Beyond a shadow of a doubt, these superhumans of sport are no ordinary beasts – their dedication is unrivaled and their desire to succeed is as intense as the training regimes they put themselves through, day after day, week after week for an entire season. After all, these are the sacrifices and prices you have to pay if you want to be the very best athlete. Naturally we are all inspired by our sporting heroes, but there is no universal approach or routine for world-class athletes to live and die by. Their training programme is structured around many different facets including their sport, body type and age, but by following and implementing these five methods into your schedule – you too can train and eat like a champion.
1. Increase Your Intensity
A real energy sapper. High intensity workouts will push your body to the limit and generate superior improvements in fitness far quicker than a typical steady-state cardio workout. Repeated shorts burst of frenetic and furious exercise followed by bouts of less intense movements or even complete rest will prove to be an efficient way of burning more fat and increasing your metabolism. These are just two of the many benefits associated with pushing yourself hard into the anaerobic zone by using this simple concept which is scientifically proven to produce extreme results.
2. Progressive Overload
It is commonplace for individuals to be rhythmic and monotonous in their workouts, but you have to be relentless in your quest to ensure your performance level refrains from plateauing. Try to increase and vary the workload involved during your sessions to force your body to make changes in an environment outside of its comfort zone. This can be done through heightening the demands on your body such as lifting the same weight for more reps or raising your top speed when cycling. Keeping your body guessing by changing your routine will ensure you continue to see results even after months of consistent training.
3. Avoid Undernourishment
Theoretically the logical line of attack to lose weight is simply to avoid calories, but this hypothesis is counterproductive. The very best athletes will eat little and often to ensure they stay fueled and avoid fatigue, whilst still being able to apply themselves thoroughly during their workout. Rigorously restricting your calories means that your body will find it difficult to hold onto every calorie because you’re eating schedule is so insubstantial. This mode of starvation will mean more energy in, less out and all your hard work exercising will be in vain.
4. Stay Hydrated
Many of us fail to stay hydrated when competing and instead look to caffeine to stimulate our performance levels. However, drinks such as coffee can often dehydrate you due to the excessive caffeine content. Regular intakes of water throughout the day will keep you hydrated and your muscles lubricated, so after your workout it is more straightforward process to replace what you’ve lost. Try to aim for two liters a day.
5. Recovery
This overlooked component is a vital part of a top athlete’s life on a day-to-day basis and involves strict discipline ranging from applying ice to sore muscles to getting sufficient sleep to making certain their body has time to recuperate. It is imperative that you cool down properly and consume a high-protein meal or snack within half an hour of completing your regime to help increase the impact of your exercise. This will prevent your body from using its own muscle tissue for energy and help advance muscle synthesis.
