Olympic Training Tips

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”

To be at the top of your game you have to think like an Olympian.

Go for gold: Olympians train for an opportunity to go for gold. What’s your inspiration for working out? Sometimes it’s hard to see the results you want when you’re simply going through the motions. Set the bar higher for yourself by having a more concrete fitness goal. Choose a goal you can achieve in a relative short period of time to stave off boredom. Break your goal down into smaller steps you can achieve along the way. This will help keep you motivated.

Start cross-training: Olympic athletes are in peak physical condition because they cross-train. Cross-training involves incorporating several forms of exercise into your fitness routine such as yoga, running, cycling, swimming and weight training. Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno incorporates a lot of running into his training regime. Snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler runs on the beach, cycles and surfs. Cross-training helps to minimize injury and reduce the risks associated with overtraining. It also helps keep things fresh—you don’t get bored always doing the same thing over and over again. More important, it’s a great way to condition different muscle groups and develop new fitness skill sets.

Build a support team: Olympians train with their team mates to become the best they can be. Having like-minded people to exercise and train with will keep you inspired and accountable to your fitness plan. Research also shows that people who tend to train in groups often push themselves further than if they train alone. A group dynamic also naturally ignites a bit of a healthy competitive spirit; an opportunity for you to tap into and realize your own potential. If you find yourself struggling with your goals, you’ve got the added bonus of having a built-in support system.

Dig deep for motivation: Even Olympic athletes have their bad days. Imagine putting everything you have on the line for four to six years just to get that one shot at gold. That’s a lot of pressure. If you fail or get injured, there’s disappointment to contend with and the decision to make a comeback and perhaps try again. To succeed an Olympian must believe in their own ability and always strive for new levels of perfection, regardless of what obstacles get thrown in their path.
Adopt a winning attitude: What exactly separates elite athletes and Olympians from the rest of the pack?

Research suggests a combination of the following: high motivation & commitment, an optimistic and positive perspective, positive perfectionism, a mental toughness and strong ability to focus, high stress tolerance and capacity to cope with adversity and a high degree of sports intelligence. Here’s how you can incorporate the same attributes into your own action plan to get fit.

1. Commitment: make a pledge to stay committed to your fitness goal and be persistent at accomplishing the smaller steps it takes to get there. Practice techniques that will help you stay motivated and never give up. Be open to readjusting your fitness goals if necessary in order to be successful.

2. Optimistic: Don’t beat yourself up over minor setbacks. Choose to see the glass as “half-full” rather than “half-empty” and celebrate your fitness accomplishments—even the minor ones. Stay confident in your abilities and always persevere—embrace setbacks as a learning experience and move on.

3. Ability to focus: Be mentally strong and learn to focus on your overall fitness goal. Don’t get distracted by everything else going on in your life. When things in your life get chaotic remind yourself why you’re doing this. Learn to quiet the mind through a number of mental techniques: positive self talk, visualizations, affirmations and re-framing (putting a positive spin on a negative situation).

4. Sports intelligence: learn as much about fitness or the sport your involved in as you can. If you run, read running magazines or books. Arm yourself with enough knowledge so you can learn to evaluate your own performance. This will help you learn to appreciate your strengths and work towards improving your weaknesses.