4 Best Ways to Train as an Athlete, According to 5 Master Coaches
First and foremost, the true best way to train is specific to each individual and their goals. The nuts and bolts of what an athlete does day in and day out can easily vary greatly from one person to the next. However, there are still some best practices that cover us all. To find out what they are, we spoke with five Spartan Master Coaches to get their take on the best way to crush your training.
What Are the Best Training Techniques?
1. Bodyweight and Hard
It goes without saying: Strength training with resistance will always be one of the best ways to train, but mastery of bodyweight comes first.
“I like to do HIIT-style bodyweight workouts," CrossFit athlete and Spartan Master Coach Meg Reardon says. "That means hard intervals and short periods of rest. It doesn’t have to be complex, just show up and do the work."
Related: Spartan FIT Coach Q&A: Meg Reardon Will Help You Channel Your Inner Competitor
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Try one of Meg’s tough bodyweight workouts: The 3x10
Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.
— 10 burpees
— 10 squat jumps
— 10 palm plank jacks
2. Light and Right
One of the biggest mistakes that coaches and trainers see time and time again is jumping into things too aggressively. That could mean loading up weights that are too heavy or logging too many miles too quickly. When it comes to strength training, Spartan Coach Gabe Snow is all about perfection before putting up big numbers.
“I believe in using dynamic movement to challenge the body first, and then using loads (weights) later in a program,” Gabe says. “I don't focus on how much a client increases the amount of pounds or kilos they push or pull, but mainly on how they control the weight."
Related: 3 Time Under Tension Techniques to Build More Muscle
Put his philosophy into practice by starting our 30-Day RECOMP’D program — 30 days of training to build your body from the ground up with Coach Gabe.
3. Fast and Explosive
Former professional athlete and Spartan Master Coach Poppy Livers was an underdog his whole life. He was forced to out-train everyone. How did he get himself (and his clients) ahead? He focuses on speed and power.
“I believe in training like an athlete, so that means full body, functional movements to be quick and powerful,” Poppy says. “I love plyometrics, and I want to build that motor."
Try one of Poppy’s elite-level explosive power circuits:
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds. Rest 30 seconds. Repeat for 3 rounds.
A1: Two dumbbell clean to step-up (left side) x 30 seconds
A2: Two dumbbell clean to step-up (right side) x 30 seconds
A3: Box jump to single-leg land (alternating) x 30 seconds
Related: Do This Workout: Get Better or Get Beat With Poppy Livers
Stay tuned for our release of a signature power program on the Spartan FIT app with Poppy. Download the app now.
4. Focused and Functional
Always ask yourself this: Does what I’m doing have a functional purpose?
“I learned a lot about training from playing sports, my own journey, and from being around others in the industry,” Spartan Master Coach Trevor Franklin says. “I want my clients to be strong, but to also understand that their strength has a greater purpose, and the strength that we build together helps them excel in everything outside the gym."
Related: These Three 30-Second Kettlebell Flows Will Test Your Fitness
Try this out with one of Trevor’s functional kettlebell flows, the single-leg deadlift to row to snatch. Perform each exercise of the flow for one repetition, then move to the next exercise and then the next for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat for 5 rounds. Check out two more of Trevor’s flows here.
5. Sustainable
“The way that I approach fitness is similar to how I approach certain things in life," Spartan Master Coach Jason Markland says. "I think about longevity.”
Related: The 10 Best Exercises for a Dynamic Warm-Up
Translation: take your warm-ups, cool downs, mobility sessions, and active recovery days just as seriously as your toughest workouts (if not more seriously).
Come train with some of the world’s best coaches. Download the Spartan FIT app today!
