A few years ago, a friend recommended a book that was doing the rounds : “Will it make the boat go faster?” by Ben Hunt Davis and Harriet Beveridge.

The story is a true account of the British Mens’ Rowing Eight in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Crucially, the title of the book was the question that each member of the team asked themselves every day for four years. Constantly asking this question slowly changed the way they trained, slept and ate and which ultimately resulted in the team winning gold.

At the start of the experiment, the rowers found that even though they were all training extremely hard and very regularly, when they analysed each athlete’s approach they realised that they were all preparing very differently. One rower was eating nothing but pizza, another was averaging only 5 hours sleep a night, preferring late nights playing video games to getting extra sleep, and the one they all thought would be the prize example athlete was actually sneaking in extra workout sessions and consequently overtraining. It was clear that wholesale changes had to be made in every aspect of their lives, not just the rowing.  Unsurprisingly, as the changes took place that’s when the boat started going faster.

Of course, this Olympic gold winning question isn’t just exclusive to the nation’s elite. This approach can be adapted to anyone’s aims whether it’s a physical target, a physiological goal or even a business related issue. This process is what coaches call a “Needs Analysis” and it delivers in three distinct areas. Firstly, it removes distractions that detract from the end goal, second it prioritises your time and focus towards the end goal, and finally, and most importantly, the analysis delivers what you personally and specifically need to work on to achieve your aim.

So ask yourself these questions:

What is my ‘boat’? Is it weight loss? Perhaps it’s a 10km time or maybe to feel less stressed?

Will my exercise and medical history allow me to get there?
Are my obstacles physiological, psychological or environmental?
What relevant testing and screening are required to establish a start point and for me to track my progress?

Once you meet with our coaches and have these answers available to you, things will begin to change dramatically. You will become someone who practices progressively, you will start to prioritise your time to reach each specific objective, and without realising it you will become naturally competent at achieving your objectives.

If you bring the boat, we’ll make it go faster.