How to Train Like an Olympian
As the curtain fell on the London Olympics and Paralympics competitions, everyone was asking the same questions.
Just how did Michael Phelps succeed in becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time? How does Usain Bolt always cross the finish line first? Cynics will suggest that these athletes are born to be champions, that somehow their genetic makeup propels them to be successful at a particular activity from birth.
It's true that you will never be a world champion high jumper if you can handstand under a horse.
Height is a crucial factor in this sport.
While genetics play a part we have tendency to exaggerate their influence.
What separates the Farahs, Franklins and Fraser-Pryces from us mere mortals is the effort they put into their training, the countless hours spent in meticulous practice and the specificity of their goals.
While many of us will arrange exercise around our daily routine, for elite athletes training is their daily routine.
Everything else becomes a distraction.
While only a small percentage will ever reach the heights of regional or national level in a sport, never mind Olympic level, there are lessons we can learn from elite athletes.
Whether you aim to reach these extremes or you simply want to improve how you look and feel, we can implement the following strategies of successful athletes to dramatically improve our results.
Goals Decide what you want to achieve and when.
Write it down.
Set yourself a realistic and specific target taking into account your current condition and schedule shorter-term goals that will be milestones you can tick off along the way.
Rationale You must be brutally honest with yourself and understand the reasons behind your goals.
Why are you going to the gym? Understanding the rationale why you want bigger arms and a 6-pack will help put your efforts into context.
Motivation stems from rationale.
Olympians are motivated to train to be strong and fast by their burning desire to prove themselves to be the best in the world.
Do not hide from your rationale.
Understand it, embrace it and use it.
Motivation The gym-routine killer.
We all get tired, we all get sore, we all get busy, we all have distractions.
This is something you have to accept and plan around.
Use whatever encouragement you need to train when obstacles are in your path.
Remember when you wanted to marry Donnie from New Kids on the Block? Somehow by hanging his poster above your bed it made the prospect seem more likely, no matter how unrealistic.
I had John Barnes above my bed (for different motivation!).
If you want to fit in a size 8 dress then buy one and hang it up where you will see it everyday.
Ashamed of how you look in holiday snaps? Stick them to your fridge door.
Be Selfish Olympians often talk of the sacrifices they have made on their journey to success.
To get to the top they must be selfish.
Your time at the gym is typically the only hour of the day which you focus all your energies on self-improvement.
Make the most of it.
Indulge yourself.
Nutrition Olympic athletes treat food as fuel.
They eat and supplement what is necessary to maximise performance.
An athlete will gauge the success of their nutrition by analysing training statistics, competition and recovery and will use trial and error to optimise their eating.
Likewise, we should experiment and keep a food diary to find out what works best for each individual.
Obviously certain basic nutrition principles are universally accepted but confusion arises from the myriad of miracle diets and supplements suggested by "experts".
Food should not be seen as an obstruction to your goal - it is a vital component to getting you where you want to be.
Change your mindset to eating well to enhance performance and the results will come.
Variety A quick internet search will reveal numerous videos of double-gold winning Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte training in the run up to London 2012.
While his sport relies on perfect technique and repetitive movement patterns, Lochte uses the off-season to train his body using large compound exercises through multiple planes and using a variety of equipment.
Mixing up exercises like this ensures he improves his global strength out of the pool and maintains his motivation during extensive training cycles.
Specificity While variety is the spice of life, there are times when you need to focus on specifics.
If you play a sport, as you approach competition, you need to train your body through the rehearsed movements of that sport.
In-season training should also take this format with reduced intensity (weights) and density (volume).
If you have postural issues, then you need to concentrate on strengthening weakened muscles and inhibiting (stretching) over active muscles.
A bodybuilder will concentrate on creating symmetry in their physique as they prepare to take the stage.
If you ski frequently typically you will develop an imbalance between strength in the quadriceps with weakness in the hamstrings.
Concentrating on developing hamstring strength in the gym will help prevent injury due to this imbalance and keep you on the slopes for longer.
Practice and Skill "Repetition is the mother of skill".
An old adage suggesting the more you do something, the better you get.
In reality the best athletes take this a step further.
They develop their skill through what is known as 'deliberate practice'.
The difference between winning and losing depends on their ability to shave hundredths of seconds off PB's.
To achieve this they must become experts at their skill.
Likewise, if you want to improve your squat in the gym then you must first teach your body to squat effectively before repeating this new learnt skill for multiple repetitions.
Expertise follows from the mastery of deliberate practice.
Rest and Recovery Failure to allow adequate rest or to fuel the body effectively during and after intensive training can result in overtraining.
This is often seen in weight trainees who fail to appreciate the importance of pre and post-workout nutrition or do not understand how to periodize their training sessions effectively.
Hire a Coach If you are struggling then a skilled coach or personal trainer can successfully implement these strategies into your training.
Jessica Ennis has a team of trainers and therapists.
Even Usain Bolt needs a coach.
