Headway PArkour Blog
Intro We all yearn to get better, but how do we do it? Simply put: we train, a lot. But wouldn't it be helpful if we knew a few tips for more efficient improvement? I think it would be very helpful! That is why I have compiled a list of 101 ways to improve as a Traceur. I will not go into too much detail on each point, so make what you wish of each idea presented in the following list. 1. Eat healthy
Food is where we get our energy from, It would be wise to make sure your diet is a healthy one. Do some research and look for a diet that is ideal for you. 2. Rest Too much training can ruin your body, take time off every once in a while to do other things. For example: You could spend a day reading about Parkour instead of training it. 3. Wear minimalist shoes Training with padded shoes is not a sustainable choice, they will help you to break jumps but they will also weaken your feet. I recommend minimalist shoes, It will take a little while for your body to adjust to the thin shoes. However, if you plan to train for many years to come, minimalist is the way to go. 4. Land on balls of feet We should all know to do this, but I thought I would throw it on the list anyways. Save your arches, land on the balls. 5. Perfect the Parkour roll Devote a great amount of time to practicing rolls, watch many tutorials and master it on all surfaces. 6. Progress slowly One of the most effective ways to progress is to drill moves. But be sure not to progress through the process too quickly! If you are training 10 foot drops, stick with them until you can do them with ease and comfort. Only then should you amp up the height. 7. Kill ego Very straightforward, be humble. Pride comes before fall. 8. Reverse block rolls A rolling technique that can help you to cope with large drops, it is mentioned in the TappBrother's tutorial. 9. Don’t heel strike While running, stay on the balls of your feet. 10. Split takeoff Try not to punch takeoff moves, it is not good for your joints. 11. Clean shoes Take time after your training to wipe debris off of your shoes, it keeps the grip fresh. 12. Train in restricting clothing Doing so will make training in sweats a breeze. 13. Start with the end in mind What do you want from your training? 14. Relax Relax unnecessary muscles. 15. Exert Exert the muscles that will speed you up. 16. Stay calm Whatever you do, don’t panic! 17. Be ready Be ready to train at any given moment. Could you dive roll out of your window if a serial killer burst into your room? 18. Adapt Things don’t always go according to plan, make the best of whatever comes your way. 19. Prepare Prepare for your training. Get your bag ready, eat energy rich foods, and most importantly: Prepare your mind. 20. Work out Stronger muscles=Stronger Parkour. 21. Overachieve Under promise, over deliver. more jumps, more miles, more reps. 22. Plan Plan out your training. when will you rest? When will you eat? How long will you warm up? 23. Be yourself Train the moves you want to train, act how you want to act. 24. Follow Your own path Don’t imitate a successful Traceur just because you want to be successful too, find your own way. 25. Teach The teacher learns the most. 26. Learn You can learn from anyone. 27. Attend jams Jam’s are great places to learn new skills and meet Traceurs. 28. Roll Out I recommend using a foam roller to warm up or cool down muscles. 29. Stretch Static and dynamic stretches are essential to Parkour. 30. Cool Down Very important if you train often 31. Warm Up Can prevent many injuries. 32. Train Basics Never neglect the basics, for they are what everything else is built upon. 33. Train Alone Solitude triggers reflection of self. 34. Balance on things Balance is one of the most important skills for a Traceur to have. 35. Use your Parkour vision regularly Always be marking out routes in your mind. 36. Engage the community The Parkour community is amazing, be an active part of it and feel the love. 37. Devote yourself to excellence Never settle for mediocrity, perfect everything. 38. Train hard Train harder than anyone you know. 39. Take rests During long sessions take rest breaks. Practice deep breathing and other recovery techniques during these breaks. 40. Bring food Only bring the highest quality food with you, it is what fuels your training. 41. Be better than you from yesterday It doesn't matter how you compare to others, the important thing is getting better every day. 42. Train year round Stopping for even a month can have large setbacks. 43. Train in all weather Training in all weather broadens your skill set. 44. Listen to your body Your body will tell you when something is wrong. 45. Watch tutorials Watch tutorials over and over again, examine the movement and implement it into your training. 46. Read books Read books on many topics, ranging from diet to muscle function. 47. Set goals “Either you set your goals and, in doing so, have your life governed by choice or you do nothing and have your life governed by chance.”- Robin Sharma 48. Ask questions this one goes with #7 (kill ego). 49. Keep a training journal I have said this many times before, a training journal is a great investment! 50. Train everywhere In the city, in the woods, on a building, train everywhere! (but stay safe) 51. Cross train Try different activities and bring what you learn from them back to your Parkour. 52. Develop your own style Don’t try to match the move in the video identically, add your own flair to it. 53. Go barefoot Barefoot training is great! You can work up to it by first taking regular barefoot walks to build calluses. 54. Run to training location Running is a great warm up and it gets you to your training location pretty quickly. 