Athlete's Checklist for Better Training Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Strength Techniques and Strategies Athlete's Checklist for Better Training By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. Learn about our editorial process Updated on April 26, 2021 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Tara Laferrara, CPT Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Learn about our Review Board Print JAG IMAGES/Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Match Your Abilities With Your Interests Simplify Avoid Overtraining Variation Be Flexible Set Realistic Goals Be Patient Be Consistent Nutrition Is Critical Use Proper Equipment Whether you a new exercise or an elite athlete, it's important to be reminded of basic training concepts and get some advice from time to time. Your training time needs to be well-spent to develop your fitness and specific sports skills. Use these tips to ensure you are making the most of it. Match Your Abilities With Your Interests You have to enjoy your training program or you probably won’t stick with it long enough to see results. Rather than picking a generic program or doing what your friends do, adjust your workout time and intensity so it fits your lifestyle and your current fitness level and allows you push yourself as needed. Most importantly, find a workout routine that meets your personal goals. If you don’t know where to begin, working with a personal trainer is highly recommended. If you're more advanced, using a personal trainer is a great way to fine-tune your fitness plan. Simplify Training is largely about consistency and focus. While a technical training program of heart rates, charts, and graphs works for the most dedicated athletes, it may not be necessary for you. If you are feeling overwhelmed, simplify your training to alternating hard, easy, long, and short workouts and practice skills needed in your sport. Beyond that, try to enjoy your workouts and listen to your body. Avoid Overtraining Allowing your body to rest is as important as building strength and endurance. You don’t get stronger by constantly training hard. You’ll build fitness by alternating workouts with recovery. The best way to avoid overtraining is to listen to your body. If your heart rate remains elevated after a night’s rest, if your legs feel heavy, and if your motivation fades, you may need more rest. For those who train year-round, it’s wise to take a week off every three months. This is also the time to change up your routine. Symptoms of Overtraining Variation Vary your workouts, pace, and intensity to enjoy a well-rounded fitness routine that is less likely to result in burn-out or plateaus. Alternate training intensity and time from day to day. No matter what your pace or goal, your training program should include a mix of training days. Even the best training programs will gradually lose efficiency if you don’t vary your routine. This may be fine for those who simply want to maintain fitness or keep healthy, but if you want to improve, you need variation. Ideally, workouts should be modified every month. Cross training is another great way to vary your routine and improve your fitness. Be Flexible If you have to miss a training day, don’t worry, just continue on your training plan. It’s the consistency or your training, rather than one particular workout, that is important Set Realistic Goals It’s important to find a balance between what you want and what you’re able to do when you are setting goals for exercise. You may want to set a personal best in every race you enter, but it’s probably not realistic. Be honest about your current fitness and your potential. You may want to run a marathon next year, but if you don’t have time to train more than an hour three times per week, that goal is not realistic. If you're new to a sport or fitness routine, be conservative in your estimates until you know what you can accomplish, otherwise, you are more prone to injury. Are Your Exercise Goals Realistic? Be Patient It takes time and consistency to build up fitness and performance, so avoid falling into the mindset that more is always better. You’ll only end up injured or frustrated. Be Consistent Even if you're starting with very short workouts, it's important to do them on a regular basis, several days a week. Avoid falling victim to the weekend warrior syndrome of working out long and hard only on weekends and doing nothing for during the week. Injuries are much more common for those who are inconsistent with exercise. Nutrition Is Critical Sports nutrition and hydration go a long way to improve your ability to exercise and train. If you are on a regular exercise routine, it’s a good time to reassess your eating habits and learn nutritious ways of eating. 6 Sports Nutrition and Hydration Tips Use Proper Equipment Sports injury prevention begins with the right equipment. No matter what sport or exercise routine you do, you need to make sure your equipment and footwear fit properly. Don't run in worn-out shoes, do kickboxing in an unsupportive sports bra, or ride an ill-fitting bicycle. Pads, helmets, mouth guards are made to help protect athletes and all appropriate sports safety equipment should be worn and fit you well. Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, American College of Sports Medicine, Rodriguez NR, DiMarco NM, Langley S. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2009;41(3):709-731. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31890eb86. Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011;43(7):1334-1359. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e318213fefb. Kreher JB, Schwartz JB. Overtraining Syndrome: A Practical Guide. Sports Health. 2012;4(2):128-138. doi:10.1177/1941738111434406. By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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