Skimp on any of these and “being the best you can be” no longer lives as an option.
“Here’s how to reach your athletic potential:
Acquire a PhD in your sport(s).
Compound your Sport IQ with Effort.
Prioritize Strength & Speed Training (Year Round).
Sleep like your life depends on it.
Eat like an adult.
Treat Hydration like a job.
Control what you can.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter”
Everybody says they want to be the best they can be, right?
The problem is that many disqualify themselves from even the opportunity of being the best they can be. They put sanctions on themselves from the get go.
If you do in fact want to be the best you can be and get the most out of yourself, here is the formula:
Acquire a PhD in your sport(s) – You must study the game. High Sport IQ is a foundational requirement. If you know and understand it better than anybody, you give yourself a chance to separate yourself.
Compound IQ with Effort – While 1 & 2 are important, I’d put an even larger emphasis on this one. Once you understand the game within the game, now apply a ferocious amount of effort to the technical & tactical aspects of your sports.
Prioritize Strength & Speed Training Year-Round – 1 & 2 sounded great, right! Number 3 is where a lot of people fall off the wagon. Of course “sports” is the fun part, but in order to be the best, consistently enhancing your general athletic traits so they can be applied in specific environments (sports) is a non-negotiable requirement.
Sleep like your life depends on it – Can you be a kid and stay up late with your friends every now and then? Of course. But if that’s the standard practice, you don’t value being the best you can be. You only value the idea. SLEEP.
Eat like an adult – Do you really think that Chips & Gatorade is the fuel to get the most out of your body? Is eating garbage going to take you to the top? You can “get away with it” but you won’t get anywhere near your potential eating like a small child.
Treat hydration like a job – If you’re an athlete, you need to be taking in quality fluids all day. Not sodas and bullshit. Water, salt, electrolytes, etc. This is stupid easy. Not prioritizing hydration is outwardly saying you don’t care.
Control what you can – Life is full of uncontrollables. There is no value in trying to control what you can’t. Instead, control what you can. It works a lot better. Focus less on your “lack of height” and more on not being lazy.
