Olympic athletes and training

 Olympians

What is one thing you can instantly think of when you think about something that brings the country together? To me, and I would hope many others would have the same response, would say the Olympics. Every four years when I was growing up it would be one of my favorite events that would occur. It would bring together all my family, some who weren’t even interested in sports, and together would watch. Watching the best of the best compete against each other but also feeling the patriotism when seeing our country place, or especially take-home gold is a feeling I can’t quite describe. I was always so impressed watching the athletes perform, and I would just watch them in awe. Seeing their power, speed, and skill these Olympians display the pinnacle pf athletic achievement. Being an Olympian, you must possess many characteristics such as tenacity, persistence, commitment, and dedication In this blog I am hoping to describe the physically, psychological, and emotional challenges that these athletes endure while embarking on their journey to Olympic glory as we examine most elite training in this blog.

Physical Conditioning: Long before an athlete sets foot in a gym, the physically demanding process of conditioning begins. First, a thorough evaluation of their advantages, disadvantages, and sport-specific requirements is conducted. Their training program is based on this evaluation, which directs coaches and trainers in creating exercises that focus on important areas for growth while improving overall performance. When they become Olympian athletes, they are also embarking on a journey of self-discovery and change, by pushing their bodies to new to levels they have never. These are levels of strength, power, and endurance. One pivotal thing that that helps them do this is by engaging in weightlifting workouts, which are the foundation of their training. Olympic athletes must continuously workout their muscles using a combination of compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, as well as isolation exercises that target specific muscle groups. These workouts not only increase physical strength, but also enhance muscle endurance and resilience, which are required to survive the rigors of competition. But Physical conditioning goes way further that just throwing weight around in a weight room. When it comes to athletes who are endurance centered. For example, this could be for athletes who are involved in long distance running and sprinters. To maintain this type of endurance to where you are able to compete the best of the best. To stay in shape these athletes must dedicate a large portion of their training time running, and this isn’t just your average few miles for distance but many of them. To the average person the amount of running, that they voluntarily do but also love to do, would be seen as insane to most. However, making the choice to make the commitment to be disciplined enough to put your body through all the things that it must be put through just so you are not only able to commitment but have the potential to win. Being physically fit is hugely impactful for Olympians because it allows them to perform at peak performance and to be able to sustain their endurance and strength longer. Thus, helping them to have an edge on their competitors. enhance endurance capacity, allowing athletes to sustain high levels of effort over extended periods.

 

Mental Conditioning: As much as I have gone on about the importance of an athlete at this high level reaching and maintaining becoming physical fit, it also extremely important for these athletes to condition their mind game as well. This aspect of training their mind may be even more challenging than physical training their bodies. For us, who watch the games it is easy for us to yell or scream at these athletes for making what it seems to be simple mistakes in the moment. However, the fact is we simply don’t understand and could never understand what these athletes feel when they are in that moment. Representing your country is something that can one of the most euphoric feelings, but at the same time can provide immense pressure to perform. This could lead athletes who are being showcased on the world stage to become very overwhelmed, quickly. Thus, the need for Olympians to have their mental game just as conditioned and fit as their physical game. I have my bachelors in psychology and have also take various sport performance classes that have dealt with learning about techniques that can be very beneficial to these athletes when dealing with pressures, anxiety, and the feeling of being over-whelmed. Techniques that could be very useful could be visualization techniques, practicing being mindful, and sports psychology can be positively impactful in helping these athletes becoming resilient and prepare for the big stage. Learning how to use all these tools effectively can help Olympians become mentally tougher which is needed to excel at this stage. I think many athletes can agree, no matter the stage, that it can be a constant battle dealing with doubt, fear, and having belief that will limit you. However, when you are able to conquer these battles in your mind, the sky is limitless.  

As I have mentioned, mental conditioning can be quite critical aspect of an Olympians training, to me this is the most challenging part of their journey to greatness. Now that we have established this let discuss more about the pressures, as well as expanding on the techniques that I have also mentioned. 

Going back to discussing pressure to perform on the biggest stage in the world and having the pressure of representing your country and making them proud is unparallel for these Olympian athletes. There is the burdens and weight of expectations on these athletes, both internally and externally. This can be overwhelming, especially in the environments of high stakes. Any normal person put in the same situation would crumble under this amount of pressure, but these athletes aren’t the typical normal person. These individuals are high performing athletes, they’re Olympians.

