I Want to Get Better!

Written by jodiojo

July 29th, 2010

Do you ever feel like what you're missing in your program is really simple?

Then get faster.

Ok, it is not that simple, but it is a start.

Our passion here at MP4 is the everyday athlete: the person who gets up every single day rain or shine and just gets it done.  You are not looking to go to the Tour De France, but you are looking to win your local race or sporting event without having to give up life with your kids or weekends with the friends.  We love working with folks like you for 2 reasons:  your resolve is absolutely no joke.  Some of you scare us with how focused and detailed you are (although we love it) and the second reason is the room for improvement is tremendous. 

For the majority of clients, you are not doing many things “wrong” as much as you have no focus and are just doing whatever the latest magazine told you to do and you either switch up every week as to what you should be working on or you start right into a pro athletes program and fizzle out after a few months.  The following is a checklist needed to build a solid foundation as an athlete who really does want to win their 5k, 10k, marathon, hockey tournament, soccer match, etc.

The Start: 

Nutrition:

Get the junk out of the cabinet and actually eat breakfast.  There is a new type of food in town, it is called protein.  Try it.  It works.    I have been doing this for years and it still amazes me in this day and age how many people do not eat enough protein.  I am not asking you to kill a deer on the way home from work and stock up your freezer with some meat, but a stop at your local supermarket should land you some gems like fresh fish, lean meats and poultry.  Heck, I’ll take beans and tofu, too, if we are anti-meat.  Don’t hold back now.  You need to have some with every meal.

Workout:

Get an assessment of some kind.  I know many of the tests out there are expensive and that may not be where your head is at, but that info is worth it.  But say you really are “anti” formal assessment.  Perform your own standardized test.  Pick a distance that you run or a drill your league does every week and measure your performance in some manner.  This is baseline.  You must have this info.  Then, start basic and easy with your workout program BUT ramp it up every week in a way that actually makes sense.  Do not follow your favorite pro athlete’s plan that he/she used to get ready for the Olympics!  OY!  Instead, find a beginner plan or better yet, have us put one together for you and you’ll be good to go.

Recovery:

Take a day off, psycho.  Yeah, I called you psycho.  What else should I call you when you workout 7 days a week with no rest because you think that’s going to make you lose weight faster?  Contrary to everyone’s belief, a protein shake (just whey protein only) is not a recovery drink.  You need a lot more in there.  You are not “recovering” by throwing back plain protein (although I am impressed that you are eating protein), but at least you are on the right track.  You get an A for effort with this one. 

The Progression:

Nutrition:

Now that you have a foundation you need to work on three things:  meal timing, meal components and supplementation.  When you start feeling like you have a bit of a swagger in your step because you are eating clean and showing restraint, begin to hone in on perfection by eating on a consistent time basis with all the right foods in each meal.  And then top it all off with the right recovery nutrition at the right time.  Having this together is a mark of maturity and is rarely seen with athletes whose workouts are at the “progression” level.

Workout:

Once you are consistent with your workouts (and I mean for your sport—not the weight room), now it is time to track them.  Here is another sign of maturity.  Yes, you are running a marathon and distance is important.  But please do not just get up and run every day without tracking *something*.  And once you start tracking, go back and *compare* to see if you are improving.  If you are not, come see us and we’ll get you there.

Recovery:

Now you have ample days off built into your plan and you are not trying to fit everything you possibly can into one week.  You have time to rest and you even have a few mind/body classes built into your schedule.  Lastly, you take your multi-vit everyday and your protein shake has more than protein in it.  Life is starting to take shape.

This is a very simplified check list of “where to start” to begin improving in your sport.  This is not for the mature athlete who is now looking to dominate a national event but more for the athlete that is trying to do this on their own for the first time but are not ready yet to invest in the “Lance Armstrong” treatment. 

Next week we’ll talk about the Advanced Progression and I will be much more specific as to what this looks like.  Stay tuned because it will be worth your while.  Til then, can you please just have some protein?

Tags: beginning a new sport, recovery, supplementation, training for per4mance, training techniques