Friday, January 20, 2017

Five Ways to Feel Like an ATHLETE

What happens when you forget your bowl for your oatmeal:


Seriously y'all.  This week had only four work/school days.  And each of those days were really busy.  I guess it was only a matter of time before I forgot something slightly essential...like a food vessel...

I'm just happy it's Friday.:)

As per usual, I decided to go rogue on the Friday Five 2.0.  I'm the worst, but here's some great information for you, ya' rockstar!  Here are

FIVE WAYS to FEEL like an ATHLETE

1.  Train smart.

What makes your training smart = you push yourself (overload principle) but not past the point of no return.  You're training smart when you work your body systems in the manner in which your sport demands (specificity).  Your training is smart when you cycle your training from low to high performance levels (periodization), allowing your body a break without losing your fitness.


2.  Train WHOLE.

Fitness is broken down into five components: 
  • Muscular Strength
  • Muscular Endurance
  • Cardiorespiratory Endurance
  • Flexibility
  • Body Composition
You gotta work ALL of those things, Athlete!  Now, depending on the specificity of your sport, you'll work harder on some of these things than others.

BUT

You cannot rule out working on your flexibility.  I know, it's tough.  You NEED to lift weights.  It TAKES TIME, I *know*!  Your core should be a wrecking machine, and YES, it takes TIME.  But if you train all of your parts to be part of a finely-tuned machine, then you are officially rocking your athleticism.


3.  Eat smart.

Athletes don't "diet".  They fuel up.  Odds are, if you're any kind of athlete, your training and performance will be affected immensely by what you nom on.  That means it can go both ways ---- ! If you put junk in the tank, you'll have junk training.  If you put quality fuel in the tank, then your body will respond in a positive manner, as if it were thanking you.

Getting those greens and veggies on your plate, nibbling on that fruit, chomping on that BROtein and including dairy where you can (if you can, CalciYUM) will help you build your fortress of awesome.


4.  Rest smart.

Fact:  You can't push your body overtime for too long.  Just like in a race, at some point, you're going to crash if you're going out way too hard.

Athletes need premium sleep to keep the motor running.

*TIP* Give yourself AT LEAST one FULL rest day from all exercise activities.  Your body will love you for it, and will obey you when you want it to go crazy on performance.  


*ANOTHER TIP* Shut down the screen.  Go read a book for at least 15 minutes before hitting the sheets, rather than staring at your phone.


*WANT ANOTHER ONE?*  Make your bedroom your DREAM room.  Don't scrimp on the things where your body rests for a good chunk of the day.  Major point:  A quality mattress.  

(Speaking of quality mattress -----> Check out some of Casper's Mattresses!  See what you like? Save $50.00 by using the coupon code at checkout ------> PENN)


*MORE TIPS* The peeps from Casper sent over some information for you --- HOORAY FOR FACT SHEETS!    



5.  Believe in yourself.  

Without your confidence, your smile, your determination and your love for yourself, you are nothing.  Those things may come with time, if you're just starting out there, my gorgeous friend.  But you'll reach Athlete Awesomeness when you give it your all...

...for you.:)


Have a terrific weekend, friend.  You rock my World.<3

Thanks to our wonderful hostesses ----> Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's going on this weekend?!


Is your long run on Saturday or Sunday?  How far are you going? 
(I have to live vicariously through most of you for now.)


Have any tips on how to be an ATHLETE?  Please share!





22 comments:

  1. Yup yup yup.
    Also, hire people to cheer for you when you come home.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Hire"..."bribe"...it's all the same.

      But I'd do that for you. For free.<3

      Delete
  2. Yes! I just reviewed a great book about eating smart on today's blog. Shameless plug? Nah, it fits right in with what you said here.

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shame ain't got nothin' to do with THAT! I'm off to read your review now.:)

      Delete
  3. I'm bad at working on flexibility. I need to start incorporating more yoga and such into my workouts. Love that food pyramid. Isn't that the truth? I have been making more of an effort in cooking better for myself at home.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Make a plan, girl! It doesn't have to be an hour -- 15 minutes of Yoga will improve your flexibility, and you can do that while sitting in front of the TV or relaxing.:D

      Delete
  4. These are all EXCELLENT tips! I wish more people (not just athletes) would adhere to them -- because they're important for everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amen! Everyone can be an athlete, or just take care of their bodies.

      Delete
  5. Love the food pyramids! Those made me lol! Getting enough sleep while training is so key for me!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the "Believe in yourself" tip! So true! My long run is going to be on Sunday, and I think I may be going out to the Palos trail system for the first time ever for it! Wish me luck!

    ReplyDelete
  7. GREAT tips! and I really had to laugh at the food pyramids!

    officially a few more days off running and then I will make an attempt at a gentle run on Sunday. I will just have to see how far I go.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've told my husband that we need to make more of an effort to turn our TV and phone off and read before bed like we used to do years ago. It really helps to wind down

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Start TONIGHT! Give it a shot.:) Have a great day, heart.

      Delete
  9. I need to Rest smart for sure! This is my weakest area. I never allow my body to have the sleep it needs to recover well. I also love the idea of training whole!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I want to say that rest is probably my favorite part of training. It's the one I concentrate on the most. Haha:D

      Delete
  10. Great post. Core, strength, etc., totally take time but are so worth it. I'm working on those things as we speak to make sure I'm a well-oiled MACHINE come race time!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love this! You really cover everything, but they are all such important points. We really need to pay attention to all aspects of our training in order to see progress.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's SO easy to overlook the mundane things, i.e. sleep and rest. Thanks for stopping by, girl! <3

      Delete

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