Sports Blog: How to Train and Get in Shape Like an Athlete

Maria Sharapova, Mista May, Gabrielle Reece, Jennie Finch and Hope Solo. We all know who these women are and besides playing a professional sport, these women have something else in common: they are in amazing shape. Athletes have some of the lowest body fat percentages in the country and are some of the fittest people on the planet. Being in great shape, however, doesn’t come easy. These athletes are big into exercise and healthy living. While you may not want to get completely ripped or have 8-pack abs, training like an athlete can decrease your body fat significantly and give you the tone you are looking for. With these simple tips, you too can start training like an athlete and get in the best shape of your life.

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1. Strength training: This is the golden rule and secret behind the bodies of athletes and celebrities. You may think that this will cause you to bulk up, but without strength training, it will be a lot harder to slim down and tone up. Focusing solely on cardio can also cause you to burn more muscle than fat, which makes it a lot harder to decrease your body fat percentage. Start out by strength training two to three times a week with lightweights and then gradually increasing the amount of weight. Many athletes strength train five to six times a week for an hour a day, but three times a week is sufficient for non-athletes.
 
2. Circuit training: This is another essential element to an athlete’s training. Circuit training, which is where you do a variety of exercises at different intervals, allows you to burn more fat in a shorter period of time. Try ten-minute circuits and then repeat for best results.
 
3. Stretching/ Warming Up: Stretching and warming up are extremely important to prevent injury. When athletes train they devote a significant amount of time to their warm-up routines. Make sure not to do static warm ups because it makes you more injury prone. Instead, perform a series of dynamic stretches that resemble the activities you are performing, such as jumping jacks or high knees.
 
4. Mixing it up: Our bodies adapt to change. This means that after four-to-six weeks, our bodies will adjust to our routines and won’t change. We all wonder why after months and months of training we aren’t getting results. This is because we aren’t confusing the body enough to get results. Each time you work out, change the routine, and every four-to-six weeks change up the exercises you do. This way you will surely get the results you are looking for.
 
 
5. Fundamental Training and Core Training: Before intense training everyone needs to know how to do specific exercises properly before implementing them into your workout. Would you go into a test without studying? I hope not. Anyways, my point is that we need to practice the exercises before performing them on a regular basis. Athletes don’t get results without having good form, so when you are exercising, make sure you nail it. We also need to have a strong core in order to perform at the optimal level. Try core training, such as abdominal exercises three times a week for the best results.
 
 
Other Tips to Keep in Mind:
 
Don’t cut below 1200 calories: Everyone thinks that by slashing calories it is easy to lose weight. It is at first, but in the long run you actually end up gaining weight, losing muscle and slowing down your metabolism. If you want to be in the best shape of your life, cutting calories isn’t the way to go.
 
Keep at It: It’s so easy to quit when we don’t see results. Many times after we hit the one-month mark, we don’t see results so we decide the hard work isn’t worth it. It’s important to move past the plateau and to switch up the routine so you’ll see results.
 
Eat carbohydrates for fuel: Cutting carbohydrates helps people lose weight, but when you are working out hard, you need the energy that carbs can provide you with. Make sure you are eating healthy carbohydrates like whole grains and vegetables. White carbohydrates (white bread and rice for example) have zero nutrition and are empty calories.
 
Hydrate: Athletes are constantly hydrating when they are exercising. Without hydrating you can’t push your body to the limit. You should double your normal amount of water intake while exercising.

 
It’s all about the diet: Everyone thinks getting in shape is 50 percent diet and 50 percent exercise. It’s NOT. My trainer always told me that you can’t out train a bad diet. When trying to get lean, diet is 80 percent of the equation. Exercise is still important, but without a healthy diet, it is extremely difficult to slim down. From now on, focus on the 80/20 rule. Eat healthy 80 percent of the time, but 20 percent of the time, don’t be afraid to reward yourself. 
 
With these tips you can get in the best shape of your life in no time. For the best results, try mixing up strength training with circuit training in one workout. Pair this with healthy, clean diet and you can be long, lean, and bikini ready just like the athletes.