You may never reach the Olympics but effective coaching can revolutionize your training and catapult you to the next level.
Just how did Michael Phelps succeed in becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time? How does Usain Bolt always cross the finish line first? Cynics will suggest that these athletes are born to be champions, that somehow their genetic makeup propels them to be successful at a particular activity from birth.
It's true that you will never be a world champion high jumper if you can handstand under a horse.
Height is a crucial factor in this sport.
While genetics play a part we have tendency to exaggerate their influence.
What separates the Farahs, Franklins and Fraser-Pryces from us mere mortals is the effort they put into their training, the countless hours spent in meticulous practice and the specificity of their goals.
While many of us will arrange exercise around our daily routine, for elite athletes training is their daily routine.
Everything else becomes a distraction.
While only a small percentage will ever reach the heights of regional or national level in a sport, never mind Olympic level, there are lessons we can learn from elite athletes.
Whether you aim to reach these extremes or you simply want to improve how you look and feel, we can implement the following strategies of successful athletes to dramatically improve our results.
Goals Decide what you want to achieve and when.
Write it down.
Set yourself a realistic and specific target taking into account your current condition and schedule shorter-term goals that will be milestones you can tick off along the way.
Rationale You must be brutally honest with yourself and understand the reasons behind your goals.
Why are you going to the gym? Understanding the rationale why you want bigger arms and a 6-pack will help put your efforts into context.
Motivation stems from rationale.
Olympians are motivated to train to be strong and fast by their burning desire to prove themselves to be the best in the world.
Do not hide from your rationale.
Understand it, embrace it and use it.
Motivation The gym-routine killer.
We all get tired, we all get sore, we all get busy, we all have distractions.
This is something you have to accept and plan around.
Use whatever encouragement you need to train when obstacles are in your path.
Remember when you wanted to marry Donnie from New Kids on the Block? Somehow by hanging his poster above your bed it made the prospect seem more likely, no matter how unrealistic.
I had John Barnes above my bed (for different motivation!).
If you want to fit in a size 8 dress then buy one and hang it up where you will see it everyday.
Ashamed of how you look in holiday snaps? Stick them to your fridge door.
Be Selfish Olympians often talk of the sacrifices they have made on their journey to success.
To get to the top they must be selfish.
Your time at the gym is typically the only hour of the day which you focus all your energies on self-improvement.
Make the most of it.
Indulge yourself.
Nutrition Olympic athletes treat food as fuel.
They eat and supplement what is necessary to maximise performance.
An athlete will gauge the success of their nutrition by analysing training statistics, competition and recovery and will use trial and error to optimise their eating.
Likewise, we should experiment and keep a food diary to find out what works best for each individual.
Obviously certain basic nutrition principles are universally accepted but confusion arises from the myriad of miracle diets and supplements suggested by "experts".
Food should not be seen as an obstruction to your goal - it is a vital component to getting you where you want to be.
Change your mindset to eating well to enhance performance and the results will come.
Variety A quick internet search will reveal numerous videos of double-gold winning Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte training in the run up to London 2012.
While his sport relies on perfect technique and repetitive movement patterns, Lochte uses the off-season to train his body using large compound exercises through multiple planes and using a variety of equipment.
Mixing up exercises like this ensures he improves his global strength out of the pool and maintains his motivation during extensive training cycles.
Specificity While variety is the spice of life, there are times when you need to focus on specifics.
If you play a sport, as you approach competition, you need to train your body through the rehearsed movements of that sport.
In-season training should also take this format with reduced intensity (weights) and density (volume).
If you have postural issues, then you need to concentrate on strengthening weakened muscles and inhibiting (stretching) over active muscles.
A bodybuilder will concentrate on creating symmetry in their physique as they prepare to take the stage.
If you ski frequently typically you will develop an imbalance between strength in the quadriceps with weakness in the hamstrings.
Concentrating on developing hamstring strength in the gym will help prevent injury due to this imbalance and keep you on the slopes for longer.
Practice and Skill "Repetition is the mother of skill".
An old adage suggesting the more you do something, the better you get.
In reality the best athletes take this a step further.
They develop their skill through what is known as 'deliberate practice'.
The difference between winning and losing depends on their ability to shave hundredths of seconds off PB's.
To achieve this they must become experts at their skill.
Likewise, if you want to improve your squat in the gym then you must first teach your body to squat effectively before repeating this new learnt skill for multiple repetitions.
Expertise follows from the mastery of deliberate practice.
Rest and Recovery Failure to allow adequate rest or to fuel the body effectively during and after intensive training can result in overtraining.
This is often seen in weight trainees who fail to appreciate the importance of pre and post-workout nutrition or do not understand how to periodize their training sessions effectively.
Hire a Coach If you are struggling then a skilled coach or personal trainer can successfully implement these strategies into your training.
Jessica Ennis has a team of trainers and therapists.
Even Usain Bolt needs a coach.
You may never reach the Olympics but effective coaching can revolutionize your training and catapult you to the next level.
