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Model of a Successful Athlete: 7 Attributes



Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Whether it be weight lifting, running, training for a sport, or simply a walking routine, without the following 7 things it is less likely you will be successful.   As a trainer who has trained hundreds of different people, I see some achieve success in the gym, and some who don't.  The following attributes determine success or failure.

Fitness02 JBR boot camp workout
This list is not exhaustive and there are other no-brainer points that I could have included such as diet, a location to train at, and equipment to train with.

This article is a follow up to my article on what I as a personal trainer actually do, and that article can be found HERE.

With no further ado:

1. Confidence  
Confident people stand up to challenges, push themselves to do things they haven't done before or things that part of them might think they can't.  This leads to progress in training which leads to improved fitness level.  Confidence in the gym leads to confidence in other areas of life and this is one positive effect of working out.  Instilling confidence is one of the main jobs of a personal trainer.

2. Commitment/Persistence 
The way I look at commitment and persistence is over the next few months whether you train 2 days a week or 5 days a week there there are 100 workouts in front of you.  Each workout counts as 1% towards some imaginary 100% fitness/health/weight level that you can achieve, and every workout you miss erodes that potential end point by 1%.  Commitment means don't miss your workouts!  Persistence means don't let small set backs like a cold, or a sore muscle stop you.

3. Work Ethic 
During a 1 hour workout a person can burn up to 800, 900, or even a 1000 calories.   If you train lazy you might only burn 200 or 300 calories.  You could say someone kicking butt in their workouts are getting 4 for the price of 1 compared to the lazy individual who isn't giving it their all. Working hard improves chances of success.

4. A Plan 
Make a choice to train and figure out what your going to do.  Are you a morning person or an night owl?  Put your workouts into your schedule and give them high priority.  Don't just guess what you are going to do, put a plan together and follow through.

5. A Goal 
Closely related to the last point.  Setting a goal gives you something to work towards.  You can now specialize you training to meet your goal.  Need a goal?  Take a look at the weblink below and pick one.

6. Motivation  
One of the black and white points on the list, and something that many people lack.  You are either motivated to workout or not.  You can get help externally from a personal trainer or a bootcamp class.  It's a lot easier to push through hard exercises when your being directed by a trainer and have 10 of your friends doing it right next to you.  Motivation is like a light switch waiting to be flipped on.

7. A Positive Support System 
If you are the only one of your family or friends working out it can be extremely difficult to keep it up and avoid getting lazy or picking up bad habits.  Also, working long hours eats up the free time you could be exercising, your job can also be an obstacle and one that is very hard to work around.  Try finding a friend, a group, or a club to train with.  Don't have any active friends, then find one or get a trainer.  Problem solved.  Let your family and friends know what you are doing and why.  Chances are they will give you their support.

Drop me and email at christrainer@fitness02.com if you have any questions or comments or would like information on starting a fitness routine for yourself.

Links
http://www.premiermarathons.com/ - Calendar and signup for running fixtures in the UAE



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