55. Don’t be afraid to fail Always expect success but be ready for failure if it rears it’s ugly face. 56. Drink loads of water Water lubricates your joints and refreshes your muscles, take lots of it in. 57. Apply Parkour to life problems The method of training we use in Parkour can be applied to many of life's challenges. 58. Judge progress Take time to reflect on your training. Ask yourself questions like: “Am I plateauing?” “What can I do to start progressing again?” 59. Learn from bails Every failure passes on a lesson. 60. Train bails Sounds silly but it is nice to know how to fall. 61. Search for training spots when injured If you are injured and out of the game, take walks (If possible) and scout out new training spots. You can mark these spots on your map in the Parkour Live app. 62. Keep your life in balance Keep your mind, body, soul, and emotion in balance in order to ensure safe and productive training. 63. Find a training partner Training alone is great but training with somebody else can be twice as much fun, make sure you both have the same intentions. 64. Push your limits Push yourself to the limit both mentally and physically. "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."-T. S. Eliot 65. Make sacrifices What are you willing to give up in order to achieve your dreams? 66. Use mantras Use mantras (a statement or slogan repeated frequently) to level up your game. Example: “I am strong, calm, and able.” or “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” Repeat your mantra aloud a few times a day, say it with feeling. 67. Face fear This is something all Traceurs should do. Fear is created by you, this means that it can be destroyed by you too. 68. Learn other sports Study the development of other sports to get a better understand of where Parkour is going 69. Branch out Try new things, even if you don’t see a direct correlation between them and your Parkour training. 70. Think about the future Think about where you are going in life. Thinking like this can be good in small portions but be cautious not to get too caught up in thinking of the future. 71. Live in the now This moment is all we have, make the most of it. 72. Read David Belle’s book Something every serious Traceur should do 73. Have fun Otherwise what’s the point? 74. Tuck tighter For more rotation, tuck tighter. 75. Do yoga Yoga has many benefits. 76. Breathe Learn how to breathe properly (Deep Breathing). 77. Contribute Add value to the Parkour community. 78. Study the history of Parkour Learn all there is to know about the rich (short) history that Parkour holds with pride 79. Don’t get caught up in semantics Don’t worry about names. Call it Parkour, Freerunning, Tricking. Whatever, just enjoy the movement. 80. Find a mentor Parkour is about finding your own way. It does however help to have a guide to look up to. 81. Watch videos Watch a variety of Parkour videos, not just tutorials. watch showreels and demoreels regularly, learn who is coming up on the scene and maybe pick up a thing or two by watching their flow. 82. Read blogs Good job, keep up the great work. 83. Join a team Not required but helpful nonetheless. 84. Dream big Shoot for the stars! 85. Start small The smallest of steps can equal the biggest of strides as Jesse put it. 86. Stay consistent Stay consistent in your training and your momentum will kick in. 87. No excuses Excuses are for the weak, you are not the weak, you are a Traceur. 88. Listen to music Music provides great motivation. 89. Get a blood test A blood test will reveal what nutrients you are lacking. 90. Cold shower Cold showers after workouts can help to reduce post training muscle pain. 91. Post workout smoothie Spend time right after training to aid recovery. Your body is desperate for nutrients following a hard session, the best way to get these nutrients is to put them in a liquid form. Create green smoothie to help your body recover. 92. Shave Callouses Jesse’s video explains it well. 93. Develop flow Easier said than done. 94. Remember that you can do it He who says he can and he who says he can't are both usually right. 95. Study your idols Learn what traits make them so great. 96. Create moves Express your creativity and invent something new! 97. Film Filming is not only a good way to give back to the community, it also helps you to realize where you need to improve. 98. Become an expert at the art of sleeping Sleep is about quality not quantity. 99. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish Never stop improving, thirst for knowledge, maintain a beginner's mindset. 100. Become obsessed Be addicted and obsessed with Parkour (optional but recommended) . 101. Be strong, Be useful Draw from David’s Philosophy. Conclusion There you are, my list of 101 ways to improve as a Traceur. I hope it has helped you to . . . improve as a Traceur! In the future I will be posting more of these “101 ways to” articles, stay tuned. -Dameon
3 Comments
Bruce
10/29/2014 02:19:44 am
look man... this is really unhelpful because you state the obvious too much but, you said some stuff that I will start doing in my training that will improve my parkour life...
Bruce
10/29/2014 02:22:32 am
Thank you for caring though you seem like someone who takes pride in their work...
Dameon
10/29/2014 06:58:41 am
This post is very old and if I remembered correctly it was created during a particularly hectic week in my life. This is no excuse for how it turned out, I just thought I would give my justification. I'm stepping up my game with everything lately so no worries, there are brighter things on the horizon. Leave a Reply. |