Train like an Olympian
How do Olympians become successful? The winter Olympics which took place this year in Pyeongchang, South Korea unveiled the world’s best athletes. Behind a couple of minutes, a performance hides hours and hours of dedication. Although most of us don’t want to become professional athletes, we can still be inspired by these super healthy athletes demonstrating what it takes to excel in life.
Which Olympic athlete’s secrets can we implement into our daily routine?
Rest and recovery
The more athletes train, the more they have to pay attention to their recovery. Recovery comprises sleep, nutrition/hydration, body work such as massages, myofascial release, any type of work that will activate blood flow, and mindset. The entire body physiologically and psychologically needs to be taken care of.
Focus on weaknesses
Olympians spend most of their training practicing their sport but even more time on their weaknesses. They are unafraid to feel vulnerable, fail and get back up again to improve in their sport.
Together with their coaches they break down each movement pattern and repeat endlessly until they get it right. An athlete needs to have the quality of being highly coachable, meaning receiving negative as well as positive feedback if they want to progress.
Cross train
Competitors develop both muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness. Although they train for a specific discipline, they also spend time training other aspects of their sports like strength, agility, or explosivity. If our sport is running for instance, doing laps and mimicking a race is as important as strengthening muscles around joints or working on sprints intervals. It might sound boring or not as exciting but that is the reality of being dedicated and seeing the big picture which is the Olympics.
Injury prevention
How can a Olympic athletes prevent injuries? It is usually the combination of specific work such as mobility, accessory exercises and an exhaustive recovery protocol.
They pay attention to details and do not leave room to chance.
Unafraid of failure
How we understand failure from early age determines how we approach mistakes in life. Athletic competitors see failure as a path to learn, become better, and improve themselves. Future Olympians persevere the same way children who attempt to walk. They do not get discouraged when they fall a hundred times.
They would no get very far if they were afraid of failure. That is why they excel in their sport.
Visualisation
Athletes do not become Olympians by working hard and hoping that they will make it. They plan their success ahead. This process is called visualisation. Where do they want to be in 3 years time? The goal they set for themselves will dictate they actions tomorrow. Part of this method includes journaling with a pen and paper, and meditating. The mind is 90% responsible for one’s success, therefore it deserves as much as time and dedication as the body.
