Seven Habits of Highly Successful Athletes

They say a habit takes 21 days to form. That’s three weeks of constant, recurrent, focused activity – or inactivity. The differences between good and bad habits lie in the details, but they both exist as an end to the same means: repetition.

“We are what we repeatedly do,” Aristotle said, once upon a time. Essentially, we are our habits. For  athletes, those habits determine their game, their success, their production, their relevance. Elite athletes carefully develop the habits that define them well past the 21-day qualifying point.

Most of us aren’t built to be elite athletes, at least not genetically, but our choices are within our control, and can elevate our game at any level. Choosing to adopt these seven habits of successful athletes is a sure-fire way to find success for yourself. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

THE LIST:

1. They set attainable goals and track them

As athletes, we all have ambitious goals. We want to win that 3-on-3 tournament next month. We want to compete in that triathlon at the end of the year. We want to hoist that trophy at the end the season. That victorious moment is a driving force we all share.

Successful athletes have those goals, but they also create their own moments of victory in parallel to their pursuit of the endgame. While they’re training for that championship, they’re simultaneously working toward attainable goals to check off their list.  While they’re training for that marathon, they’re also working toward that six-minute mile. While they’re pursuing that Gold medal, they’re also locking down tournament MVPs.

Achieving a goal, no matter the size of the prize, is a powerful incentive. It’s a reminder that following through pays off.

2. They discipline and reward themselves

It’s a simple concept, just a matter of application.

Motivation is all about incentive. What’s the payoff? What’s the punishment? Successful athletes make it a point to take themselves seriously, and that means calling themselves out and holding themselves accountable.

Didn’t get out of bed this morning for that run? Skipped breakfast? That’s ok, but yeah, you’re grounded. Ran an extra mile at the end of practice today? Grounding revoked.

 

3. They sleep

An even simpler concept. Successful athletes make sure to clock at least seven hours of sleep every night to aid in rest and recovery. For optimal performance, sleep is crucial in maintaining energy and endurance.

 

4. They feed their competitive nature

Average isn’t okay for elite athletes. The successful ones go out there and compete every time, no matter who they’re with, what they’re doing or where they are. Competition is fuel to athletic fire, and the best in the game are out there burning it up every day.

Successful athletes are constantly pushing to be better than the guy next to them, better than they were yesterday, better than the standard. Pushing forward with intensity and a competitive drive keeps you on your toes and dynamic as an athlete.

Too many people mistake competition for comparison. Successful athletes know the difference. One will make you, one will break you.

 

5. They take instruction and criticism constructively 

Successful athletes can take advice and apply it usefully to their game. Coaching is crucial in sports, but absorbing the information they provide is even more important.

The best athletes are willing to make adjustments and set their pride aside to better themselves and their teammates.

 

 

6. They let things go

They follow the 24-hour rule. 24 hours after a failure, the misstep has long since moved into nonexistence. Bye-bye blunder.

Holding onto negativity can be detrimental to athletes. Mentally, it’s crippling. It gives pitchers the yips, it turns a basketball into a brick, it makes a wide receiver’s fingers all buttery.

The successful ones take 24 hours to reflect on what went wrong and then they let go of that heavy weight and move on without flinching.

7. They aren’t afraid to fail

The most distinctive habit of a successful athlete is their ability to stare a challenge in the eye and attack it without hesitation. The fear of failure builds the walls of that box you’re supposed to be thinking outside of and seals you up inside. When you’re scared of failing, the best option is to avoid trying at all – right?

Chicken.

Fearing failure is a mental state successful athletes don’t acknowledge. Everyone will fail at one point or another – it’s inevitable. The best athletes are fully aware of this, but attach no value to it. They fall and they get up. The ends outweigh the means. Success outweighs failure.

Plus, chicks dig scars.

