How To Leverage Marginal Gains In Competition And In Life

Many of us would like to see improvement in one area of our lives or another. The idea of getting fit, spending more time with family, amping up business, or simply making positive changes all-around is tempting. But while tempting, it can also be overwhelming. 

A lot of change at once seems impossible. In fact, too much change - biting off more than you can chew - is impossible. That’s why employing marginal gains works better and maintains morale that makes you want to keep working. 

 

What Are Marginal Gains?

Marginal gains occur when, instead of making a massive change, you go for baby steps instead. These tiny changes may seem insignificant and miniscule, but they’ll eventually lead to the same outcome you’d get if you were to make one giant leap. But these, instead, are more sustainable and attainable.

Think of someone who wants to get fit. They’re passionate about the idea at the moment, therefore they toss all the junk food in the house, bury themselves into the diet of the month, and buy a premium gym membership. All of that stuff is great - in moderation - but all at once, it will usually die out fast. It’s too many changes at once, which makes it difficult for the brain and body to keep up. 

Instead of throwing yourself into the fray, bite off small chunks. Instead of tossing the junk food in the house, supplement it with fruit. Instead of the diet of the month, simply substitute one or two dinners a week for a healthier alternative. Instead of the fancy gym membership, simply take the stairs instead of the escalator when you have the chance to do so. 

This is a philosophy that can be useful to competitive athletes as well. Your journey to greatness is a marathon, not a sprint, and therefore the last thing you want is to burn out. This is where marginal gains come in. 

When you want to improve athletically, revamping your training process and pushing yourself to the hardest limit is not the way to go. You’ll deplete your energy, and your motivation to come back the next day will be at ground level. Instead, boost your routine in small increments. Add one more rep each day. Run for three minutes longer each morning, and increase that time as your endurance grows. Continually push yourself an inch further, not a mile.

Team Sky

A great real-life example of marginal gains is exemplified by Team Sky, the British-based Tour de France champions of multiple years. After appointing a new team manager, Dave Brailsford, they began implementing the concept of marginal gains instead of completing one huge overhaul. 

Brailsford’s theory is: “If you break down everything you could think of, that goes into riding a bike, and then improve it by 1%, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together. They’re tiny things, but if you clump them together it can be the difference between winning and losing.”

Team Sky focuses on every aspect of their performance. Their training, sleep schedule, diets, equipment, and everything in between has been analyzed and optimized. These marginal gains make for changes that are noticeable when they win. 

Marginal Gains In Your Life

As previously stated, marginal gains could be used by someone who wants to get fit. In everyday life, they can also be implemented by taking performance supplements such as Natural BCAA and Organic Lion’s Mane - two supplements that not only support your body, but your mind as well. 

If you want to become more mindful, there’s no need to escape to Tibet and become a monk to achieve that zen. Instead, take Organic Lion’s Mane in the morning and at night, and start following a yoga channel on YouTube. This way, the new mindfulness routine won’t be overwhelming. 

Marginal gains have the potential to work in almost every aspect of one’s life. If there’s change to be made, crawl before you walk, and then take baby steps. Marginal gains take things one step at a time, and they make the change enjoyable - while still showing results. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Protekt products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.