Sports Then and Now

Elite athletes are extremely detail-oriented which allows them to improve at much faster rates than their peers. While talent does play a role in this, the consistent work ethic of athletes also needs to be noted. Working hard is not always enough as working intelligently is just as if not more important. Far too many athletes complete workouts due to them being “hard” even though they have no practical application to their sport. This can help an athlete mentally as they got through a tough workout so these workouts are not valueless. The following are tips that can help an athlete push their game further than their peers have imagined about going.

Utilize Video Feedback

The luxury of having great feedback through video is one that this generation of athletes can take advantage of. Being able to play this back to correct form while lifting weights or showing an athlete what happens when they drop their hips or do not bend their knees during gameplay. Most friendly people at the gym are going to be willing to tape you once or twice. Some tools can help you prop up your phone making it easy to record themselves. Getting feedback is as easy as posting the video on social media with certain hashtags. Social media sports “experts” do not always have great advice so it will be something an athlete has to sift through to find the valuable feedback.

Use Kickboxing Or MMA For Conditioning

There is a vast number of athletes that use kickboxing or MMA as a form of conditioning. The need for flexibility can make it perfect for athletes of any sport with various NFL stars utilizing a form of martial arts as an offseason training tactic. Elite MMA that offers Houston Jiu Jitsu classes notes martial arts can help a person “Learn to use body mechanics such as footwork, core mobility, and blazing hand speed in a safe and fun-filled environment.” Grip strength is immensely important in many sports which can be trained through wrestling and ground work done at MMA classes. If you are an athlete and have not considered adding martial arts for mental/physical training it is time to go check a class/gym out.

Work With A Nutritionist To Figure Out Your Personal Needs To Perform

The human body reaching optimum performance requires the right type of training as well as a very healthy diet. There are athletes like that of swimmers that are going to need to eat an immense number of calories just to maintain weight. Other athletes like basketball or football players either need to bulk up, lose weight, or become stronger at their current weight. Meeting with a nutritionist to put you on a meal plan that aligns with your goals is important. Giving feedback about how you felt on specific days is important as the nutritionist might make a few tweaks to aid in your performance. Your body will let you know if a nutritional plan is working through performance so keep this in mind. Supplements should also be discussed as it can be difficult for a busy athlete to get all the nutrients they need even with a balanced die.t

No Days Off Doesn’t Mean You Need Maximum Effort During All Training Sessions

Burnout is common in athletes as many athletes believe that each instance where they train the are required to push themselves to the next level physically. Being able to get a nice lift, run, or swim in simply to do conditioning for the day keeps you from being sedentary on days you would not have exercised. Recovery is important both mentally and physically so going moderately hard during a workout can still be beneficial. With the holidays approaching it is important to stay in shape and not to let holiday meals put excess weight on. The holidays are where most elite athletes separate themselves from the pack as they have that elusive motivation to work out even on holiday break.

Use Apps To Track Progress

Motivation can be difficult to find especially during a long season so tracking progression with apps can allow you to see improvements. There is a chance that you hit 50 percent of shots from a certain spot at the beginning of the year in practice. This could increase so taking video of drills can allow you to see how you have improved in your form as well as in percentage of shots made. Seeing improvement can encourage an athlete to stay their training course as even small improvements are still progress.

Athletes are going to have to put in hard work but if this work keeps technique as well as recovery in mind the maximum benefits can be reaped. Hard and intelligent work combined with talent can allow an athlete to start performing at their full potential!