Most people approach big fitness goals the way a kid builds a house of cards—by skipping the foundation and going straight for the peak. They want the reward without the groundwork, the finish line without the training, the PR without the process. But a good coach knows that before you can reach the top, you have to build from the bottom up. Enter Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a psychological framework that—surprise—also happens to be an excellent model for training success.
The Pyramid of Performance
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is usually depicted as a pyramid , with foundational needs at the bottom and self-actualization (the fulfillment of one’s potential) at the top. In fitness , people often set their sights on self-actualization—completing a marathon , deadlifting 500 lbs , or hitting a body composition goal—without ensuring they have the necessary foundation to support that ambition. When these foundational needs are ignored, the goal collapses before it’s ever truly pursued.
Let’s break it down.
1. Physiological Needs: Fueling the Engine
The base of the pyramid is all about survival: food, water, sleep, and recovery. In training terms, this is your energy availability, hydration, and rest. Before you worry about race pace or PR percentages, ask yourself:
- Are you eating enough and timing meals well?
- Are you sleeping at least 7 hours per night?
- Are you drinking enough water to sustain performance?
Example: Training for a marathon? That’s at least 16 weeks of running. If you’re eating 3-4 meals per day, that’s over 300 meals fueling your training. If those meals aren’t supporting your energy and recovery, your training will suffer long before race day arrives.
2. Safety Needs: Injury Prevention & Smart Progression
You can’t chase big goals if you’re sidelined with injuries. Safety in training includes structured programming, progressive overload, and injury prevention strategies. Before you ramp up intensity, ask yourself:
- Are you increasing training volume progressively?
- Are you recovering properly with mobility work and rest days?
- Do you have a plan that accounts for your current ability level?
Example: A well-structured running plan will accumulate hundreds of miles over a training cycle—but if you try to jump from 10 miles a week to 40, you’re fast-tracking yourself to burnout or injury.
3. Love & Belonging: Your Support System
No one reaches their peak alone. Having a supportive environment—a coach, a training group, or a community—can make the difference between sticking to the plan or falling off track. Before you set off on a solo mission, ask yourself:
- Do I have accountability from a coach or training partner?
- Am I engaging with a community that supports my goals?
- Do I enjoy the process, or am I relying only on the outcome for motivation?
Example: Training partners help keep you engaged and motivated. Over a training cycle, you may run dozens of miles with others, reinforcing commitment and making long runs feel less daunting.
4. Esteem Needs: Building Confidence Through Progress
Self-esteem grows from mastery, accomplishment, and recognition of effort. Confidence in training comes from stacking small wins consistently. Before setting the next PR goal, ask yourself:
- Have I celebrated the small milestones along the way?
- Do I track progress beyond just the end goal?
- Am I noticing how training is shaping my mindset, not just my body?
Example: Training success isn’t just about race day. It’s about the number of times you ran farther or faster than ever before, proving to yourself that you’re improving.
5. Self-Actualization: Goal-Fulfillment & Race Day!
Finally, we reach the top. This is where all the previous levels come together, allowing you to reach your goal or highest potential since starting the journey. Self-actualization in training means standing at the starting line (or under the barbell, or at your event) knowing you’ve done the work. When you feel like you’ve arrived at this level, remind yourself:
- I have built the foundation to help me achieve this goal!
- I put in the time, consistency & effort needed to achieve this goal!
- This goal was earned and over that time, part of me fell in love with the process!
Example: If you trained for 16 weeks, you accumulated hundreds of hours of running, thousands of calories consumed, and a body of work that supports peak performance. The race isn’t the challenge—it’s the reward for doing things to the best of your ability!
Key Takeaways
A great coach doesn’t just hand out a program—they help athletes build a foundation strong enough to sustain the goal. If you’re struggling to reach a big milestone, don’t look at the top of the pyramid. Instead, ask yourself: Which level needs more attention?
Want to reach your goal? Build your training from the ground up. Maslow would approve.
