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When it comes to athletics, training is the key to success. Considering competitions related to throwing, running and jumping are some of the oldest in the world, theres a nearly endless reel of advice for trainers and athletes to study. Modern training focuses on science and data to help athletes gain an edge, but not all methods are so straightforward.

Sometimes, variation can be a powerful tool to improve athletic performance. While it might sound simple, the concept of switching up the usual routines and training regimes can be a great way to foster improvements and develop new skillseven in terms of mental outlook.

Lets cover an example from a more mental field: the world of poker, a complex strategy card game. Despite the fact that it isnt a traditional sport, professional players like Lex Veldhuis must continually train to stay sharp. Veldhuis, who regularly streams online, recently decided to switch things up by heading to New Zealand.

This move from his native Europe has seen Veldhuis adapt to a totally new time zone and living situation. While neither seems concretely related to his poker performance, the change in living setups has infused him with new passion, perspectives, and even a strategic understanding of the game. While it might not seem like a move that would greatly change his outlook, this example highlights how unexpected variables can improve performance.

Moving back into the realm of athletics, lets explore how the idea of simply switching things up and adding some variation can breathe new life into your athletic outlook.

More Stimulus Means More Progress

Whether youre a long-distance runner or a poker pro, variation in training leads to more stimulusand more stimuli provides new chances for progress and development. Even minor adjustments can lead to great change, such as training in the rain or inclement weather.

But this moves far beyond the realm of external circumstance. For example, runners who decide to start focusing on shoulder mobility are better prepared to endure for longer stretches. Though pairing shoulder flexibility with long-distance running might not seem immediately intuitive, adding this type of training variation to a schedule can improve and support the main focus of training.

Variation Prevents Limitations

Many people believe that to be considered an expert, someone must log in 10,000 hours of work. Whether a basketball player or a poker pro, this holds true. However, when it comes to athletics training, its not enough to simply focus on one line of discipline. Specialization is key to learning the ins and outs of a certain disciplinebut variation is what gives athletes the tools to pull ahead of competitors.

First and foremost, adding variation to your training regime can help prevent injuries that stem from repetitive movements. This is a fact that any solid trainer knows. But it goes beyond physical impact. Some studies have found that variation is an important element in motivation.

In other words, athletes who focus on a single type of training are more likely to experience burnout and a lack of passion. Though many athletes are naturally competitive and inclined to win, adding sports variation into a training regime can help foster a greater engagement and interest in their particular field. Think of like multidiscipline training.

Quality Over Quantity

In athletics, many trainers and athletes alike face the concept that intensity will do more damage to the body than mileage. In other words, going too hard during training can lead to injury much quicker than a long workout session would. But is this always the case?

When training for a marathon, runner Mathieu Lavedrine challenged this idea by deciding to train all 167 days before his target marathon. The idea was to challenge this type of wisdom by avoiding days of rest (at least, in the traditional sense). Instead of training day in and day out for long periods of time, Lavedrine decided to engage in high-quality exercise instead.

What does this actually look like, though? The goal is to mindfully and thoroughly engage with each training session and exercise. Instead of pushing himself to go the distance throughout these 167 days, Lavedrines focus was on showing up consistently, developing resilience while also challenging the idea that intensity is more dangerous than mileage. Intense training, when done mindfully, is more useful than fitting in another 10km run.