You don't like my hair? Looks pretty good in the reflection from my Olympic gold medal.
Man I love the Olympics. Such amazing and inspiring athletes, especially when you learn about all they have done to get to that point.
I especially enjoy reading about their training methods and schedules. Even though they compete in different events, there are 6 habits they have in common that you can implement in your life.
1. Plan your workouts
Did you know some Olympic athletes plan their workouts 4-6 years in advance? That is crazy! I thought I was doing good by planning out my boot camps one month in advance.
Do you know what you are going to do before you get there or are you just winging it? When I worked in gyms I would see people do that all the time. Wander around aimlessly, do a machine here and there, go from room to room. These were people who never got results. Planning your workouts will make your exercise sessions more efficient and effective.
2. Feed your training
You can not reach your goals by starving yourself and you also can't reach your goals by eating McDonald's every day (despite McDonald's being the sponsor of the Olympics). Whether your goal is to look better or perform better, you have to put the proper fuel into your body to get there.
3. Do something to get better every day
If you have a goal, there should be at least one thing you do every day to reach that goal. There is no standing still, either you get better or you are falling behind.
4. Get a coach
These are the most talented and gifted athletes in the world, why do they need a coach? I don't care how motivated you are, how dedicated you are, or how much you think you know a coach can always make you better.
I have a degree in the fitness field, own several top level certifications, I study every day to get better at my job, and it's still not enough. I still turn to the experts in my field to help me get better because I will slack off and I definitely don't know it all. You need someone watching you, encouraging you, and sometimes pestering you to achieve your best. You cannot reach your potential alone.
5. Take care of your body
Top level athletes treat their body like gold, pardon the pun. Sleeping 8-10 hour with a 30-90 minute nap during the day, stretching, foam rolling, massages, chiropractic adjustments, etc... If you want your body to keep responding to the tests you throw at it, you have to take care of your muscles, bones, and joints.
6. Keep their eye on the big prize, but break it up
It's easy to get discouraged if someone rolls out the next 4 years of your life and every day is planned out to a T. It's easy to think the task is too hard, you have too far to go, or that you won't be able to do this. Let the end goal motivate you, but break it up into mini goals.
Some examples could be:
-do 4 workouts a week for a month
-sleep at least 7 hours per night for 2 weeks
-make it through one day without a soft drink
Those mini-goals will begin to add up and will give you the confidence to keep you on track.
I hope these Olympic habits can help you not only in your life, but to appreciate just how dedicated these amazing athletes are.