14 Jul You Better Work, Queen: The Secret to Being Successful in Sports
I have a secret.
It’s so ludicrous, so out of this world, so mind blowing and awesome, I don’t think you can handle it.
Dare I tell you?
Can you handle it?
Okay, okay.
Here it is: you’ll get to where you need to go with consistency.
‘Wait, that’s it?’ you ask.
Yes, that’s it. It’s that simple.
It’s nothing revolutionary.
It won’t win a Grammy.
It’s not wizardry.
Nor is it going to get a Nobel Piece Prize.
Consistency is all it takes to leveling up in physical training and becoming the fastest, most robust, most explosive beast on the pitch.
So you better work, Queen.
Those muscles aren’t going to build themselves.
Your ACL won’t be protected if you miss a month of workouts.
Your speed won’t be blistering if you flip flop programs.
Your power won’t develop if you’re scrolling workouts on Instagram.
You better work, Queen.
It’s funny because everyone thinks I have this crazy secret to staying in the best shape, being explosive, and maintaining my vibrancy.
And when it comes to my clients, everyone thinks my current female athletes become resilient queens by me tapping a wand and sprinkling fair dust on them.
This is so far from the truth that it pains me people think there have been shortcuts and cutting corners along the way.
Consistency with the basics has always been the secret recipe to their training. In other words, committing to strength training a few times a week for years.
Not one week.
Not as a come-as-you-please basis.
Not even a few months.
My best, most successful female athletes have dedicated their careers to becoming their strongest selves, starting in middle school and going into college and beyond.
They see training just like everything else in life: consistently working hard in academics, hobbies, creative pursuits, and jobs and internships.
Why would physical training be any different?
Why is it when it comes to building your body you think there’s some program where you can cheat and escape the difficult work?
Why is it when it comes to improving performance measures like speed, strength and conditioning you think there’s an easy way out?
Having good health, a strong body, and a capable one are hard to do, Queen.
Simple is hard. Consistency is hard. So buckle up.
It’s a tough, stale pill to swallow, but the best athletes do the dirty, gritty work when no one was watching. They realize it’s an all-in ordeal that takes an insatiable desire to get better.
Mia Hamm ran sprints on her off days.
Rose Lavelle practiced her nutmegs on her off days.
Alex Morgan practiced her finishing on her off days.
Marta Vieira da Silva worked on her glute and hamstring strength on her off days.
Just like these ladies, you better work, Queen.
“But, but Erica I don’t have time to do all of this extra physical training,” you say.
Make the time.
There are a thousand physical programs out there you can Google, or here, have mine: Total Youth Soccer Fitness 365 and get after it.
You don’t need your parents to drive you to a gym, and you can do the workouts in the comfort of your own home, and even in your flannels. ;-O
If becoming a better player, athlete and human are important to you, the mundane, day-to-day work, year-round shouldn’t phase you.
So then, it becomes more about starting, keeping your momentum, and committing your life to your strength.
Not just for sports, but also, for when sports end and all you have left is your resilient self.
You better work, Queen.
I know you will.
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