There is no doubt that it takes a lot of hard work and determination to become a successful athlete, no matter what the sport and there are a lot of things that must be done to hit peak physical fitness. Exercise is a no-brainer but there are many different ways and reasons to exercise.
Endurance training
Sports like long-distance running, cycling and competitive swimming require endurance training to keep your body used to long periods of physical activity. So, it is important to be able to keep up your pace in running, and increase your power in cycling while maintaining a steady heart rate. There are different methods of doing this such as extensive basic endurance exercise and recovery and compensation exercise.
Weight training
High-intensity sports such as rugby, basketball, AFL football, cricket, boxing and mixed martial arts require constant high levels of physical strength.
These kinds of sports require physical strength but not at the cost of other factors such as agility, which can affect things like AFL betting odds during the season. Weight training should be limited during the game’s season as part of a balanced exercise regime. There are plenty of different techniques to employ with weight training to gain strength, and the important thing to know is that each part of the body can be targeted and isolated, with multiple ways of doing so. Free weights, machines and even one’s own body weight can be employed to muscle up.
Using proper technique when weight training is of extreme importance, as improper execution of any exercise can lead to sustaining injuries that could compromise your ability to play your sport. A proper warm-up regimen should be employed with any type of weight training as it has shown to be effective in minimizing injury.
Diet
As with all other sports, hydration is also a vital part of being able to train to your peak. Dehydration can lead to lethargy and muscle cramps so a continuous intake of water while training should be employed. Consuming 200ml every 15 minutes is the standard but it does depend on the intensity of your training and how much fluid you have lost.
Different levels of training require different types of diets but healthy eating is paramount no matter what you are training for. Foods such as pasta, whole-grain bread and cereal have plenty of carbs which are a major source of energy. Vegetables also add a lot of value to your diet. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach bok choy and kale are a great source of fibre and folate and contain high levels of vitamin C, iron and calcium.
Meat such as chicken, pork and beef is a major source of protein and should be included in a well-balanced diet, albeit not too much as there can be health issues if consumed too often. Many athletes after a training session will have a protein shake as it is beneficial to promote muscle gain and assist in recovery.
General well-being
Sleep is also an important factor in proper athletic training. An athlete is pushing their body further than the norm and needs to factor in time to rejuvenate and recuperate to ensure that high-intensity training can be maintained over longer periods. Though many may want to train like a professional athlete, general health and well-being are just as important as the other factors mentioned here to stop the body from encountering too much stress.