Nathan Mellalieu has trained a number of Olympic athletes over the years. He’s trained his fair share of movie stars too, and we can only imagine which training sessions are more intense. As that rare season rolls around when we’re all thinking of the Games, we knew we had to hear from Nathan about a few of his own experiences. Owner of one of the top performing training centers in the world, Studeo55 in Vancouver B.C., Nathan has now set his sites on LA, where he’s quickly built a decathlon-sized client list. Here’s Nathan on a few things we could learn from his clients who are going for the gold…
The Olympics are here once again and most of us will be inspired by the dedication and determination these athletes show us. Olympians sacrifice so many things to achieve greatness when most others would quit. My company and I have had the privilege of working with lots of Olympians, including a cluster of gold medalists in 2010. If you’re one of the rest of us who get inspired and want to act, here’s your game plan:
Dos and Don’ts To Train like an Olympian:
Do set goals
Olympians have clear, ambitious and inspiring goals.
Do enlist an expert
Olympians seek out an expert to develop a personalized bullet-proof plan, unlike so many of us who just walk ambiguously through fitness without a goal worthy of inspiring us out of our funk. Many of us work as our own fitness consultant, pulling information that suits us from all kinds of sources with no over-arching strategy or cohesion.
Do face failure
Olympians expose themselves to failure every day, while we stay in our comfort zone, doing things we are typically good at to insulate ourselves from disappointment. As a result of being scared of the valleys, we never see the mountain tops like Olympians do.
don't ignore pain
Olympians treat their injuries and ailments seriously and completely extinguish them, once and for all. Most of us don’t take our aches and pains seriously and we think rehab and movement correction aren’t worth the time they take. This limits our long-term performance and, eventually, our results.
don't slack off
Olympians don’t miss training sessions – ever! Tired, sad, or busy – it doesn’t matter to them, but for us, we make excuses that over the course of weeks, days and months become the difference between winning and coming up just shy. Olympians realize sometimes what we like the least is what we need the most.
don't wimp out
Olympians try daily to ensure their body gives up (due to fatigue) before their brain does.
don't be an approval whore
Olympians don’t avoid tough feedback or coaching. They want correction, and the tougher the coaching, the better.
