A top athlete, like LeBron James, “trains” six to eight hours a day during the season (not including games) and four to six hours in the ten minutes that comprise his off-season.
A lot goes into “training,” including skills, practice, strength and conditioning, flexibility and mobility, recovery and treatment, film study and mental preparation, nutrition, and more.
Fortunately, he has help from . . .
- Personal trainer(s)
- Nutritionist/dietitian
- Strength and conditioning coach
- Basketball skills coach
- Physiotherapist/physical therapist
- Massage therapist
- Recovery specialist
- Sleep specialist
- Sports psychologist
- Team doctors and medical staff
- Biomechanist/movement specialist
- Personal chef
- Yoga or flexibility instructor
I don’t know whether to be awed or exhausted just reading all that.
All of which leads me to make a couple of observations.
- There are other athletes with physical gifts similar to LeBron.
- At his level, many have access to similar levels of support and training
- What they lack is the mental toughness required to do the work.
You and I aren’t like LeBron in so many ways. But what would happen if we brought more mental toughness? If we actually “trained” for what we get paid to do instead of just doing it. If we tapped into experts vs. “going with what we know?”
Something to think about.