Why Non-Athletes Should Train For High Performance
If you follow me, then you know I’m a huge advocate of non-athletic people (aka the general population) training for high performance. If you’re wondering what high performance looks like for a non-athlete then keep reading. High performance training for non-athletes is built on eight pillars, but before I get to that I want to talk about athletic training, and why I don’t advocate for it for non -athletes.
Today, athletes are modern-day celebrities. Many of us are aware of their super max contracts, personal woes, diets, and, of course, training regimens. As a result, everyone and their parents are committed to "training like an athlete," quite simply because it looks and sounds cool. “Train like an athlete!" “Become athletic!” “Train like (insert elite athletes name here) and become the best!” It’s everywhere, and look, even I’m guilty of it. But, what does that actually mean? Athletes train for very specific tasks because they are paid to do so. Basketball players train to make shots, defend well, and/or contribute a high in-game IQ. Bodybuilders train for size and a lean physique. Powerlifters train for maximal strength. You get the point, athletes are training for specific tasks, tasks that non-athletes largely don't need to train for at an elite level.
As a non-athlete, training like a bodybuilder, basketball player, or powerlifter is not only unnecessary but it’s also naive. Why? Well, what is the purpose training? Simply put, the purpose of training is to physically prepare for a specific environment. As a non-athlete, is your environment similar to that of a basketball player? Bodybuilder? Powerlifter? Probably not. Your environment is highly variable.
Beyond environmental variability, we have to also consider longevity. My main training principle is to train for longevity. We all want to maximize the time we have here with what we can control. We can control our movement, training, diets, recovery, stress management, and so on. So much lies in our hands. To put it simply, athletes and longevity don’t mix. Athletes don’t train for longevity, they train for short term results. The average bodybuilder life expectancy is forty-seven years old. Basketball players, and other field sport athletes, are at increased risk for joint related injury. I hypothesize that this is due to the these athletes specializing in movement patterns as well as their physical unpreparedness for their sports variability. To be fair, many athletes are coached and trained poorly; it is their own genetic edge that keeps them in the game at a high level. I digress.
The point is, copying an athletes training program and routine is naive. If you’re not an athlete, it’s best you don’t train like one. Why? Because your environment and longterm goals don’t call for it. Remember, training is problem solving. And of course, you’re still wonder, “how do I train for high performance?” Well, this is where the eight pillars come in.
The eight pillars of high performance training
Squat
Hinge
Push
Pull
Run
Jump
Carry
Balance Coordination
As a human, athlete or not, you use these seven movement patterns every single day. The difference is, as a non-athlete you need to be a generalist, not a specialist. You have to be prepared for the unknown. If life were a sport, it would be the most variable of them all. Many people are unprepared for these movement patterns. Some lack the strength and others lack the motor skills, but regardless of what it is, non-athletes’ time is best spent mastering and progressing these movements and skills. Not only will your life be fuller because of it, but you’ll be physically and mentally prepared for nearly anything life throws your way and look fantastic while you’re at it. If you remember anything from this article remember these three things:
Understand why you’re training.
Training is problem solving.
Be a generalist not a specialist.
