What is the key to becoming a successful champion…

… besides amazing "God-given talent, a great coach and great players around you?

I’ll tell you.

A perfect training and conditioning program that starts 11 months before ever becoming a champion.

On Sunday night the Lakers won their 15th World Championship title, and Kobe Bryant’s fourth.  It was not the most exciting game ever but it was a real joy to watch Kobe Bryant put on another display of athleticism and domination.

Watching him leap into the air when the final buzzer sounded in the thrill of victory made me think back to an interview I read with him in Men’s Fitness last year about his off-season and in-season training programs.  Like him or not, you have to give the man credit for being where he’s at (on top of the world).  He has a work ethic second to none and has worked for the success he’s achieved.

His training program starts every year AFTER a season is over when he sits down with trusted coaches and discusses where he needs to work more and improve for the next season.  He then creates and implements a rigorous training program that will last all the way until the next season is over (almost a year) and he’s wearing another championship ring!

In the off-season he trains a total six hours per day, accumulating two hours of running drills, two hours of basketball practice, one hour of weight training and one more hour of cardiovascular training.

It’s this kind of determination, dedication, work ethic that creates champions.  What are you doing this off-season?  If you’re an athlete, are you following a well-designed, rigorous training program that will give your body the ability to dominate your sport?  If you’re not, if you’re just waiting until a month before your season to start getting into shape I can tell you that you’re not going to be successful (or at least not as successful as you could be if you were puting the time in early).

If you’re not an athlete but looking to be more physically fit, attractive, whatever, are you puting time in to get there.  You don’t need to train six hours per day but you do need to be moving forward in a personalized training program.

This is where Athlon Elite comes in.  Check out our off-season power development program for athletes: www.SLOSportsPerformance.com, or check out our specialized programs for non-athletes or weekend warriors looking to improve their conditioning: www.SLOFitnessResults.com.

When you plan ahead and put the work in you WILL accomplish everything you want, even when you’ve been unsuccessful in the past.

Until next time,

Ryan

P.S. Go check out the above websites and learn more about how you can truly accomplish your goals and achieve that which you dream of, www.SLOSportsPerformance.com and www.SLOFitnessResults.com.