Why you should Start Thinking of yourself as An Athlete

13 March 2017

When it comes to training, I often have people coming up to me at the gym to ask me what it is that I am actually training for. And, each and every time , I am met with a look of complete surprise when I say, “ nothing really, I simply train because I love it”, and I guess this has made me realise that something I take for granted as normal in my life is quite unique for others.

Let me explain:

Growing up in the ballet world, high performance was essential – the norm – anything less just wouldn’t suffice, and so that mentality was and still is deeply entrenched within my psyche. Inevitably, this way of thinking has spilled over into all the types of training that I do – that is - I don’t simply train - rather I train with purpose – to become stronger, faster, fitter, more athletic – constantly striving to reach an all new level of high performance.

In sum, I train like an athlete.

Training for me is not about the body – sure a good athletic build is a great by-product of training hard, but training for me is about pushing boundaries; it’s about reaching new levels of strength, flexibility and speed – it’s about working my body in a way that maximises its potential, thereby enabling me to do things I never thought I could. And that’s what makes training addictive for me – that’s what makes it fun – that’s what keeps me going at it. That, and of course the fact that my body is designed to do this anyway!

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Now we can certainly argue here that early exposure to a high performance world is the reason I am the way I am today, and correctly so; however, there is more to I than simply exposure – it’s about biologics – more specifically, human biology!

What I don’t think we as humans realise, or perhaps we have simply forgotten through evolution, is that our bodies are designed to be high performance machines!

Just think - we are able to run for hours and hours without tiring out, we can walk on two limbs or on all fours, we can crawl, swim, climb, jump,– we have fully opposable thumbs – ultimately we can move with more precision and skill than any other mammal on earth – we are the supreme hunter, brilliantly constructed for optimal survival.

In essence, all of us - each and every one of us - are naturally inclined to be athletic; however, most of us don’t tap into this – we don’t even scratch the surface! We have forgotten our strength - we have forgotten how to use the high performance machine that is our physical body.

This post is not to boost my own ego by telling you how hard I train – no! – What the point of this is, is to REMIND YOU that YOU CAN DO INCREDIBLE THINGS! I can do what I do not because I am better than anyone else, but because I have tapped into my natural athletic ability – which we ALL HAVE! Each and every one of us!

Your body is a phenomenal masterpiece that is capable of so much more that you can ever imagine. So tap into that. Start thinking if yourself as an athlete – as a physical powerhouse that is capable of virtually anything!

Sure it’s a lot easier to get the hang of it if your athleticism when it’s been engrained from a young age, but that’s not to say you can’t still do it. Just remember what your body is designed for from an evolutionary perspective, and then act on that. Start thinking of yourself not just as a work drone, but as an athlete –as commander of this incredible high performance machine that you haven’t quite learned how to drive properly yet, but whose engine is just waiting to go! All it needs is a little test drive – and a lot of practice.

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So why train like an athlete?

You’ll finally tap into your body’s full potential by working it in the way that it was designed for
Your focus will be away from aesthetics, and onto high performance – this is the right kind of focus! Working on improving speed, strength, power, and endurance – all the things the human body is designed for! And trust me, the aesthetics will come – in a big way!
You will feel better than you have ever felt in your life! Your metabolism will be fired up, your circulation will improve, your energy levels will sky rocket! And you will be motivated, not just with exercise, but in all areas of life! It’s a wonder to see how much of what you learn in mastering your physical ability is transferable to mastering work, and life in general.
You will finally come to realise just how freaking incredible your body is – what it can do! You will tap into skills and abilities you never knew you had!
You will develop mental strength – a mind-over-matter approach that can be applied to all areas of life.
Above all you will realise that the more effectively you fuel your body, the better your athletic performance will be - and so naturally you will want to eat healthier.

Often these things can seem very daunting I know – and then there’s the “easier said than done” that everyone is thinking – yes sure, but I have said it aaaannd I have done it, and so can you! We are truly all the same when it comes to being athletically inclined – it all boils down to natural biology – what the human body is designed to do!

So start thinking of yourself as an athlete –and approach your training with that mind set…who knows what heights you may reach!?!