Define Your Prime Athlete
Athleticism is a continuum. That’s right. You don’t need to be a Pro to be defined as an athlete. To me, we all perform in some capacity every day of our lives, which means we are all athletes. You might not be facing an NFL defensive line at the end zone, but you are power cleaning a barbell, running a 5K, or paddling into a wave. Whether your activity is exercising or a hobby, you are performing just like any other athlete.
And while the world has freaks of nature, like Usain Bolt’s speed or Hafthor Bjornsson’s raw strength, maybe you don’t have those aspirations. You might not want to give up the lifestyles required to be the 1%. Because I’ll be honest, being the best can mean living a pretty restrictive life. If that’s your dream, we can work to get there. But if it’s not, THAT’S OKAY!
What’s important is defining the athlete YOU want to be. Consider all the types of athletes that exist, with the different performance characteristics, body types, health risk factors, etc. I want you to decide what is most important to you. Only then will you be motivated to pursue that outcome.
This is what I like to call your Prime Athlete. It describes an athletic profile that possesses the characteristics that you decide are most important to you. Your Prime Athlete profile should make you feel confident in your ability to move, perform, lift… whatever verb you want to use. The profile should make you feel proud of your abilities, healthy and risk-free of chronic disease, and resilient to overcome your obstacles.
You might’ve seen one of my favorite quotes from Socrates about the “beauty and strength” of the human body on my About page. I truly believe learning your “beauty and strength” can have a profound impact on your self-esteem and confidence; but you’ll only experience your “beauty and strength” if you define what that beauty is to you. You’ll only feel strong when you decide what strengthens you. Your Prime Athlete should feature everything you deem significant and vital to how you wish to perform in life.
So, to finish with a little exercise, I want you to think hard about how you want to perform in life. What’s important to you? What do you want to be able to do, accomplish, or feel? And get specific! Do you want to join the Powerlifting Century Club? Maybe you’re a runner who wants to specialize in speed or endurance. Or, perhaps, you want to do it all – run a 6-minute mile and lift heavy weights. Once you understand what defines your Prime Athlete, you can start developing the lifestyle that supports your pursuit for those goals. And I’ll be there to help along the way.