When I wrote this the 2008 Olympic Games were coming to an end and as always it had been a display of stunning feats of athleticism and displays of pure emotion- The glory of winning as well as the agony of defeat.
The difference between gold and no medal at all can often boil down to split second finishes and first place can literally be anyone’s. They all deserve to be there and are the best in the world. In fact a lot of them all have the ability to place first. So what is it that separates the medallists from the rest?
Is it the physical preparation, nutrition, supplementation, acclimatisation, recovery ability, physical peaking? Any of these can play a roll but more often than not it’s the athletes psychological status that determines their performance.
Which athlete posses the winning mindset?
Who can with stand the pressure of competition? After all, they have been preparing for this competition for at least the last 4 years but in reality it’s been all their lives- Twice a day gruelling training sessions, no alcohol, no partying, perfect nutrition. The expectations of an entire country resting on their shoulders. The potential to be an instant multi million dollar celebrity who is worshipped by a nation and even the world. The opportunity to leave behind a legacy from a performance that stunned the world.
Tui should have a billboard for these athletes which could sum it all up nicely.
So what has all this got to do with you guys? What can you benefit from this long winded intro? Just because only SOME athletes posses the winning mindset come competition time, they ALL posses it when they train.
When an athlete enters the gym, the pool, the track, they beam with confidence, purpose and attitude. They’re there to become the best- To improve there strength, stamina, fitness, speed, power and body composition. They are there to be the best they can be, hopefully the best in the world.
They recognise that training is an investment of time and effort. And that investment can either take them closer to gold or further away. And what it boils down too is their attitude when they come to train. Whether you’re trying to win gold, lose some weight or put on some muscle you have to come in firey and ready to perform.
To get the results YOU desire you need to bleed enthusiasm when you train. You need to arrive ready to put in the work necessary to force your body to change. Working hard is unfortunately not enough to produce the results you want. You have to be more than the false preconceptions of what you believe your’ potential to be.
Those of you who we work with who perform at the highest level and who make the most progress learn a very important skill. They learn to find exactly what it is that gets them “fired up” to train hard. They become goal focused. They find exactly what it is that excites them and makes them passionate to train. What they want becomes their driving force.
