Training like a professional athlete is hard. However, this shouldn’t dishearten you from trying it out. As the Olympics have recently started, now’s a fun time to get active and be in shape.
While there’s no gold medal waiting for you at the end, the benefits are certainly worth it. If you’re ready to start your training, here are 10 ways on how to train like an athlete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, along with some of the best sports supplements and best pre-workout drinks you can get online.
1. Warm Up Properly
You certainly wouldn’t want to pull a hamstring right when you’ve just started your training. Make sure that you warm up properly beforehand. For athletes, a warm-up includes a couple of static or dynamic stretches, a small amount of cardio or some foam rolling. This will help prepare your muscles and tendons for what’s coming.
If you don’t have a foam roller yet, check out the TriggerPoint GRID foam roller which is an excellent choice. It includes an instructional video library for the best foam rolling practices.
2. Activate Your Muscles
Once you’re done foam-rolling, you can activate your muscles by pulling on a resistance band. To start, stand on a band, grab it with both of your hands then raise it all the way up over your head before dropping to mid-level to form a T-pose. Raise your arms back up overhead, do an overhead shrug, go back to mid-level and repeat. This should activate your muscles and improve your joints’ stability.
To help you get started, the Whatafit Resistance Bands set from Amazon comes with 11 pieces of natural latex resistance bands in different sizes, a door anchor, cushioned handles and a carry pouch.
3. Prioritize Compound Movements
When you use more muscles, you end up training more of them. With ground compound movements like deadlifts, front squats, power cleans and overhead presses, you use multiple joints all at once. This activates more muscles, helping you build your overall strength.
While you don’t need equipment for squats, the BRAVE HEART Adjustable Dumbbell/Barbell set is perfect for starting out. It can be adjusted up to 44 pounds and has a non-slip grip for extra safety.
4. Start Jumping
Make your movements more explosive by jumping more effectively. By working on your jumping and landing techniques, you will perform better in vertical sports. Try squat jumps, box jumps and quick vertical jumps.
The BalanceForm Plyometric Box and weighted jump rope can help you improve your performance.
5. Stay Hydrated
Once you’ve put in the work and start sweating, make sure to stay hydrated. Drinking water will not only keep you moving but also help your muscles function better while training. To know the amount of water you need to drink per day, multiply your body weight by 2/3.
6. Train for Mileage and Endurance
In order to train like a world-class athlete, you need to master the basics, which means building up your mileage and endurance. There are various ways to do this, but the easiest way is to get a pair of running shoes and start putting in some miles. This will help you build a good base for more intensive workouts.
If you want good running sneakers, we recommend Under Armour Men’s Charged Pursuit, which features a synthetic sole and foam padding around the ankle for extra comfort and safety.
7. Schedule Your Workouts
If you ever find yourself skipping workouts because of your busy schedule, then it’s time to be diligent in keeping your routine. Stay on track by jotting down what you’re scheduled to do as well as your progress. This will keep you from succumbing to laziness.
To get you started, a fitness journal will help you keep track of your schedule, progress and gains, giving you a better sense of achievement.
8. Work On Your Mentality
Athletes are known to be strong enough to push through mental barriers to have the willingness to move forward no matter what. To get you inspired, read stories of athletes as this will help you stay motivated especially when you’re feeling down.
An audiobook like Tough: Building True Mental, Physical and Emotional Toughness for Success & Fulfillment can keep you inspired while training.
9. Get Enough Sleep
There’s no substitute for sleep. In addition to helping us stay healthy, sleep also puts us in an anabolic state that’s optimal for muscle-building and growth. As such, try to get as much sleep as possible and be consistent with your sleeping schedule. Opt for a full seven to nine hours of sleep daily.
10. Practice Active Recovery
To speed up recovery, try engaging in slow and short low-intensity workouts like walking, dynamic stretching and sled dragging variations. This will help increase blood flow without causing soreness associated with eccentric contractions. It’s also a good way to prepare your exhausted muscles for rest and recovery.
In addition to these workout tips, you can also improve your training by taking pre-supplement workouts. An important part of your muscle-building routine, fitness supplements plays a vital role in maximizing the effects of intense and rigorous training. These contain ingredients that ramp up your energy and endurance, enhance muscle growth, burn up body fat and increase your strength.
Here are some of our recommended pre-workout supplements that will boost your training:
Offering the best-tasting creatine powder in the market, the Anabolic Warfare Creatine Carnage will help improve your muscle strength without water retention. It’s also natural-tasting and 100% pure, making it a reliable training companion.
Featuring L-citrulline, L-arginine and nitrosigine, the Anabolic Warfare Pump-N-Grow is guaranteed to improve workout results by building muscle and helping improve your blood flow. This supplement is also caffeine-free, so you don’t have to worry about crashing later.
Physician formulated and made with natural ingredients, Dioxyme Perform is a non-traditional pre-workout supplement that will enhance your athletic performance by increasing your muscle energy, endurance and recovery. It’s also vegan-friendly and can be taken before and after your training session.
Improve your training sessions with Dioxyme’s grass-fed ultra whey protein powder. Great-tasting and easy-to-prepare, this protein powder features cold-processed native whey for up to 3x better protein absorption, making it a great muscle builder. It also supports mental function and cardiovascular health.
If you’re looking for a safe and natural way to improve your muscle strength and performance, then Dioxyme’s MPO is perfect for you. Stimulant-free and all-natural, this muscle performance optimizer will help increase your reps, maximize your cardio and aid in active recovery. It’s also proudly vegan and features workout-benefitting ingredients like HMB, creatine monohydrate and beta-alanine.