Sports Psychology

Athletes and Training Routines

Practice Makes Perfect Perhaps you’ve heard the saying “Everyone wants to look like a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift heavy weights.” We all wish that success could come easily: imagine if we could instantly play an instrument just by picking it up, or get a passing grade without taking tests, or get to jump in any sports car we see and drive it as fast as possible. Sports psychologists know as well as anyone that turning goals into reality requires sacrifice, which can take on many forms: former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe began lifting weights every day in the eighth grade; former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant counted his shots in every practice until he hit 400; NHL star Nathan MacKinnon doesn’t eat desserts or drink soda during the October-to-April hockey season. they are all but impossible for an average person. Mixed martial arts fighter George St. Pierre would lose 15 pounds in just four days prior to a match. Boxer Timothy Bradley jumped up stairs with 150-pound weights on his back. NFL player Ray Lewis would spend 90 minutes running through sand at full speed. Cyclist Lance Armstrong pushed his heart rate to over 180 beats per minute for four twenty-minute blocks. Swimmer Michael Phelps consumed 12,000 calories per day (the equivalent of 20 Big Macs) while training. The sports world is full of stories of training or practice routines that ultra-competitive athletes take part in to become the best in the world. These routines are so challenging that

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Sports Psychology