Most sibling rivalries end in tears, but for Steven and Diana Lopez, members of Team USA Taekwando, their competition propels them forward.
Think about the road to a gold medal. It doesn’t take a math whiz to realize that the more than 10,000 athletes in the Olympics are the elite of nearly 7 billion people on the planet. It can be a lonely road. But Steven and Diana, 33 and 28 respectively, have a big secret to success: Train together.
Okay, so they’re also a little lucky—the Lopez family is essentially taekwondo royalty. After moving from Nicaragua in 1972, Julio Lopez decided to turn his first son, Jean, on to the sport at 8 years old. It wasn’t long before all the other children in the family—Steven, Diana, and brother Mark—joined in. Throughout the years Jean has served as the mentor and coach to his brothers and sister. His refined style led to a “threepeat” when the three younger children all made the U.S. Olympic team in 2008. (You may not be destined for the next Olympics, but you can still train like an Olympian. Steal these Secrets for Gold Medal Strength.)
“It’s made it [competing] that much more feasible—having family members who all do the same thing, who all have a common goal and dream,” says Steven. In fact, an Oxford University study found that rowers who trained with teammates had higher endorphin levels, and withstood more pain than those who trained alone. The lesson? A solo sweat session might not be so smart for big gains in any sport.
Family training doesn’t need to be soft, either: Jean, who is serving as a coach to his siblings in London, and Mark—who just missed qualifying for London, but will be Steven’s training partner—make sure their siblings receive those needed gains at their renowned Lopez Taekwondo Academy in Texas. “Our workouts need to be two or three times harder than any competition,” says Steven.
Diana and Steven Lopez have the perfect training partners: each other.Having people who push you pays off: In the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games, Steven, a five-time World Champion, took the gold; in 2008, Diana brought home bronze. In fact, tough training is how she got her edge. Instead of just watching her older brothers play football, poker, or practice taekwando, she competed alongside them.
“I’m the only girl training with three older brothers who are all medalists and world champions,” she says. “I have that mental and physical edge over any opponent.” (These 12 Sexiest Female Olympians also know how to gain an edge over the competition.)
Follow her lead: Grab a buddy or family member you can learn a thing or two from. When 181 students performed a series of planks by themselves or with a slightly better performing partner, those who exercised with a more capable partner lasted 24 percent longer, according to a Michigan State University study. (Can’t find a partner? Let B.J. Gaddour, C.S.C.S, guide you to a great body with the new Speed Shred DVD workout.)
Follow Diana at @dianalopez25, Steven at @StevenLopezTkd, and Team USA Taekwondo at @USA_Taekwando. Watch the entire Lopez clan in London—in the stands and on the mat—through August 11.
Additional reporting by Cassie Shortsleeve
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