When athletes train, they’re preparing for a performance. If you’re an athlete, you want to perform to the best of your ability to have the best chance of winning. Dedication and hard work will go a long way in making yourself perform at a high level, but you can be guaranteed that your competitors are doing the same. To gain an edge, you want to optimize your training. We’ll discuss some athletic training tips so you can perform optimally, whether you’re playing an individual or team sport.
Understand what you’re training for
You can’t just pick a random training program and devote all your time to it. Each sport demands something different from an athlete and so requires a different approach in training. While agility and skillfulness are critical in basketball, strength and endurance will be the most important in boxing. Determine which fitness components are the most important for your sport and tailor your training program around it. That way, you’re preparing your body to excel in that sport.
Plan your diet well
Every training regimen has a corresponding diet. As an athlete, you probably understand how important a well-balanced diet is, but you’ve got to admit that sometimes it gets sidelined. One way you can keep your diet consistent is by planning. Just like how you need to plan your training, you also need to plan a nutritious diet. A well-planned diet should provide you with proper micro and macronutrient balance. It also should provide sufficient protein to promote muscle growth and repair. Like training, your diet should also be built around the demands of your sport. Still, the general rule is that foods with plenty of unrefined carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread and cereals should be at the core of your diet.
Listen to the pros
Professional athletes reside at the top-end of the competition, so their tips and advice should be invaluable to rookies or those looking to enter the realm of sports. Like you, pro athletes also went through the phase of planning their training, but unlike you, they’ve already made mistakes and have learned from them. Training tips from pros can accelerate your learning as they can help you avoid common rookie mistakes.
Females, keep track of your hormonal cycle
Hormonal cycles have a considerable impact on athletes’ training. If you think this only applies to females, you’re mistaken. Although males experience hormonal changes more subtly than females, they do experience them, too.
Female athletes can boost their performance using their menstrual cycle. Through a technique called cycle syncing, female athletes can get the most out of their training. By timing their heaviest workouts with the phase of their menstrual cycle where they feel most energetic, they can train harder. Keeping track of their hormonal cycle also means they can determine when’s the best time to take it easy.
Keeping track of one’s hormone levels can be beneficial for men as well. It’s known that a balance between workload and recovery is vital for injury prevention in athletes while still maintaining peak competitiveness. This balance can be achieved through the prevention of overtraining, which can be monitored by hormone testing. For instance, knowing the levels of gonadal and adrenal steroids can help determine if an athlete is experiencing overtraining.
Get a training partner
Need extra motivation? Training with a partner will do you a lot of good. Having a training buddy creates a competitive environment that shall help push you to train harder. It’s also more fun to train with a friend than alone. Aside from motivating each other, the banter between you and your partner shall make your training less difficult. In terms of weight training, having a training buddy becomes even more beneficial. When lifting heavy weights, having a friend spot for you makes training safer and helps prevent injuries.
Earn money on the side
If you’re a student-athlete, you know the financial challenges that come with it. Your school’s student-athlete program can help you acquire what you need for your training, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to spend money. You can’t get access to the best training gear and best gadgets for performance tracking if you don’t have the funds. What’s more, it’ll be a lot difficult to maintain a healthy diet if you can’t afford it. It’s going to be tough, but there are ways to earn as a student-athlete.
You can choose a degree that offers work terms, allowing you to earn money without getting a job outside school. You can sell old gear you no longer use, work for your school’s athletics department, or start a YouTube channel where you can upload vlogs of your student-athlete life. The point is to choose a source of income that is flexible and can be manageable alongside your training as an athlete.
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