How to train like an olympic athlete
written by john c ashworth, ma, cscs, ces
Rule #1 when it comes to training like an olympic athlete?
Don't try to train EXACTLY like an olympic athlete until you've spent some time building a strong base of strength and conditioning. That said, it is both interesting and important to note that the same concepts you would use to begin and exercise program, and progress are the EXACT SAME concepts olympics athletes use in their training programs.
That's why I thought it would be cool to share with you this week via my Fitness Friday segment with Leigh Mills, the concepts and core movements that world class athletes use and work to perfection in their training programs.
Key Concepts:
The law of specificity. I first learned of this in graduate school more than 20 years ago, and it has never been more prevalent in the strength and conditioning programs of world class athletes. You MUST train using movements that are as specific to your even as they can be. And not just the actual movement pattern, but the ways in which the movements are performed. For example, a bob sledder or speed skater needs lots of power - quick explosive movements. While a cross-country ski racer needs more endurance.
Muscle Confusion. You can't train the same way every day. This is easily the BIGGEST mistake I see people make in their own training programs at the gym and on their own. The NEVER change anything. Once they find a routine that is comfortable and cozy and that they can remember how to do, they NEVER change it! Big mistake. You MUST confuse your muscles and your body on an on-going basis if you desire cotinued results from your fitness program.
Muscle confusion is also not just changing the routine, but the order and comvination of movements, resistance levels, and overall training schedule.
Enjoyment. That's right. In every video I watched in preparation for this segment, every athlete made it a point to share that their love and and enjoyment for what they do is the grounding force that brings them back each day to the grinding underground work that must happen so that we can watch them perform.
Flexibility. I talk all the time about how no one stretches enough or spends enough time and energy on what they do for recovery. All their effort goes toward the training and competition, and almost none of it to the importance of stretching, good nutrition, and rest.
Recovery. As mentioned above. Your recover and rest are equally important to the success of your training program. Without them, your body will become a broken machine that does not run at full capacity. Especially when you're talking about a world class athlete, where the primary goal is to push the body to the abolute limit without going overboard. In order to do this, you absolutely must ensure that your body is provided with the right combintation of good nutrition, rest, flexibility, massage, chiropractic care, physical therapy, and anything else deemed appropriate and important for survival at the top of your game.
For this segment, I've decided to focus my exercise examples on those that have the biggest impact on strength and power and not endurance. I've done this for two reasons. First, they will likely have a gigantic impact on your own workout immediately. Second, they will deliver this impact because the chances are good that they will challenge you in a way that is new, demanding and guaranteed to provide you a good dose of that muscle confusion I was talking about earlier.
Here they are. Have fun!
I have provided the basic and advanced version of each move.
- Barbell Overhead Squats
Aerial squats - Step-ups
Box Jumps - Modified Push-ups
Spider-man push-ups - Squat Jumps
Squat Jumps with weight
And if you're interested, you can click here for one of the videos I watched in preparation for this segment.
-John
