Training and video analysis may account for 4 hours of your day, so what’s next? What are you doing with the other 20 hours? In my experience, the 20 hours away from the training environment are the hours that separate the elite from the sub elite.
I call it the elite behaviours, the behaviours that allow the very best to optimise their performances, consistently, and achieve their goals.
So what are these elite behaviours? Buddy Morris the famous NFL S&C coach suggests sleep, nutrition and hydration to be the best performance enhancers. I tend to agree. Forget cryotherapy, NormaTec and the latest supplements if you haven’t nailed the fundamentals of sleep, hydration and nutrition. I must say, having worked with some of the best rugby athletes whilst in Wales and England particularly, this does ring true.
The best players consistently nail the fundamentals:
Prioritise and make sure they sleep 8 hours a night, more often than not 9! Hydrate when waking then cook and eat a nutrient dense breakfast. There, it’s relatively easy, 3 of the 12 point check list ticked off, every single day! What’s next?
Meal preparation: Are you making healthy and nutrient dense snacks that support your training goals? You see the trend here, the checklist has hydration and nutrition at the forefront of your elite habits.
Recovery: Have you the diligence to perform some form of recovery post session? You choice, you create and support your pathway to elite by choice. What do you like? Ice baths work for some, not others. Active recovery? Do you have a dog? Walking the dog has a massive impact on athletes. Recover away fro you phone. Try it sometime. Works a treat to decompress following a hard training day.
Optimal body fat level: It all ties together, sleep, hydration and nutrition all impact on optimal body composition. It has greater impact on performance than many people think.
Unwind:
Read and write (Reflective practice/gratitude) to relax. Try it, watching TV, scrolling social media and playing video games is not relaxing, just as the neuro scientists! More on this in another post.
Click on the button for a 12 point summary. Elevate you performance and check 9 or more a day!