Source By: Morgan Urtso Seven Habits of Highly Successful Athletes

Rope Climbs: Benefits, Technique, and Performance

Rope climbing has been an immense physical strength test for decades. To this day it has been used as a strength test in the military as well as in gymnastics to build strength. This week in gymnastics class we will be focusing on rope climbs.  Rope climbs are a total body workout. It is an effective exercise for the arms, upper back, core, grip strength, and legs. Beyond muscular strength, rope climbing increases the cardiovascular system and builds muscular endurance. The rope may be intimidating to you, but all it takes is a little self-confidence. There are two types of ways to climb the rope that we will learn.  One, which is called the S wrap or Spanish wrap (safer lock method). The other is the Russian Wrap (faster method, widely used in competition.  Keep in mind that when we think about climbing the rope, as Carl Paoli says; think about doing knees to elbows and then standing up.  Now, once we are able to perform a climb, great, but let’s talk about how we can make these better.

To improve your rope climb, think about 3 things: 

1.  Shoulder strength- This is super vital for that body weight climb. Performing lifts such as overhead press, snatch, clean and jerk, and strict pull ups will help build the strength to climb the rope at speed. 

2.  Fingertip pushups: This movement requires the hands, back, chest, and forearms to work together improving grip strength. 

3.  Time yourself climbing the rope: This will help increase power and dynamic strength for longer and more climbs. 
If you have never tried to climb the rope, now is the time to learn! Let’s increase that pulling strength and get you up there! 

Source http://pbcrossfit.com/article/lindsay-renteria

Great Aerobic Exercises Tips and Tricks For You To Run With

What we all need are some aerobic exercises...by that I mean decent ones which make you really sweat and your breathing faster. You need to get the heart pumping and muscles working.How's the weight looking these days? Is the bathroom scale taunting you relentlessly? You know what; I'll bet it's flat out lying to you. Scales have a tendency to do that, right? Okay, this is highly unlikely. But don't you ever feel that way? Our weight tends to fluctuate up and down, but it never seems to reach that low number we're looking for. One day you think you dropped four pounds, but the next day it's right back on. Now, you could scowl furiously at the scale, and chuck it out the bathroom window. Or you could just adopt a good exercise regime. The latter may be a more health option. What you need is a new and improved diet plan and good aerobic exercises.

How often do you exercise? This is an important question that everyone should be asking themselves. Fitness is a key factor in staying healthy and living well. You want to live well, right? Of course, we all want to live hospital-free lives. Therefore good habits must be acquired, and at a youthful age if possible. It's always prudent to start earlier, rather than later. In recent years my wife and I decided to better our diet. We are slim folks, but that is not the only aspect to consider.

A slim figure doesn't automatically guarantee that you're healthy. Poor eating habits can have powerful effects on your body and mind. Plus we want our children to adopt healthy eating routines as well. On top of a proper diet, we all began doing more exercises. This is something all human beings should seriously consider. Just like a machine, your body can really depreciate if you fail to ever use it. Sitting in a chair in a cubicle the entire day and watching television in potato-couch style the entire evening do not help much.

What we all need are some aerobic exercises; by that I mean decent ones which make you really sweat and your breathing faster. You need to get the heart pumping and muscles working. You not only burn calories, but also make the body stronger and increase your stamina. With regular aerobic exercises, you also increase your energy levels. This is ideal if you are a busy-body like me. I think it's safe to say that we could all benefit from being able to generate some more energy and last for longer. The sad truth is that so many individuals are blind to this simple fact: energy depends on diet and exercise. These are crucial factors, folks.

Are you in search of some great aerobic exercises and cannot afford a private consultation with that well-paid personal trainer? Well, if this is the case, maybe you want to try the World-Wide-Web. On the Internet there are abundant diet plans, workout regimes, and aerobic exercises ready at your service. It's as good as having multiple personal trainers and as easy as punching a few keywords in a quick Google search. What are you waiting for? Time to put on those athletic shoes and move your muscles!

Brigi G by Fit 4 Health