Your Olympic Stars Take Breaks Too!

"When we train everyday, sometimes there are workouts you don't like, don't want to do. Bob says you're putting money in the bank. I guess I put a lot of money in the bank over the last four years, and we withdrew pretty much every penny in the bank. After Bob and I both grab a little break, it'll be time to start depositing". --- Michael Phelps

The Beijing Olympics is arguably the best Olympics in history because of the number of records broken and the glamour that the Chinese government put into the ceremonies. I was personally amazed by the feats of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, Alicia Sacramone, Yao Ming, Manu Ginobili and Guo Jingjing. These athletes stood out from all the rest because of the character they showed in victory and defeat. They worked hard to represent their respective countries and they deserve all the admiration of the world. The above quote by Michael Phelps says it all--- it's all about "depositing and withdrawing" and look what he has achieved. What struck me the most is the fact that he mentioned "taking a break". Yes, that's one of the reasons why he is successful!

Athletes are credited for their supreme performance. Their training regimen is usually mentioned in commentaries. What the commentators fail to mention is the fact that these athletes take breaks as well.

Breaks have physical and psychological benefits. Rest is part of the success triangle which includes intense workouts and proper nutrition. Without rest, you will go NOWHERE!

PHYSICAL BENEFITS: The body needs to recoup. If you don't give it time to recover, you will be fatigued and chances are, you won't perform to your peak performance. When people ask me if training 8 hours a day is what a boxer does to maintain peak form, the answer is NO. A boxer trains with a lot of intensity: running in the morning and general boxing specific workouts in the afternoon. When they are not scheduled for a fight, they tend to disappear from the gym scene. The bottom line is, if they do this (intense boxing activity) 365 days a year/ 8 hours a day they are headed for disaster. The same principle applies to you. Take breaks during the week, don't overtrain and avoid the plateau effect. There is no physical benefit in terms of improvements to an over- fatigued body.

PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS: You only get to be "in the zone" for so much time. The mind should also be given a break or else the athlete will crash. Boxing is a sport that requires a lot of sacrifice. Dieting while working out intensely is hard for the mind and body. Although it would keep you focused on the price, being in this situation 365 days a year would be too much. I value intensity but the mind deserves to relax. Consider doing yoga, meditation or anything relaxing to provide balance to your life.

I appreciate the fact that my students work hard in the training. It is good to push the body to its limits but it is not healthy to keep on doing that day in and day out. Take a break from your usual routines--- take days off in between workouts--- recoup, sleep and enjoy the rest of your day.

Learn from the Olympians. I am sure that after the hardwork that they all put into the Olympics, and all of the fun things that they weren't able to do while in training for the biggest worldwide spectacle. Listen to the news online and on TV about these athletes---- then do the same thing. I'm sure it won't cover anything much about working out.
Let me leave you one of my philosophies in training: You workout to prolong your life so enjoy it!
About the Author
Lawrence Ragos is a Certified Boxing Trainer and the director of the Train Like a Boxer Program--- a boxing training system focusing on intense strength and conditioning workouts. His DVD Series and FREE ebook are available in his official website, www.trainlikeaboxer.com