We have worked with thousands of athletes, over the course of nearly eight years, and throughout this time, we have also seen certain thoughts and attitudes that limit the amount of growth and potential for our athletes. One of the biggest misconceptions we see, is that of people thinking that they need only to work toward their initial goals, and once those are accomplished, they have reached the finish line. Studies are not favorable toward athletes and fitness fanatics continuing training on their own–the results they achieve are far inferior to their previous results.
There are several reasons why people pursue this idea of heading out on their own, once they have reached their initial goals. Initial results are confidence boosting. When you start any new endeavor, your first year of results will tend to be dramatic–there is always much that needed improvement. However, after those initial results, it’s important to continue to work hard towards your overall goal and continue achieving. When Michael Jordan began working with his trainer, his vertical was 38 inches. He only improved his vertical by two inches each year, but compounding his time, and his investment in his program, resulted in his ability to gain ten inches over the course of five years–bringing his vertical to a whopping 48 inches. This is one of the reasons that the best in each field, get there. They are willing to fight for years, for small improvements which compound, while others quit after they see little improvements.
Another reason why people attempt to venture out on their own, is because they think they feel they have learned enough. While it may be true that you can learn enough to work out by yourself, the best athletes of all time have never handled their training by themselves. There are several reasons for this. First, it is difficult to push yourself beyond a certain point, when self-training. There is a tendency to skip days and exercises that are not as well loved, though are vital for growth. Secondly, you cannot replace a coach that has been in the industry for decades. There is more to training, than what is seen at a surface level. The science, trial and error conducted by coaches, and the countless number of hours put into studying the field by a coach. Muhammad Ali never worked out by himself, nor tried to plan his training regimen. He worked with a coach with proven results, who guided him along the way.
The last reason we have come across is that there is limited time to work out. When we hear from this from an athlete, the underlying reason tends to be that it is not important enough. Yes, we understand that there is school and practice, or games and work–and we empathize with the enormous amount of time it all takes away from family life, as well. There is however, some amount of sacrifice needed, to be your best for your sport. As a High School athlete, College was not my driving force. Rather, being the best I possibly could be was my motivation. As a result, college scholarships took care of themselves. We must each decide for ourselves, what is important, and as a result, how to prioritize.
If you’ve decided that what really matters, is that you are your best for yourself, your team, your coaches, your family and your community, then contact us now, and let us help you take your game to the next level!
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