One of the biggest top trends currently in the fitness industry is being a weekend warrior. There are more events, leagues and races available and participation in those areas are at an all time high.
Weekend warrior fitness events can be fun if you are prepared
If you’re honest, are you the kind of weekend warrior who will train for an event or do you just go out and play or participate? Are you working on a regular basis, so you can finish your race or competition well, or are you barely getting by?
Most weekend warriors participate with friends and enjoy the feeling they get from competing in a race, tournament or another event.
How do you feel the next day? Are you exhausted, barely able to move for days or maybe even weeks?
However, they are left feeling exhausted, sore and maybe even injured.
Let’s look at what areas you can being addressing today to be a more successful weekend warrior, so you can return to work and to regular life afterwards without pain and discomfort. It’s time to take care of your engine now so you can push on demand whenever you would like.
The 5 Secrets of a Successful Weekend Warrior
1. Resting and Recovery Heart Rate
You don’t have to be a regular marathon runner to improve your resting and recovery heart rates. Regular cardiovascular exercise can improve each of these stats. Even just 30 minutes a few days a week of purposeful cardiovascular work can improve your resting and recovery heart rate.
The more capable your heart is to recover, the more efficient your system will become. This will allow you to be able to participate in more events and to become more successful and perform better.
2. Balanced Flexibility
Improved flexibility that is balanced from one side to the other will allow you to move more freely and more efficiently. This one secret will allow you the ability to push your body in any event on demand. This will also reduce your risk of injury and soreness during and after participation as well.
3. Optimal Range of Motion
Having optimal range of motion in all joints will also reduce injury when participating in weekend warrior type events. Focusing on building strength through this optimal range of motion will allow you to perform better and to have a more satisfying experience in any event you chose to participate in.
If there is an imbalance of muscle tightness from one side to the other, the joints can be directly affected by being off-set which can create pinching of nerves and other discomfort. This imbalance and off-set of joint position can affect your performance in the activities you love and can also lead to future injury.
4. Trained Endurance
Trained endurance doesn’t necessarily mean you have to train like a marathoner. To be a successful weekend warrior you don’t have to always train like a professional. The key is to train your heart and your system on a regular basis to allow you to push on demand and recover well.
Maybe you hate running, but you love the elliptical. If you regularly perform interval training on an elliptical, it will transfer to your body’s ability to push and recover while running. Allowing your body to get into the routine of recovering while still moving will make you more efficient when you chose to participate in an event.
5. Improved Overall Recovery
When you finish any event or tournament, you will be sore. You will typically push harder than you ever did in any workout or training routine due to the adrenaline that is produced naturally. What is important is how fast are you recovering even though you are pushing harder?
When you can recover faster overall, it allows you to get back to work, family and life quicker and will make participation more enjoyable overall. Overall recovery is vital to reducing injury as well which will lead to the ability to increasing your ability to participate in the events you love!
Implement These Secrets Today
Today is the day. If you continue to wait, your next race won’t be as successful as it could be. The choice is yours! If you want to be more competitive, increase your overall enjoyment of participation and increase your ability to do what you love then don’t waste any more time implementing these five secrets.
Our coaches are here to help you make you get the most out of your training. Their goal is to help you be a successful weekend warrior! Contact us today and we will make your next event your best event!