But I was—of course—wrong. The work athletes put in on the practice field, basketball court, track or elsewhere is just the tip of the iceberg.
I talked to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brice Butler about his daily routines to find out what the real differences are between the best athletes in the world and your average Joe. Butler was drafted in the 2013 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders before signing with the Cowboys in the 2015 season.
It might be too late to salvage your professional athletic career, but trying a few things from this list will definitely take you to the next level.
They Compete at All Times
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"Competing is what I do. The game that I play is competition, and it makes you better all the time. For me, there's always someone in front of me trying to stop me, so competing every day makes you better as a person. You learn how to face adversity and you learn how to push yourself." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Eat Healthy
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"I pay an enormous amount of attention to the food I eat. I don't eat any fried food, nothing too unhealthy or creamy. I'm trying to be as lean as possible. My wife started Power Portions, a meal delivery service for athletes, and it definitely helps me keep on track with what I'm eating." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Hydrate. Like Really Hydrate
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"Hydration is probably my biggest thing. I've done studies to test how much I'm sweating and my electrolyte loss. I have a special drink that puts the right amount of sodium and carbs into my body for my workouts. I cramp easily, but when I focus on my hydration it really helps my performance. It was a big difference I had to get used to when I moved from Oakland to Dallas." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Sleep—A Lot
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"On average, I get at least seven hours of sleep every day. I'm usually in bed by 11, and if I'm not, it's an unusual situation. I actually have my phone tell me when my bed time is approaching, so I'll get a notification 15 minutes before I need to go to bed." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Recover Daily
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"Whenever I'm sore I'll go see my chiropractor, massage therapist, stretch therapist, muscle activation therapy or whatever I have to do. I recover every day in some form." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Drink Alcohol Minimally
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"Sure, there are guys that drink, but no one's drinking at least three days before a game. It's proven that you shouldn't drink if you want to play your best, so that's why I don't." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Treat Their Bodies Like Temples
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"My body is my number one priority, because my body does my job for me. If I don't treat it right then I know I won't be able to get my job done. Your body has to be able to recover properly after practices and games, so you have to treat it as best as you can." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Explore Other Activities
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"I tried yoga for a while and it was actually harder than I thought it would be. It's supposed to help you get your mind right. I also play a lot of golf." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Set Goals Daily
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"I set conditioning goals a lot, especially in the off season. I'll set a body-fat goal or weight-lifting goal, and it keeps me motivated every day when I go to the gym, even if we're not practicing." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Take Supplements
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"We take a lot—like a lot, a lot—of supplements. Protein shakes, juices, beet juice, vitamins, protein bars—there's so many things we can take. We might not like it, and not everyone's taking the same stuff, but we take it because we know it works." - Brice Butler
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Your Next RaceThey Love What They Do
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"I wake up in the morning and my goal is just to do what I do and play football. There's nothing else I want to be doing right now. I have a good support group, and I think it's in our DNA to want to get better every day. I won't be content unless I'm doing my job well." - Brice Butler
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Your Next Race
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