WWW: Your Downfall To Training

Let’s jump right in. If you didn’t read last week, go look. Now, check out the reasons I found why we aren’t reaching our goals or getting better in our training.

1.) You’re not wearing the right gear. Now this one can be iffy. I’m not saying go out and buy all the new, top of the line stuff for whatever you’re in to. I am saying, though, if you’re a runner, wear running shoes and running outfits. Don’t wear basketball shoes and basketball clothes, and vice versa. Wear what you need for what you’re doing to gain peak performance.

2.) You’re not mentally tough. Being strong is important and being trained well is crucial. However, if you don’t have the mental strength and will to go when it’s tough and beyond what you’ve been trained, then you will never get better.

3.)You don’t drink enough water. How many times do we have to hear this? However, it really can help you excel, recover faster, decrease your risk of an injury, reduce soreness in your muscles, not feel as fatigued as fast, and help you improve.

4.) You’re not maintaining correct form. I don’t care if you have to go slower or lighter on the weight or take breaks, do it correctly and you will get better and you won’t get hurt.

5.) You aren’t testing yourself at the beginning. Set a goal, measure yourself, weight, test whatever you’re trying to improve on, and then do it all again at the end. Otherwise you’ll be a critic and won’t know if you’re really getting any better.

6.) You aren’t maintaining a core. I know it doesn’t look like you have a six pack or your stomach flab has shrunk, but maintaining a strong core (even under fat) is crucial since almost everything comes from your core: squats, lunges, burpees, pushups, running, biking, etc. It’s important.

7.) You’re not warming up adequately. This will help your muscles get warm, keep your technique better, and perform at a higher quality. The stretch is, to some, the most important part of the whole workout (beginning and after).

8.) You’re not listening to your body. We think we can push past that pain, but sometimes the pain is not good pain. Sometimes we need to put aside our pride and stop to reduce the risk of harming ourselves. Learn the difference between good hurt and bad hurt.

9.) Listen to others that know better. Now, granted, experience doesn’t mean better. Just because someone has been personal training for 5 years doesn’t mean they’re right. Do research, test it with fire (Bible reference), and learn from those that have wisdom above knowledge or experience.

10.) Practice well. I used to learn that practice makes permanent (PIPs- Players In Progress reference) not practice makes perfect. You want to make the winning three? Practice it like it would happen in real life. Practice at the real speed, time, with someone in your face, not you standing rested at the three point line for 10 seconds getting set to shoot. Some of the best clutch players I know would practice their free throws with people yelling, throwing stuff at them, and doing crazy things to distract them. Practice like you want to perform, because that’s how you will perform.

11.) You’re not incorporating strength training. It’s crucial. I don’t care if you’re already strong or cannot lift a 5 pound dumbbell. It’s important to improve strength and endurance and to prevent injury.

12.) You’re not used to the climate. You have to practice where you are going to play. Baseball players can practice in the gym all they want, but at the end of the day, they’re going to have to play in the freezing rain. Think of the NFL and how well trained the northern teams are to the extreme cold and snow. I know if I didn’t train in that, it would be a shock and my performance would decrease.

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Every week our woman writer grabs her laptop and begins hammering out her thoughts about the fitness world. Living the life of a female in this world is something that can't be explained, it has to be experienced. This is why she is a necessity for the female branch of the Endu community. Erica has her BS in Dental Hygiene, which means her entire life is surrounded by health. I hope you can learn from her as much as I do.