Meet Athlete A: She is a Division 1 swimmer and going into her junior year. Her goal is to be a Double NCAA champion. Her summer training partner, Athlete B, plays volleyball at a D1 school and is going into her junior year as well. Her goal is to become a conference champion.
On the surface, each has very similar needs when it comes to performance training: strength, power, speed. Group classes move each of them 80% closer to their goals.
The final 20%, however, is blatantly different from each other:
-One needs stamina, endurance, and overall work capacity; the other needs quickness, agility, coordination, and balance.
-One needs accuracy for flip turns; the other needs precision in setting the ball.
-One needs to understand how to succeed as an individual on a team sport; and the other needs to understand how to align individuals to build a successful team.
-Both need a stronger mindset.
-Both need to believe in themselves.
-Both need to prepare for pressure; but they will experience adversity at different times.
Clarity is power. A coach’s job is to not only help the clients determine the destination, but to also create the most efficient roadmap to get there.
At Perpetual, our group class programming is built for general physical preparedness (GPP). It doesn’t matter if your goal is to lose 20lbs, increase your deadlift, or win a gold medal. They will get you 80% or more of the way there, they are the foundation. CrossFit, in my opinion, is the best way to build this foundation — and the most efficient. The remaining 20% needs to be on an individual basis.
Let’s use an analogy….
A plane flies into Cleveland. One passenger needs to get to Rocky River. One needs to get to Brecksville, and the other to Beachwood. While they were on the same plane, you wouldn’t advise that they all take the same Uber. The plane got them 80% to their destination, but from there, they need separate paths.
Fitness is much the same. Our group classes are destined to get anyone, no matter the goal, 80% or more to their destination. The final 20% requires some degree of personalization.
An athlete who wants to PR a 5k requires a different stimulus than someone who wants to PR their split jerk. Nutrition is going to look different for someone who is trying to lose weight than it is for someone focused on performance. Even a D1 swimmer requires a different approach than a D1 volleyball player.
You’re busy. It’s not your job to know the difference between what you need and the person next to you at the gym. Let alone how to accomplish it. More likely, you will be hard on yourself for lacking discipline, toughness, or desire. Heck, you may even chalk it up to being “lazy.” I can assure you that is not the case.
If you haven’t reached your goals, and are feeling frustrated, here are a couple of tips:
- Start fresh. Let go of self judgement, limiting beliefs, and past disappointments. Clear the slate. What did you learn? How did you grow? Find appreciation for where you are today.
- Get clear. What is it you want to achieve? Why do you want it? How is life different once you obtain it? Does it excite you? If not, keep thinking.
- Get a coach. A decent coach will give you confidence. A good coach will hold you accountable. A great coach will meet your exact needs at the precise time you need them. The decent coach will give you hope. The great coach will give you direction.
Maybe you need some perspective, maybe you need more clarity, or maybe you need a great coach. If you need any or all of these, we got you! Book a new intro today. (Current Perpetual athletes go here.)