Healthy Training Tips

Training to develop strength, endurance and a competitive edge can be grueling, and it can take weeks -- even months -- for an athlete to see the results of their hard work. But a healthy, drug-free training regimen is the best way to be strong and healthy -- today and tomorrow.

Safe, Healthy, Drug-Free Training Tips

• Don’t trust gimmicks or quick-fix approaches. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
• Encourage athletes to eat a healthy, varied diet that includes many different foods.
• Remind teens to get plenty of sleep and rest. Believe it or not, the body does a lot of work, including repairing and building muscle, when it's asleep.
• Remember that different body types respond differently to training:
• Ectomorphs are thin wispy people who have a tough time gaining weight and muscle;
• Mesomorphs are strong, stockier people who gain muscle easily when they exercise; and
• Endomorphs are stout, rounded people with slower metabolisms that resist losing weight.

• Make sure athletes are aware of their of your body types and are patient with themselves. They can only work with the traits they were born with.
• Set realistic goals -- an ectomorph trying to gain the muscle mass of a linebacker is not realistic.
• Encourage athletes to be proud of themselves when they reach fitness goals – they worked hard to achieve them.
• Remind teens to s eek out advice from a reliable professional like a coach, dietician or physician about safe, drug-free ways to gain strength and endurance.
• Encourage teens to make responsible choices – it says a lot about who they are.
• Support your athletes' decisions to be PEDs-free.
• Remind teens to avoid situations and people that involve PEDs.

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