Mastering the Secrets to Becoming an Olympian

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Time for some #RealTalk.

Have you been paying attention to the Olympics?

Are they impressive? YES. Do those Olympians perform incredible feats of athletic-ness? YES. Are their uniforms flattering? NO.

Now, not all of them are cringeworthy. The gymnastics leos are really impressive! #blinging.

And the track athletes look #fierce.

However, I watched synchronized swimming for the first time this summer, and their suits! Oh their suits.

I’m not sure who thought their bodies would be more aerodynamic if their glute max’s hung out like that, but someone thought it would be a good idea.

(You may remember that I recently was PROUD to be wearing a thong, butttt that was on a private beach in Mexico. Not on international tv. #justsayin’.)

I do however understand that I am not an expert in aerodynamics in Olympic uniforms and I am a bit out of my depth.

And yet, the athletes still look AMAZING.

Even with their derriere hanging out.

So today, I thought we would take a second and talk about how to train like an Olympian and look great doing it.

And would you believe that to train like an Olympian is more than just sports specific training?

And would you believe that you can actually have the same skill related components the olympic athletes have?

It’s true. So here we go: The Three Skill Related Components You Can Have to Train Like an Olympian (And Look Like Them, Too).

1. Reaction Time.
Would you believe the track athletes DON’T actually pop out of the womb knowing how to push off the blocks as the gun goes off at the start of the race? This skill related component is called reaction time. Reaction time is how quickly you can physically respond to an action.

How fast can you take off in a sprint? How quickly can you catch a ball when someone throws it at you and says “Think fast!”? How quickly can you stop your two year old from throwing their cup off their high chair? You got it. Reaction time. And luckily, it is a skill you can build. I’ll give you a drill below you can do to increase your reaction time!

2. Speed.
Sprinting through the race. Fast as lightning. Flying past the competition. This skill related component is called speed- and you know it well! How do you beat the Jamaicans in the 400m? By building speed. And, it can be increased! If you want to be faster, check out the drill below. Look out, Bolt. Here we come.

3. Balance.
Namaste. This skill related component is most often worked on in the practice of yoga. Picture this: one arm filled with grocery bags, the other holding your toddler on your hip, keys in your mouth, and your car door just bounced open. So you stand on one foot to use the other one to shut the door. And voila! You demonstrated balance. And if you are the kind of mom that falls over a lot (I’m talking about myself here), then you know balance may be a struggle for you. Fear no more, balancing mom. I’ve got a drill for you to help you with balance. A second trip to the car is SO not necessary.

So now you know three critical components to train like an Olympian (that will help you in real life, too!) Check out the workout below to get training. Hoo-Aah!

OLYMPIC WORKOUT

Start by warming your body with a walk or a jog for 8-12 minutes. Then perform the following drills for 3 minutes each. Rest for 1 minute. Repeat 3x. Make sure to finish with stretching for 5-7 minutes. Hoo-Aah!

Cone drill. [Reaction Time]
Grab a friend and line up for cones in a big square. One of you is the lead, and performs a drill of choice. The other person must mimic the drill of person one, and try to switch as quickly as the leader does.

Circle hurdles. [Speed]
Set up hurdles or cones in a straight line. Circle around one cone, then move to the next. When you reach the end of the line, turn around and sprint back. Repeat.

Tree pose. [Balance]
Standing on one foot, take the other and place it at the ankle. For a higher intensity, move your foot to your knee. For a third level of intensity, place the foot on the inner thigh. And stand still. For those of you with pro status, close your eyes. Repeat this on the other side.