Achieving success is not an easy task, at least for most of us. For the athlete to achieve success, it may take many years of hard work and dedication. If the goal is to become competitive and achieve success at the highest levels of competition, like the Olympic Games, the time it takes may be much longer. However, even at the elementary stages of participation, success is accomplished by focusing on one major factor: Improving Your Weaknesses.
Most successful athletes have some type of natural talent which allows them to progress quickly. However, although some parts of the sport may come easy, there are other parts of the sport that may be very challenging.
For many sports that entail several or many different physical attributes to accomplish, this is a common scenario. For example, the sport of gymnastics has different apparatus which requires totally different physical attributes to achieve. Tumbling, for example, has no physical relation to pommel horse in men’s gymnastics. The same may apply to bars vs beam in women’s gymnastics or hip hop vs ballet in the dance industry. Athlete’s may be strong in one aspect or event of the sport, but is challenged by others.
For an athlete to excel in all parts of the sport, it is imperative that a major focus should be on training and improving the weaknesses. Although this may not be as fun as working your strengths, it is necessary to achieve success. In my own personal experience with competitive gymnastics, my strengths were tumbling and the rings. Skill development was easier and more comfortable to achieve. However, my challenges were the pommel horse and high bar.
Early in my competitive career, I realized that in order to achieve my dreams and goals, I needed to excel in these challenging events. I would spend almost twice as much time training on my weak events than my stronger events. The philosophy I developed is that one must maintain their strengths and improve their weaknesses. This certainly worked for me as I was able to achieve the goals I had set and become successful in the sport.
Each athlete and coach should find the perfect training schedule designed for each athlete that maximizes their potential. There needs to be a balance within the training environment where the athlete can continue to be motivated and enjoy their experience. https://scottjohnsonsgymexperience.com/2018/05/04/setting-goals-the-path-to-success/ Please note, focusing only on weak and challenging areas can quickly create negative emotions within the athlete. This can certainly effect a person’s motivation and cause consistent frustration. The result will be a decrease in effort and could cause the athlete to quit the sport.
I always stress that training environments need to be positive. Even in challenging area’s, the training atmosphere should maintain a positive experience. It’s not easy to become a champion. It takes a lot of hard work and consistent motivation. Maintain Your Strengths and Improve Your Weaknesses.
I am in the process of publishing my first training manual: “Beginner Tumbling Training” . This will be a useful tool in training for all and any needing to learn proper technique and safety. Great for gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, martial arts, and more. I will keep you posted on that progress.
In addition, if you would like a personal training session or consultation with me, we can Skype a lesson. Private message me or email me at: scottjohnsongymnastics@gmail.com