Doing Something Different To Achieve Peak Performance
Take a moment and think about the way you approach your athletic training. If you’re like most athletes you probably
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follow the same old strength and conditioning program you always have right? I bet, except for the weekends, your diet is about the same as well.
If your training and preparation stays the same, your performance will remain the same.
The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.
Let me ask you then, how can you try to achieve different or better results and yet continue to do all the same things?
You can’t!
Many athletes scratch their heads in frustration wondering why their athletic performance hasn’t improved. Worse yet, why do that same issue keep coming up and yet they don’t anything different to achieve different results in their athletic performance.
A client recently mentioned during a session that he was frustrated about not achieving a specific score in a time trial after multiple opportunities during the preseason.
He said he got so anxious that he did not sleep well the night before and was tight and tired prior to the time trial. When I asked him what he was doing about this, he had no answer.
He was attacking the time trail the same way, time and time again. He didn’t change anything. Not his relaxation strategies, his warm-up’s, or his mental strength approach to the event or preparation.
In working with peak performing athletes and their coaches, it’s intriguing to see how they approach practice and competition. They do several things different from the average athletes. First, they “know” or imagine that their competitors are training just as hard or harder than them, so hard work alone is not the answer.
At the upcoming summer Olympic Games, athletes will be faster, stronger and more powerful than they were four years ago. It’s most likely that many world records are going to fall.
Elite athletes anticipate that the future will be different then it is today and they use this knowledge to prepare themselves differently for the upcoming events.
Peak performing athletes realize that their old way of training has taken them to where they are now, and to move beyond this point it will take doing something different to reach a new level in their athletic performance.
Use strength training as a good example.
Someone new to strength and conditioning will spend a period of time to develop a foundation of hypertrophy and strength. This strength and conditioning will help elevate athletic performance, but only to a certain point.
To achieve additional gains it’s going to be necessary to do new type of training. This will most likely consist of a power development component and then some form of periodization.
This in turn will have a positive effect on athletic performance. Without change, athletic performance will stagnate.
The question is, do you want to achieve peak athletic performance or do you want to stay where you are?
If you’re not content where you are, it is insane to continue to train and prepare the same way. I’d guess that since you’re reading this that you probably want to enhance your athletic performance correct?
Well then, you need to do something different to expect different results.
Look at the Big Picture
Assessing yourself on ALL the factors that affect your athletic performance each year is critical. Evaluate ALL the elements, factors and skills that affect your athletic performance, not just the physical.
Physical factors and skills are often the most easiest to look at in terms of their impact on sports performance. But there are also numerous other skills that directly and indirectly impact your training and athletic performance.
These other factors include mental strength skills, technical skills, nutrition program, hydration, rest and recover and other lifestyle factors.
Be honest when you asses all these area and make a note on the ones where room for improvement can positively affect and enhance your athletic performance.
Competition and Practice Appraisal
In addition to this regular self appraisal, it’s also beneficial to evaluate your practice performance verses your competition performance to determine what you can do differently that will have an overall positive impact on your athletic performance.
For example, in reviewing the past several weeks of training, you may find that you seem to struggle more during your morning workouts.
Do you need to get more sleep?
Do you need to eat better the night before?
How’s your hydration? Are you sure?
Would it help to get up earlier to allow more time to wake up and warm up before you train?
Try something different, give it a chance and see if it helps your athletic performance.
Also, after every competition, it should become standard practice to assess athletic performance. Athletes often only look at the outcome to determine whether or not they achieved their goal. Do not stop there. Evaluate yourself on the multitude of factors that affect your performance.
If what you’re doing isn’t producing the results you want, decide what you can do differently that will enhance your athletic performance. Give it a shot for awhile; you just maybe surprised how easy it is to achieve your peak performance.
Start to do something different today and begin to train your mind. Pick up a copy of “Mental Training for Athletes” and take your training and performance to the next level.
