Training success takes sacrifice

Another great re-post from gregtrainer.com


If you’re serious about reaching and surpassing your goals, it should be your number one priority. If it’s not a priority then you’re not as dedicated as you might think. With that said it will take commitment, and more importantly sacrifice, to take you to the highest level of success. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or an average gym you must have the attitude to do whatever it takes to get you where you want to go. Here are three tips to put you in that direction:


1. Invest in the proper training environment


When choosing a training environment your thought process shouldn’t be the mileage it takes from your house or office. The distance should be the last thing on your mind. Think about it this way, if you’re investing in the supplement industry and expect that by simply taking some powder will magically take your training to the next level, you’re wasting your money. What you should be doing is investing in a training environment that has experienced athletes, coaches, and the proper equipment. It shouldn’t matter if that gym is down the street or 60 miles in another state. This investment will be worth its weight in gold. At Total Performance Sports we have a day called “training day”, which is one Saturday out of the month. This training session is dedicated to one movement, for example, recently it was the bench press. The great thing about our training day is that anyone can participate. We have coaches that can help if you’re a competitive power lifter, professional athlete, or your average gym rat. The total cost for our training day is $20, how much would you pay for a supplement that guaranteed you would set a personal record on the first day of taking it?


2. Leave your ego at the door


Investing your time and money is only part of the equation. You also need to leave your ego at the door. The only way to do extraordinary things is to surround yourself with individuals who are extraordinary. How will you separate yourself from others? You need to swallow your pride, and this might require taking 1 step backwards to take multiple steps forward. You need to be able to accept criticism on technique, program design, and your mentality towards training. Place yourself in an environment with successful coaches and athletes and absorb anything and everything you can.


3. Program Management


The last piece to this puzzle is often neglected and that’s program management. You can surround yourself with the most experienced coaches and follow all of the proven methods but what your lifestyle may not allow you to positively respond to this type of training. Management is how you handle day-to-day stressors. This includes getting proper sleep, eating healthy, managing relationship situations, and/ or handling work-related stress levels. All of these factors need to play a role in how you manage your program on a daily basis. This is where sacrifice will come in to play. If you just completed a tough squat training session and then that night go out to the bars and get smashed until 3 a.m., this will stress your system even more. Now your body has to recover from both the training session and the inexcusable boozing extravaganza. This will limit what you can do for your next training session. Furthermore, if this is a common occurrence over-time all of the fatigue will accumulate and will have a negative impact.


If you adhere to these three guidelines you will set yourself up for future success. Please remember it’s a total package and you need all three to reach the highest level possible for yourself. If you make this a priority then this will be a formula for success.


by Jamie Smith  of TPS 2012