When I was younger, I wanted to perform like an elite athlete. I wanted to be Sir Steve Redgrave. I joined my local rowing club and spent my teenage years training up to 20 hours a week. At 17, I got injured and have not been able to row since. My dream lives on, however: I still want to train and perform like an elite athlete. Luckily, being able to train like an elite athlete has become easier in recent years. Using the advice from Professor Greg Whyte– brand ambassador for Bullet and Bone (https://twitter.com/search?q=greg%20whyte&src=typd). I have learned that to perform like an elite athlete, you must focus on preparation and recovery. This means using a multifactorial, sound base of training techniques. Despite being injured, my training regime has never been better. This is with the help of Greg’s advice and four invaluable products.
PERFORM LIKE AN ELITE ATHLETE: THE WARM-UP
In the words of Julie Andrews, ‘let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start’. If you want to perform like an elite athlete, then you need to start your work out correctly: by warming up. Greg Whyte discloses that an elite athlete’s warm-up should be specific. If you are training your glutes, then focus your warm up on this area!
Similarly, the warm-up shouldn’t just be about physical preparation, but mental preparation too. Mental preparation is accessed through ritual. Therefore an ideal warm-up might look something like this:
- Activate your muscles using a muscle rub.
- Prepare your skin using a moisturiser.
- Open your airways using a vapour rub.
- Jog on the treadmill for 10 minutes at a mediocre pace
So the first three steps of this warm-up are not physical, but more mental. The smell and action of applying these products act as a mental trigger to get you mentally prepared for your workout. However, if you use the right products, you will also benefit from the product’s purpose too!
PERFORM LIKE AN ELITE ATHLETE: PERFORMANCE
Professional athletes often use products in order to help them achieve marginal gains during their performance. Like with the warm-up, in order to perform like an elite athlete, the ritual is key. Interestingly, we recommend using a vapour rub during your performance. The smell of peppermint, that gives Vapour Rub its distinction aroma stimulates the brain, making you more alert and increases your accuracy. As a result, vapour rubs are good during key moments, for example, penalty shoot-outs!
PERFORM LIKE AN ELITE ATHLETE: THE COOL-DOWN
Greg Whyte believes that the cool-down is the preparation for the next warm-up, so is very, very important! Even though professional sportsmen often use ice baths, for many of us, this is unfeasible. However, using a cooling body wash is often the next best alternative! These specialised body washes aim to recover your muscles in a similar way to ice baths. The good news is they are a fraction of the price!
In order to recover in the best way possible, it is also necessary to apply a muscle rub after your shower. In some products, ingredients, such as ginger, act as an anti-inflammatory, which allows your muscles to recover quickly and properly. The way you apply muscle rub is also important for your recovery process. Massaging soft tissue increases blood flow, which further improves recovery.
PERFORM LIKE AN ATHLETE: IN-BETWEEN WORKOUTS
In order to perform like an athlete, it is important to look after your body in-between workouts. Eating healthy is important, but what many people forget, it is to hydrate! Some of my favourite products to use are naturally flavoured protein waters https://drink-vieve.co.uk or naturally flavoured sports drinks https://activeroot.co.uk
I prefer to use these products because of the natural ingredients. They assist in the marginal gains that I aim to achieve as an amateur athlete.
So from this, I guess you could say that in order to perform like an elite athlete, you need to train like one and in order to train like an elite athlete, the ritual is key. If you would like to use some of the products recommended, Bullet and Bone Active Care is highly suggested. They use only natural ingredients and the products aim to assist amateur athletes to achieve marginal gains with every workout.
For more information, see what else Professor Greg Whyte has to say about how to perform like an elite athlete as well as the benefits of Bullet and Bone products.
https://vimeo.com/getbroadcasting/review/305070117/3596293b62
https://vimeo.com/getbroadcasting/review/305069634/b1762ec887