High-performance athlete
So, whether you are an athlete or a coach, this may be helpful for you to change. Or maybe not.
BTW: Adaptability and constant learning are a virtue of an HPA
Despite the many studies around this subject, it isn’t yet clear how much in a successful athlete is talent, ability and mindset.
My experience as an athlete
From my long experience as an athlete, coach, sports fan and analyst, I have found several common personality traits that distinguish the great from the good. A lot of potentially high-level athletes never really thrive or sustain success at the elite level, and that is primarily due to the lack of one or more of the virtues and characteristics that, in my opinion, are a sine qua non-condition.
While largely innate, athletes develop these traits from various experiences and opportunities, which can happen in different life stages.
Questions for the future
Do you know what it takes to be a great athlete? Are you an athlete who workouts regularly, does the same type of training and has the same or “better” lifestyle than another athlete you know and you get beaten every single time? Have you ever taken the time to think about why that happens?
Have you ever changed your prep plans to make them more adapted to you and your specific needs?
Key idea: Is the athlete naturally competitive, and is he willing and eager to do what is needed to thrive and succeed?
1/6 – Willingness in Sports – The Lousa Way:
This mixes willpower, discipline, sacrifice, pain tolerance, preparedness and resilience.
The way an athlete goes through the adversities is directly related to the value that the individual gives to the goal; the motivation that drives each individual is unique and can be completely different:
• the love for the process and the learning;
• the passion for the sport;
• the hatred of losing/not winning;
• the effect on ego and status;
• the example or legacy they want to leave;
• the social or even economic need;
• the enthusiasm and victory feeling – when we win, we experience physical changes in our nervous and endocrine systems that encourage more winning. The dopamine and testosterone released when a victory occurs can really be addictive 🥇
But doing what is necessary is more than being motivated.
Key idea: Does the athlete trust the process?
2/6 – Trainability in Sports – The Lousa Way
“A coachable athlete is one who openly and humbly listens to honest feedback and willingly applies that feedback to improve their development. These athletes understand that they are not perfect, there is always room to improve, and show appreciation for their coach’s time and feedback by actively listening and learning from them. ”
Michael Jordan once said, “My best skill was that I was coachable. I was a sponge and aggressive to learn.”
Being coachable also means that the athlete is able to follow a plan and stick to it without questioning everything. Curiosity and will to acquire knowledge are a valid and important quality but questioning constantly – for an athlete – is not. Sometimes one needs simply to think “WHY NOT?” .
For the most HPA it is “easier” to go hard, to give it all on the hard training sessions. But trainability also implies that the athlete respects the recoveries, the rests, the tappers.
Trust the process, have self-discipline, improve!
Just do it!
Key idea: An HPA must be able to think tactically and adapt emotionally to any circumstance.
3/6 – Athlete Intelligence – The Lousa Way.
Emotional Intelligence can be summed up as follows:
• Recognition of different emotional states;
• Assessing the effects of emotions on behaviour;
• The ability to switch into the best emotional state to manage a specific situation. 🔑
Athletes also need to assess the emotional states that other competitors are feeling, picking up on their body language and verbal and non-verbal gestures: this is essential to adjust the race tactics.
‘Optimism: An intrinsic sense of optimism goes hand-in-hand with self-confidence and is another distinguishable personality trait of high-performing athletes. To be the best, an athlete must believe he can beat the best (and anything else that gets in his way). Don´t confuse confidence with arrogance.
An athlete who lacks an optimistic attitude isn’t likely to excel because they don’t expect to win fully. A successful athlete must believe that he will win and remain positive even when facing adversity.’
‘Poise under Stress: Athletes deal with countless sources of stress on a routine basis. From the pressure to perform well during competition or training to the stress caused by losing a race, getting injured, or struggling to master a skill, stress is an everyday part of an athlete’s life. A high-level athlete can perform and even thrive under stress and pressure to still come out victorious.
