A few years ago I was having a conversation with a roommate about NFL players vs. world class runners like Haile Gebreselassie and Kenenisa Bekele. His contention was that the runners were better because they had literally both pushed the limits of humanity by setting world records (by the same token this also included power lifters and other athletes who only focus on one dimension of their athleticism) and mine was that it was the NFL players because their overall athleticism superseded that of those who excelled in simply one event. But either way it got me to thinking, who really is the best athlete, and does a perfect athlete even exist?
The answer is obviously no, by virtue of definition no athlete could ever be perfect because usually a person has to give a little in one arena to gain some in another (i.e. a soccer player has no need to put on bulk mass and upper body strength because the goal is to be quick and agile). But if you could build a near-perfect athlete, where would you start and what would you look for?
This athlete would need to be explosive, no doubt, with quick reaction time and unrelenting speed. A good strong frame (with necessary height) to go along with this speed would create a dynamo of power. Agility would need to be an obvious prerequisite as many sports deal with shifty moves that can separate the contenders from the pretenders. You would also need the endurance to outrun your competition over and over again. This deadly combination of all things athletic would constitute the top performing human in the world.
You won't find many guys like this, mainly because top level athletes only train for their specific sports and focus on the requirements that allow them success within the sport. But if I had to guess what this athlete would look like, I think the starting point would be Ashton Eaton. You won't find many people who can run a 10.2 and a 4:30 mile or throw the shot put 50 feet and pole vault 17 feet. Certainly I think guys who could be like Eaton exist within other sports. The NFL, MLB, and NBA surely has a few. Although none of those leagues promote the full development of a "perfect" athlete (and mainly because they don't have to).
Ashton Eaton is one of the world greatest athletes.
So how would one train to emulate the "perfect" training plan? To physically develop themselves in a manner that exemplifies the furthest development of as many attributes as possible. This means that the guys who only lift upper body won't qualify, nor the runners who slog miles without as much as a push-up along the way, nor could the body builders who fail to actually develop any athleticism in the gym.
To truly train to be an unconquerable stotan you must be able to lift heavy weights, sprint with ease, throw powerfully, and traverse sizeable mileage on foot with efficiency. Is that easy? Well of course it isn't easy. But it isn't meant to be. I mean, we are talking about near perfection right now.
Finally, let's come back to reality for a bit. So not many are going to become a member of the 300 anytime soon, but there is a lesson to be had here. Pursuit of physical and athletic excellence must be broad in scope and well planned. You need to think about your personal limitations and how to challenge them. Embrace parts of training you had never desired to venture before. Quit being a one-dimensional athlete and start being a little more "perfect."
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