How many of you give yourself a pat on the back if you wake up in the morning and get to the gym or fit in that 30 minutes of cardio a day. If I manage to get my heart rate up a few times a week I’m pretty proud of myself. Some of you might be a little better at pushing yourselves and get in an hour or more a day of cardio and weights but I don’t think there are many of us who do half of what some of these Olympians do.
I’m not sure how many of you have been watching the Olympics and happened to hear about some of the workout regimes they have but I am amazed at their strength and drive. I know they are there for a reason and they wouldn’t be without the dedication and hard work they put into their bodies building up to the big games but listen to this. Apollo Ohno was fitting in four workouts a day and each workout was two hours long. Thats eight hours a day of working out…it’s a full time job! Can any of you imagine what kind of shape we could be in if we could fit in that kind of workout even a few times a month? He was hitting the gym hard with a lot of heavy leg workouts and sprinting up steep incline mountains and keeping up his cardio. When you watch him compete you know he has put so much time and effort into his body and training because he makes what he does look effortless.
So next time you wake up in the morning and can’t find the drive to get to the gym or can’t find the energy to even do a workout at home, think about what it takes to be amazing, to be an Olympian, and know that for us average Joe’s just thirty-sixty minute workout a day is just fine.
We’re in the thick of winter. With blizzards and record low temps across the country so far, people are hiding out indoors more than normal. While many use the weather as an excuse to get comfortable and neglect their workouts, I suggest you use this time to hit it hard. Emerge from hibernation a changed person. People will be wondering how you spent your holidays when you shed your sweaters and bulky pants to reveal a newly toned and fit body.