THE GOAL is to come up with an exercise plan that you can stick to. What you DON’T want is to exercise to the point where you can’t get out of bed.
A good exercise plan can be accomplished in 30 to 40 minutes.
NEVER stress the body to failure; you’ll end up hurting yourself. What you want to do is to challenge the body, not defeat it.
If you don’t know how to do an exercise, ask someone who does. There is no point in reinventing the wheel.
BREATHE while you exercise. If you’re not getting oxygen into your body, the body cannot respond optimally. Many amateur weightlifters hold their breath while they exercise; the professionals breathe while they exercise.
FORGET steroids; in the long run they end up hurting performance. Besides, the key to success in sports is technique, not power. Steroids do not improve technique.
Over-exercise is damaging to the body. If you are working out more than 90 minutes per day, that is too much. You’ll stress tendons and ligaments.
Take a day off from working out at least twice per week (non-consecutive days). You’ll play better because your mind and body will be rested.
NEVER play hurt. When you play hurt, you use different muscles to compensate for your injury. Because these compensating muscles have not been adequately trained and developed, you’ll end up hurting those muscles, ligaments and tendons as well. ALWAYS live to play another day.
NEVER use winning as a goal to measure how well you are performing. Rather, play to the best of your ability and seek ways to improve. If you can do that, the wins will take care of themselves. If you play to the best of your ability but lose, you should feel better about yourself than if you play sloppily but win.
GET OFF the emotional roller coaster when it comes to sports. Sports is to be enjoyed, not anguished over.
DON’T invest your self-worth in the Dallas Cowboys. You are NOT the Dallas Cowboys, and they are not you. If they win, they win – not you; if they lose, they lose – not you. DON’T hook your self-esteem to how they perform. It’s okay to be happy if they win. REMEMBER, they aren’t going to give you a share of their salary if they win.
If a coach screams, humiliates and debases you, find another coach.
Sometimes your opponent is just better than you.
Always shake the hand of your opponent; and never take the game too seriously.
Have a good attitude on the bench; that good attitude will pay off.
It’s better to lose and have a good attitude than to be a winner with a lousy attitude.
This is the truest thing you will hear today: Never underestimate your opponent.