First let’s discuss visualization, what it entails, and how it can be beneficial for Olympians to use. Using our context clues, you can probably guess what this means but just in case visualization is a technique where you vividly imagine positive things so that it reinforces positive outcomes. In the case of athletes, it would be used in visualizing them succeeding and becoming accustomed to the feelings and emotions associated with winning. This can be very useful for athletes because it gives them the opportunity to go over their performances from the time it begins to the time that it is over. Allowing them to go over and visualize every movement that needs to be made, the way they will breathe and remain calm, and every challenge that may arise while they’re playing. Going over in their head that helps prepare their mind and body to be a high performing athlete can allow them to reduce any performance anxiety or feelings of uneasiness.

Next, let us discuss the next technique of practicing becoming mindful. This tool is also very important when it comes to the Olympians mental conditioning. Being mindful, breathing deeply, and being Intune with one’s body can help athletes become more invested in the present moment. Doing so can enhance their focus and help them during moments of high intensity where there are able to be mistakes while playing. By learning to become more observant with their thoughts and emotions can help them tremendously with managing their stress so that they are able to perform at their fullest potential when it all matters. 

Finally, the last technique that I will talk about that is useful for Olympian athletes is sports psychology. Sports psychology has recently broken through its barriers recently to become its own independent study. This type of psychology provides tools and strategies to help get over challenges such as mental barriers and help them reach their performance potential. I have mentioned earlier that I have my bachelors in psychology and am still pursing education further so that I become a sports psychologist. Sports psychologist are individuals who work with the athletes to figure out or address any psychological challenges that they may be dealing with. By working the athletes, they can help them overcome things such as performance anxiety or doubting themselves. The purpose of working with a sports psychologist is so the Olympians can learn how to be kinder to their minds, learn to overcome their minds and unlock their full potential on the biggest stage.

All and all the biggest challenge with conditioning their mind is figuring how to not let their self-doubt creep into their minds and create beliefs that limit themselves. However, once they figure out how to train their minds in a more positive way, they possibly for capturing their dreams is enhanced. 

Nutrition and Recovery: we have talked about what an athlete of this caliber must do physically such as working out and conditioning themselves so that they become fit. We have also discussed the challenges and pressures that they could potentially go through mentally and how they can help training their minds. Now let’s discuss the final but just as important as the other two variables discussed, which is how they must take care of their bodies outside of their sport. Properly fueling the body of an Olympian is essential for their success. In order to perform at the highest level possible, they must be very disciplined in properly fueling their bodies. Teams are provided with nutritionist, that will work with the teams and athletes that they have been assigned to make up proper meal plans so that the athlete can become their best. How do you expect to preform your best if you’re not eating the right things? Choosing to stuff your face with foods that won’t provide you with any nutriosuhis benefits won’t help lead them to winning the gold and making their country proud. Aka McDonalds isn’t going to cut it. Whereas food such as lean proteins like chicken, fish, or even tofu is what will help Olympians when trying to repair or growth their muscle from the intensive training that they have committed themselves to. Or things such as carbohydrates that can provide them energy for intense training, workouts, or competitions that they will be partaking in. I know, I’m not an Olympian but playing division one basketball has helped me also learn about nutrition and how to properly fuel your body for, during, after, or between workouts, training, or competitions. For example, on gamedays we would always be given the same meal, which was a salad, grilled chicken, a vegetable of some type, pasta with Marianna, and a water. These foods align to what I just mentioned with lean proteins and carbohydrates so that were able to have energy while we are playing.

However, nutrition is the only area that athletes should be focusing on while they aren’t partaking in any type of physical activity for their sport. They should be doing things to help their muscles recover as well. This can be doing things such as taking ice baths, needling, cupping, stretching, etc anything related to this that will help them to recover is very useful for obtaining peak performance. Finally, another important task that must be done outside of their sport is making sure that they are getting a sufficient amount of interrupted sleep every night. Sleep is what helps the bodies heal from anything thing may need to be healed. As an athlete I have also experienced my fair share on injuries. I’ve accepted that that is just part of the game and the price you play of being an athlete. My achilles heal always seemed to be spraining my ankles. Although I would always go in for treatment, ice, elevate, medicate, and that whole schbang something that I was always told by my trainer or doctor was the best way to heal and recover is to sleep.