Ultimate Athleticism: 4 Characteristics to Develop Better Athletes

By Corey Beasley

What characteristics make a great athlete?

SPEED?
STRENGTH?
ENDURANCE?

The truth is that you need to acquire all of these traits to become the Ultimate Athlete, but the order in which you acquire these traits may be the most important piece of the puzzle that most people are missing.

4 Characteristics of Athleticism

1. Flexibility/Mobility
In order to become a highly functioning athletic machine you must first lay a solid foundation of movement quality. This is comprised of your flexibility and coordination. It MUST be acquired first or you will be laying other traits on top of a faulty system. Think shooting a cannon from a canoe.

2. Strength
Once a person is moving optimally it is time to simply load up those movements with weights or by using leverage. This continues to strengthen connective tissues, making the athlete more resilient.

3. Speed
It is generally unsafe to move at high speeds if one has not first laid a solid foundation of movement quality and strength underneath it. Moving at high speeds is one of the hallmarks of an excellent athlete and, with the prerequisites listed above, can be achieved safely and improved quickly.

4. Endurance
Endurance is generally the easiest trait to acquire and improve (or lose) in the shortest amount of time. It, along with speed, are the most damaging if done without a solid foundation of movement and strength.

Let the pyramid be your guide. Focus on laying a solid foundation and building from the bottom up. You will be rewarded with speed and strength that never quit and a body capable of withstanding any stressors that can be thrown at it.