So, you’re at a competition, you’re feeling a bit nervous. The Taekwondo players in your weight division are all experienced, some moreso than you. So how to do you give yourself the advantage?

How do you get around those nerves and thoughts that don’t help you and turn them into something that works for you?

Read on and I’ll you some tools to help you perform better and get yourself closer to that Gold Medal…

OK, so we understand it is necessary to be doing Strength and Conditioning in order to be a more proficient athlete or even to meet your weight loss/fitness goals in Taekwondo etc.

But the biggest question I get asked by Tae Kwon Do athletes and coaches alike is where to start? What do you need to do first? This is where periodization takes the forefront.

Periodization is essentially ‘athletic planning’ that explains your long term schedule to reach your ultimate goals.

Ok, so you’re training, possibly 2-3 times a day. You’re doing your best, but there’s always room for a bit more success in your life.

So, what can you do to give you that edge, to accelerate the effects of your Taekwondo training and give you more success at the Taekwondo competitions?

Well there is one thing that you need to do that will bring all your training and nutrition together that is a must for any athlete looking for Success.

Here is a list of the top ten super foods that most health experts agree on. From fruits and vegetables, to whole grains, nuts, beans and legumes, this power-packed nutritional list will improve your training, and most importantly, your competitive edge!

Fruits

1. Cantaloupe

A quarter of cantaloupe provides you with almost all the vitamin A needed in one day. Since the beta-carotene in a cantaloupe converts to vitamin A, you get both nutrients at once. This helps with eye sight as well as keep our immune system ticking optimally.

Ok, so you’re looking for something quick and easy to make after training… You’re stuck for something that tastes good AND is healthy too. You’re bored of protein bars and junk food is out of the question. So what do you do..?

Well, the answer is quite easy – a smoothie.

All you need are some fruits, nuts and berries, some juice, a blender and you’re good to go. Watch this video to show you how easy it is.

Ok, we have bodyfat. Now, some have more than others, but that’s just the way it goes…

As Taekwondo people we spend quite a lot of time looking to get rid of as much as we can so we’re on weight, and also to look good.

But what does it do, and why sometimes does is just not move, no matter what we do?

Among diet experts, there is a rarely mentioned adaptation of the body that prevents a diet program from achieving the maximum results. This adaptation, the Weight Loss Plateau, can be tackled in a variety of ways.

Most of these involve changes in your training or diet regimen. While keeping your metabolic rate elevated can be a difficult process, it can be done.

Ok, you’re training regularly. You’re making great progress and you feel pumped. You’ve got your goals in sight and you’re looking good to achieve them. But are you eating as regularly as you need to for the best performance?

When I get asked about what to eat, etc, people forget one of the main things they need to be thinking of when they plan their diet and nutrition – how often to eat!

People still hold onto the old traditional mindset of “Three Square Meals A Day”. This is ok way back when people were working the land (after the Agricultural Revolution), or in big factories (after the Industrial Revolution). Back then they didn’t have food as convenient as we do today, and the work mentality didn’t allow for regular eating.

But despite those days being long gone and research showing that 3 large meals isn’t the best for us, we still continue to follow that rule.

Now, we all know that drinking water is an absolute must for every single Taekwondo athlete there is. We can’t get away from it. We sweat so much during training, we have to replace those lost liquids.

But, apart from replacing that lost liquid, what else does drinking water do for us?

In this post I’m going to show you the many other things that happen when we drink water, and not just during and after training…

When we drink water, a number of different things happen in our body.

Ok, you want to eat something healthy, before, or after training, or even to have something to eat during competition day.

Well, I have the thing for you. In this video, I show you how to make one of the best and most nutritious foods out there. It’s high in protein, got essential fatty acids and high in fibre. They’re a meal in a nut!