Someone once told me half-jokingly, “You have to work really, really hard just to be average at functional fitness.” Sometimes, some pretty real truths are revealed in half-jokes – this being no exception. As cliché as it may sound, the road to functional fitness glory is literally paved in blood, sweat, and tears. Everyone dreams of hitting that show-stopping heavy snatch under the lights of the Coliseum, but nobody dreams of sitting in the corner for hours on end hitting rowing interval after rowing interval until blisters start to bubble up under your fingers.
But that’s the harsh truth. The road to the top isn’t glorious. It takes a special type of individual — one that’s supremely self-motivated and dedicated to their craft. Here are just a few of the characteristics needed to join the upper echelon of the CF elite.
5 Things You Need to Be a Competitive Athlete
1. Laser Focus
I bet if you were to poll every Games-level athletes’ coach and ask them for the one trait that separates them from your average athlete, the overwhelming response would be that they possess a singular, laser-like focus. Saying someone has a singular focus is the nice way of saying they’re obsessed, but that’s exactly what they are. It’s not just about the workout – it’s a lifestyle.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgeyAnoDgU_/
Their world revolves around becoming the best in their sport. It’s not just about the few hours a day they put in at the gym but using every other opportunity away from the gym to help maximize their potential. This includes dialing in their recovery, nutrition, and sleep.
2. A Willingness to Suffer
This is a pain sport at heart. More than any other sport, the willingness to suffer is rewarded. There are a ton of different names for it — the pain cave, a dark place… Simply put, elite level athletes are more willing to spend their days in that dark place. It’s their home away from home. Their willingness to test their limits regularly is what allows them to consistently break them.
It takes an incredibly mentally strong individual to keep going back for more.
3. An Understanding of the Importance of Recovery
This is the hardest point to get across to young, starry-eyed athletes – the importance of proper recovery. Recovery is really an umbrella term. Everything from sleep and nutrition to bodywork and mobility can be considered recovery.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgzvojAhwG/
The bottom line is the effort spent inside the gym must be the same level of effort applied to recovery. This is arguably the biggest difference between the professionals and the wannabes. Proper recovery is what allows the pros to show up day after day and give their best effort. It’s what allows their muscles to rebuild and grow as they sleep. The aspiring Games athlete who doesn’t want to put in the extra time for recovery because it’s not as sexy or is boring is destined to fail.
Recovery is as big a piece of the puzzle as the workout itself.
4. The Determination to Hone Your Skills
Sure, those sweat-induced, chaotic workouts that quickly became the hallmark of the sport are the reason most of us became addicted to it in the first place. However, those can get you only so far in the competitive scene. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still important, but the serious athlete understands the importance of pumping the breaks and honing their skills.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwc8obNgxML/
This can be in the form of gymnastic skills, cyclical work, or building strength. Not every session should leave you on the floor like a child whose parents refused to buy him another Spider-Man toy. Which, if I’m being honest, can be very monotonous and boring. It’s something I’ve witnessed break a lot of “serious” competitors when they realized the road to progress isn’t as sexy as they had hoped.
Touches on intensity are important, but improving your skills, building a bigger engine, and getting stronger are the bedrock that help you excel in those intense moments.
5. Patience
The road to becoming an elite athlete in this sport is a long one. With so many skills to master, numbers to hit, and engines that need building, it’s no surprise it takes so long for an athlete to realize their potential.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_cVk6l9r6/
Even at the top of the food chain, the CF elite, they are constantly finding new things to work on – because there’s so much to do! There’s always an area in which you can improve on. This is always a hard sell but something the truly dedicated understand – it might take years for you to get where you want to be. It’s a long road filled with bouts in the pain cave, unforeseen setbacks, losing your “why” and the like, but the athletes that are truly successful in the sport know the payoff is there. They know there’s light at the end of the tunnel, even if they can’t always see it.
