personal reflection of who is getting in your own way. Point that finger at yourself and get some constructive criticism on how you can get past these hurdles.
Ensure You Have A Strong Support System
The importance of a strong and ever-present support system for professional athletes or even passionate sport’s professional can never be overstated and this relates not only to loved ones, close friends, and family members who are always in your proverbial corner, but also professional support as well.
There are essentially four different types of professional support that an athlete needs to be ultimately successful and to maintain both strong physical health and emotional well-being.
These four different elements comprise of:
1. Psychological Mentors
2. Loved Ones
4. Athletic Trainers
Train Five Days A Week
If you are entirely serious and 100% totally committed to being fit, training needs to be one, if not, the top priority.
Design a strict training schedule and be sure to always stick to it, even on days when you are feeling particularly tired or lethargic (unless you have an injury, then you need to take care of that first). Conversely, however, it is also absolutely vital to give yourself one to two days a week, both for your physical and emotional wellbeing levels. Not that this gives you license to lounge about in your underwear eating ice cream all day. We suggest that on all rest days, you still do something to help you actively recover from your workouts. Do some foam rolling, go to a restorative yoga class, or just take a long walk or a hike with a fitness backpack on like the ones from Built for Athletes and stretch your legs. Athletes are not lazy, do something healthy for your body even when you have a rest day. But athletes also understand the importance of not overtraining, so listen to your body and take the rest days when you NEED them not when it’s just convenient for you.
Remember, Health is a Feeling, not a Pants Size
There are so many “skinny fat” people out there and “fat skinny” people out there. Just because you are a certain size, or height or don’t have the genetic ability no matter how hard you try to look like Brad Pitt in fight club, remember, health is a feeling. Do you feel endless energy, almost never get sick, love the look of your muscle tone and the feel of your strong body? These are the things that make an athlete keep going. They may not be on the olympic lifting team, and never will be, but they just PRd today and damn it felt good! This is the “athlete mindset” that will take you to the big win finish line - optimal health.