Athletes are the best conditioned and fittest people because they have to be. After all, it’s their job to make their bodies perform at the highest level. The average gym rat generally aspires to have the structure and functional ability of the athlete, but very rarely achieves that goal.

Now, of course, it’s the athlete’s full-time job to be the top-performing, well-oiled machine to entertain a well-paid fan base every week. However, the average gym rat who spends a ton of money on gym memberships, supplements, and workout gear never quite resembles the athlete who develops the body of a Greek god. Now you can blame it on genetics, money, and time, and all of these traits are important, but I’ve trained normal tax-paying citizens to look like Greek gods without gym memberships, supplements, or a ton of equipment. of training. The difference comes down to two factors, the discipline and the training method.

You see most gym rats go to the gym and do some arm curls with their fancy little iPod strapped to their biceps. Some reps on the bench, some lateral pulls, and if they really get fired up, they can do some squats. You see the difference in the athlete and the gym rat is definitely the training method, but having the tough discipline to engage in it most days and at high intensity. Athletes don’t have to spend two and a half hours in the gym. In fact, when I worked at UGA, the maximum time spent in the weight room was never more than an hour. Now, having said that, they dedicated their time to conditioning and practice. Most people don’t want to train like athletes because that’s how you should train if you’re playing “football” or if you want to be a “wrestler.” This is a lazy excuse and it is where I say don’t complain when your goals of reaching that level are not met.

Remember, if you want to learn to fight, learn from a well-trained fighter, if you want to shoot, learn from a marksman, and if you want to be in the best shape of your life, well, I don’t consider myself a bad resource.