Jan 29, 2015In the End, Just Enough
By Vern Gambetta
As athletes ready for the Olympic Game, it represents the culmination of four years of training. As these athletes wind down their training schedules, I began thinking about the final phases of preparation and what needs to be done to put the finishing touches on training as an athlete readies for their target.
It can be summed up in a quite succinctly—just enough! Do just enough work to allow the years of preparation to be applied. In the final phase of training what isn’t done may be more important that what is done.
That last hard workout is in most cases not necessary, do just enough to get tired, calm the nerves and fine tune. Now is the time to reap the harvest of the hard work from the career buildup.
Seldom, if ever, can anything be done in the final preparation stages that will directly impact performance in a positive manner. Be confident in your preparation and focus on competing. This is where the art of coaching is most important.
— If you are intrigued by the thoughts of veteran conditioning coach Vern Gambetta, you will want a copy of his exciting new book, Following the Functional Path: Building and Rebuilding the Athlete. —
Vern Gambetta, MA, is President of Gambetta Sports Training Systems in Sarasota, Fla. The former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox, he has also worked extensively with basketball, soccer, and track and field athletes. He is a frequent contributor to Training & Conditioning. Vern also maintains his own blog. To purchase a book containing a collection of his writings, click here.