Natural Leadership: Even athletes who don’t take on roles as captains or co-captains will usually have some leadership traits. Quick decisions often need to be made in the heat of competition, and an athlete with leadership skills will be better prepared to take the initiative to make them, even in na individual sport.
Train hard, race smart.
Study. But don’t overthink.
Key idea: An HPA must have good genetic/natural conditions and develop them through an adequate training program (especially in youth age)
4/6 – Physical Abilities
This is a logical one. Every top athlete must have at least an average base condition. But as important as genetics is the life-learning process. And this starts from a very young age and must be consistently developed throughout life.
We will use the CF model to define the most important physical skills (Note: there are other valid models):
1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance – The ability of the body’s systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen
2. Stamina – The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy
3. Strength – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force
4. Flexibility
5. Power
6. Speed
7. Coordination
8. Agility
9. Balance
10. Accuracy
All of this is important to a Hybrid athlete. But, due to the nature of the sport, some are more relevant than others (1,2,3 and 6).
Why speed? Speed is what differentiates an elite endurance athlete from the average. All Endurance athletes can endure long efforts. But some can do the work faster!
An Hyrox race is the same for everyone (same category). But some take 60´, and others 90´. What is the difference? Speed of performance.
This being stated, don´t stay stuck to references! An athlete is more than the sum of his abilities.
The best way to prove this Point Of View is to show you real numbers. So, I will use my example, giving you some Key indicators for the sport of Hyrox (Strength, Endurance and metabolic. All updated as of now – DEC22)
40y old; 1.72m tall; 73kgs. Running VO2 … 70; Rest HR: 36; Máx HR: 175
1 RM Back Squat: 125kgs; 1 RM DL: 155 Kgs
Running: 5K: 16´40” / 10K: 34´
2k Row: 6´48” (1´42/500); 2K Ski: 6´56 (1´44/500)
100 Burpees FT: 4´30”. Máx WB unbk: 80
Best Hyrox Performance: under 58´
So, if you were to analyze and compare my stats with the world’s top 25-30 athletes, no one would bet on me to even do a top 10.
This proves that the physical indicators per se don´t predict the outcome. Sports performance is exactly like cooking:
You can have the same ingredients in similar amounts, but the final result can and will be completely different:
The heat of the fire (racing intensity and use of energy systems);
The way you stir (use your abilities and your technique);
Your focus, attention and timing (efficiency, drive, mindset)
The order that you put the ingredients (adaptation, intelligence and tactics);
The passion and love you put into the game.
Key Idea: To be a winner, you have got to love to win. Simple.
5/6 – Success Driven
You can have the potential to be a great athlete but to be one of the best you have got to be crazy in love with winning.
Drive is about following through, going the extra mile, striving for personal excellence and loving what you do.
A HPA must have an inner desire to succeed that drives him to put in his best effort each and every time. `No matter what it is that spurs on the drive — the roar of the crowd, the glint of the gold medal, the trip to the White House for the winners — the need to succeed must first come from within`.
Even if you see young kids playing you will notice that some don´t mind not losing and others don´t accept not winning (children must also learn to lose and be able to deal with defeat but a HPA should never accomodate to that feeling).
Focus: A strong athlete must be able to focus on their goals and the big picture, which helps them stay dedicated to their training. They must also be able to focus on the moment while competing and tune out anything that is happening in the stands with spectators or that might be occurring in their personal lives outside of their sport.
Skills can be taught, drive and passion can not.
Key Idea: Even in an individual sport, na HPA benefits from being a team player
6/6 – Comunity and Support
High-performing athletes all share a sense of belonging. For successful team players, this means feeling part of the team and knowing they play a valuable role. For individual athletes, this means knowing they belong amongst the best in the world — and maybe even the history books.
Whether it is the wife, husband, brothers, family in general; friends; training group/partners; having external support will help an athlete to grow. Commitment, incentive, sense of pride, all this factors work better if they are shared. The same is true while overcoming adversities like injuries or poor performances.
Sharing is caring.
