How To Be A Better Athlete

Many athletes have been training for a number of months or years.  The sad truth is that many of these same athletes have no measurable results to show for it.

Perhaps you have not developed objectively noticeable speed or strength.  Perhaps your body does not look much different than it did when you started: it might actually look worse.  The question you may be asking yourself at this point is, “Why am I not getting any results from my work out?”  I’ll tell you why: because you are not SERIOUS.

When you are not serious about training and nutrition, how can you possibly expect to get great results?  There are three things that indicate you are not truly serious training.

1) You Stop and Start

Shante Sprints trained for 2 weeks, and then she did not train at all for 3 weeks.  Then she trained for 1 week followed by not training for 5 days.  The following week, when her track meet took place, she got absolutely smoked.

Why?  Because that pattern of inconsistent training did not allow her to make any headway with her sprinting performance.  The real question is how can you solve this dilemma?

First, you will start by choosing 3 or 4 days each week to train.  The number of training days might be higher or lower, but how often you train will be based on your overall goal.  If you choose to train on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday make sure you train on those days.  Outside of major life emergencies, there are no exceptions to this.

Don’t skip training because your favorite TV show is coming on or because you don’t “feel” like it.  Make training a priority or getting great results will never become a reality for you.

2) You Are Always Talking Junk

Do you know someone who lets you know every single thing that they are about to do, but they never follow through?

As their friend, you might listen.  But when you look at the situation objectively you realize that the person is full of hot air.  In the athlete game, I hear the bulljive all the time:

“Bro, I’m about to be a beast next year on the basketball court!”

“Girl, I’m about to dominate this spring track season like Sha’Carri Richardson!”

It all sounds good, but talking without taking any action is pure fake hustle.  99 percent of the time, these lofty goals go unrealized. Just because you posted it on social media to get cheap likes and attention does not mean it is going to happen.

Talking about it never got it done, but taking action always gets it done.  If you are serious about becoming a better athlete, you do not have to talk about it nonstop.

3) You Have No Accountability In Your Training Program

Accountability is big time like Tom Brady in the clutch.

Let’s say last Monday and Thursday you ran sprints, but you didn’t time them.  4 weeks later you did the same workout, and you did not time it.  And now 20 weeks later you are still doing the same dang workout without timing your performances.

Meanwhile when the track season starts, you are running slower times than you ran last year.  Why?  Because you are not holding yourself accountable and you haven’t recorded any of your sprinting times.  With no goal to aim for and no accountability to keep you honest, how can you get better?

The best way you can be accountable with yourself is by using a training log.  You can record your numbers and focus on improving on them each week.  When your training parameters (speed/weight/reps/rest) improve then your body adapts wonderfully.

If you are not going to be accountable with yourself, then you need to find someone who will hold you accountable.  This person could be a certified coach or a training partner.  My clients use me as the coach to keep them accountable, but I also have clients who have training partners to keep them on track.

Having someone to train with, who has a similar goal and will not allow you to cheat yourself is an invaluable tool.  Because if you are not moving forward, you are either staying stagnant or you are in a decline.

Conclusion

By staying consistent, not talking junk, and being accountable to yourself, you will have success as an athlete and be able to improve your performances in your sport.

I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman