With Super Bowl 52 upon us, we can not only celebrate these phenomenal athletes, but gain some insight into how these sportsmen have reached their professional pinnacle.
Here are seven quotes from the stars (some former) of this weekend’s Super Bowl – the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles
“We have the most passionate fans. You can see it in the stadium. You can see it around town. It’s something special”
Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
Having a positive support network like family and friends to drive you towards your goals can massively impact your outcome.
In fact, a study in the journal Nature Communications showed that training with a friend means that you’ll work much harder than you normal would. Show off.
Use your own personal “passionate fans” to drive you to success like the Philadelphia Eagles’ fans do.
“There’s such a drive with him. You either have it or you don’t. He does and his potential is unlimited”
DeMeco Ryans on Mychal Kendricks of the Philadelphia Eagles.
At the same time, your buddies aren’t going to be perched on your shoulder every moment like your personal Jiminy Cricket.
Motivating your conscience to do better and make the right choices to reach your fitness goal will ultimately come down to you.
The University of Illinois found that one way to increase your drive if you ever find it fleeting is to ask yourself a question.
“Will I achieve my goal? Will I exercise today?”
For some reason, this was more successful than telling yourself, “I will exercise today and reach my goal”
While positive affirmations were also found to help you reach your target, asking questions seemed to have the psychological edge for getting things done.
“There will be a time to reflect back and count them up, but… I’m still chasing. It’s a new season; I’m still chasing it.”
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Don’t rest on your laurels. If you’ve achieved the level of fitness or the body that you desire, you know how quickly it can be snatched away from you.
Those rippling abs and increased lung capacity you’ve nailed can be undone in a matter of weeks.
A poor diet combined with inactivity and you’ll quickly be separated from your newfound fitness.
But, this also applies to the past. Reflecting on your mistakes for too long can be a pointless way to hold yourself back.
Draw a line under it and grab this new day with both hands. It’s time to look forward and get excited.
“I think the great part about what I do is that there’s a scoreboard. At the end of every week, you know how you did. You know how well you prepared. You know whether you executed your game plan. There’s a tangible score”
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
This is a biggie.
Mr Brady has this quote spot-on.
How many people with fitness aspirations do you know that attack their target with the focus of a headless chicken?
How many calories did they consume? Did they get stronger this workout? Did they achieve the distance on their run a little faster than last time?
Who knows, and what doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get managed.
You need a tangible goal with measurable steps for getting there. You wouldn’t get on a plane where the pilot was winging it towards your destination and hoping for the best.
Track every workout – if you’re lifting weights, note down every exercise, weights and reps.
For your cardio, track your speed, time, distance or whatever measurable you like.
For your nutrition, download MyFitnessPal and find out what you’re REALLY eating. No more telling fibs with a shocked face about how you “eat so clean, but just can’t seem to shift the weight”
If you can track it, you can make adjustments and purposefully progress towards your target.
“The week preceding the game is just as important, if not more important, to prepare yourself mentally to make sure you know the ins and outs of the opposition.”
Tedy Bruschi, New England Patriots legend
Preparation is key to smashing through your fitness targets at the speed of a wide receiver.
The term, “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” isn’t just a cute play on words. It makes the difference physically and mentally.
Preparing your meals the week or night before you head to the office can be the difference between eating your nutritious, home-cooked meal and gorging on unhealthy snacks because it’s all you have available in the office.
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine confirms this as they found that more time spent on preparing meals at home was linked to a healthier diet overall.
Researchers hypothesized that this was because those who spent less time preparing were more likely to grab more convenient, unhealthier options.
Don’t be that person. Prep your food for the week on Sunday night and portion them out into the freezer. Reheat when you’re ready for all of the convenience with all of the health.
“I’m always striving to do more. Whatever I accomplish, it’s not enough. I don’t get satisfied”
Brian Dawkins, former Philadelphia Eagles safety
Brian Dawkins philosophy is simple – don’t rest on your laurels.
There’s a fine balance between never being happy, though, and giving yourself a pat on the back while you plan your next goal.
If you’ve reached an end-point, you’ll soon find you have no motivation to carry on if there’s nothing else left to achieve.
We humans being complicated creatures need purpose. What’s yours now?
When concocting a new goal, dig deep and ask yourself “why?” at least ten times. Why do you want to achieve this?
Keep peeling the layers off and your final answer is the real reason why.
If that answer doesn’t make you slightly emotional, pick another goal and start again.
“It’s going to a heck of a ride, and I’m looking forward to it”
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback
If you’re looking towards the end point before you’ve even started, then here’s some bad news; you’re going to struggle.
If you focus on actually enjoying the journey, you’ll have more patience and your adherence to exercise will improve.
It helps if you pick a form of exercise that you actually enjoy too.
In turn, you’re much more likely to reach your goal – all with a big smile on your face.
A study in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology found that participants who set themselves a goal before they embarked on their fitness journey, not only stuck to their plan, but also had more fun in doing so.
Set yourself a SMART goal before you get going for the best results.
S – specific
M – measurable
A – achievable
R – realistic
T – timed
Making sure your goal fits into the above five criteria sets you up for success with a smile.
Enjoy Superbowl LII and may your team prosper from the advice that they dished out to you
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