Avoid These Mistakes for Maximum Performance

- Justin Levine

 As a coach to many endurance athletes, I am always advising my athletes to better and more efficient training methods.  I want to build a platform for success for the athletes I coach.  From my experiences, I have run into common mistakes endurance athletes are making on a daily basis.  Correcting these mistakes can dramatically enhance performance, reduce injury and put you on the path to a successful training plan.  Here are 5 mistakes endurance athletes are making:

Not lifting any weights.  If you know who I am, you know a passion of mine is to teach and educate endurance athletes proper training practices.  And this is not just swim, bike and run training, it is implementing a correct functional strength program into the routine.  I know many endurance athletes that disregard leg work in the gym because they “do enough biking or running”.  Biking and running are great but if you want to maximize your biking and running performance you need to implement correct strength training.  Most endurance athletes think lifting weights will get them bulky and inflexible.  But in all actuality a balanced strength program will enhance your performance, reduce injury, build explosiveness and correct imbalances.  Overuse injuries occur because most endurance athletes are not functionally strong and balanced.  They can swim, bike and run all day long but have them do a push-up or a chin-up and it will be extremely tough.  You need to be a strong athlete all around.  Endurance athletes need stable shoulders and hips, strong glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps, a stable lumbar spine and an activated inner core structure.  When you think of lifting weights to enhance your performance do not think of “body part training”.  Instead, think of training movements to have balance and create a systematic approach using hip mobility drills, shoulder stabilizing exercises, knee dominant and hip dominant movements for the lower body, pulling and pressing variations for the upper body and core stabilization work.  What you do in the gym will assist you to maximize your performance out on the road.  

Not eating enough protein.  Again, this is another habitual mistake amongst endurance athletes.  The common endurance athlete definitely eats plenty of carbohydrates:  Pastas, fruits, breads, vegetables, and rice are your main source of energy throughout the week.  It is vital to eat adequate amounts of healthy carbohydrates to fuel the muscles.  This is your main energy source but it is also very crucial to eat ample amounts of protein.  Protein will assist in increasing lean muscle mass, burn unwanted body fat and help you recover faster and more efficient after long training sessions.  When you have more lean mass and less body fat, you race faster.  I have clients who suffer in their workouts and do not recover properly because they are eating a low amount of protein.  A general guideline for protein intake is eating at least ½ - ¾ of a gram per pound of body weight.  So a 150-pound female should eat between 75-112 grams of protein a day.  The higher volume of training someone is performing the more protein should be consumed throughout the day.  Types of protein that should be in your diet include: eggs, lean turkey, chicken, lean read meat, fish, cheese, healthy raw nuts, natural peanut butter and whey protein.  Figure out your nutrient needs and you will increase your performance.

Overtraining.  Most endurance athletes are “A” type individuals and want to do everything it takes to increase their performance.  Too many athletes spend way too much time spinning their tires and they never improve.  They dig themselves into a deep overtraining hole.  They are constantly training hard but the question is, “are they training smart and efficient?”  I learned that training smart and not “hard” is definitely the way to go.  You must be able to assess your body and know if you have symptoms of overtraining.  Interrupted or inconsistent sleep, nagging injuries, lack of performance, daily fatigue, decrease in appetite, lack of motivation to train and persistent muscle soreness are just a few symptoms of overtraining.  You must schedule rest days in your training regimen.  Remember training should be fun, positive and keep you healthy and unless you are a professional, this is not your profession, so you need to know when your body is breaking down.  When you get to that point take some time to rest and recover, which brings me to my next point.

Rest/Recover/Regenerate.  This is also a limiter to increasing your performance.  You have to remember that no matter how many training hours you put in if you get hurt, you can’t train.  When you can’t train you cannot get better.  So resting and recovering is an important aspect that needs attention.  You must schedule active rest days and complete days off during the week.  The body is not meant to train 24 hours, 7 days a week.  You need time to get off your feet, rest your mind and rest your body.  If you do not schedule rest and recovery time you will quickly burn out and will lose the motivation to train and ultimately get hurt.  Getting adequate sleep is also very important for recovery.  It is mandatory for all athletes to sleep at least 7-9 hours every night.  At rest is when your body will regenerate and get stronger.  Be disciplined to get your sleep.  Along with rest days during the week it is crucial to schedule rest weeks during your training plan.  The typical guideline is to build for three weeks and then back the volume off on that fourth week.  I usually recommend someone to back off training at least 40% on that rest week.  Keep the workouts short and intense.  Foam rolling and massage, consistent stretching, active release techniques, listening to music, napping and ice baths are just a few recovery techniques that must be implemented into your training regimen on a daily basis. Think of training as a pie graph; we need to balance that graph out in order to reap the full benefits of our training.  The body can be a finely tuned machine but if it is consistently broken down you will not be able to get to the level you set out for.  So pay attention and listen to your body.

 Forgetting post-workout nutrition.  I have many athletes that I train that workout extremely hard.  Then I ask them what their nutrition plan is immediately after the workout is over and they give me a blank stare.  Most people will wait or forget to eat after a workout is completed.  You are defeating the whole purpose of working out if you do not have a post-workout meal planned.  Remember it is at rest when the body will build and get stronger.  When you workout you break down muscle tissue and deplete muscle glycogen.  In order to recover properly and start preparing yourself for your next workout you absolutely need a post-workout recovery meal.  The timing of this meal is very important.  You have a 30-minute window following a workout to replenish what your body depleted during the workout.  Some good, quick choices to choose from are: 8 ounces of low fat chocolate milk, a whey protein shake, a piece of fruit with a glass of milk or a protein bar that is a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein.  Once you get in your post-workout meal within 30 minutes then you can have a more substantial meal like a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, a lean chicken breast with some brown rice and vegetables or some yogurt with a serving of fruit.  You will see the difference in your training, your performance and your overall vitality by being consistent with your post-workout nutrition plan.   

If you can work on not making these mistakes you will see your performance jump to the next level.  Put in the time, be disciplined, properly fuel yourself, rest when it is needed and stay positive.  You are on your way!  

If you have any questions, please email me anytime at justinlevine03@hotmail.com. 

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