Michael Phelps stands as an iconic figure in the world of swimming, widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. With a record-breaking 23 Olympic gold medals and a total of 28 Olympic medals, Phelps's illustrious career spanned four Olympic Games. His journey from aspiring swimmer to Olympic legend serves as an inspiration to children and teenagers worldwide. The work ethic of the most decorated athlete in Olympic history was legendary. But what were the training and diet secrets behind his remarkable success?
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Phelps started swimming at the age of seven. At eight years old, Phelps was already goal-setting and had his eye on making the US Olympic Team. He competed as the youngest male swimmer on the United States Olympic team at the age of 15 during his debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. It was at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where Phelps truly made his mark on the world stage. He won four individual gold medals, including the 200 m swim in 1:57.14, setting a new Olympic record. In the 400 m individual medley, Michael took gold with a world record time of 4:08.26. He won the Olympic title in the 100 m and 200 m butterfly with Olympic record times (51.25 seconds and 1:54.04 respectively).
The Pinnacle: Beijing 2008
The pinnacle of Phelps's career came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he achieved a historic feat by winning an unprecedented eight gold medals in a single Games, breaking the previous record of seven, set by his countryman Mark Spitz in 1972. The American also holds the record of winning the most gold medals at a single Olympic Games.
Training Regimen: A Deep Dive
The Michael Phelps workout routine is renowned for its intensity, dedication, and meticulous attention to detail. Phelps typically trained six days a week, dedicating several hours each day to swim workouts.
Swimming Workouts
According to Bowman, Michael Phelps swam 13 kilometers a day, six or seven days a week - at least 80,000 meters every week. Phelps usually split his training into two sessions, spending 5-6 hours in the pool a day. While Phelps is best known for his prowess in butterfly and freestyle events, his training regimen encompasses all four competitive strokes: freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke. A significant portion of Phelps's training is dedicated to refining his swimming technique. Phelps incorporates a variety of drills and interval training techniques into his swim workouts to enhance specific aspects of his performance. Allegedly, Phelps hit the six miles per hour (10 kilometres per hour) mark in swimming freestyle in 2010, according to ESPN.
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Functional Training and Recovery
Phelps also did some functional training with weights at least three times a week. Recovery played an important role in his daily routine. Taking ice baths, doing a lot of stretching, getting regular massages and ENOUGH sleep were pivotal to his success.
Mental Preparation
Beyond physical conditioning, Phelps emphasizes the importance of mental preparation and visualization techniques in his training. Another long-held tactic Michael employed at Bob’s coaching is visualization. While lying in bed at night, Michael will visualize himself swimming the entire distance of a race, both from the perspective of someone in the stands and from his own point of view in the pool. He will visualize both best and worst-case scenarios, planning in his head what to do if his suit rips or goggles break. A final mental technique that Phelps credits for his success is an automatic resilience to “bad” performances. He is convinced that the only true metrics of his success are proper training and trying his best. As long as these two requirements are met, Phelps does not agonize over losses or dwell on past outcomes. He simply focuses on the next day of training and the upcoming race. Michael and Bob rationalized that swimming each Sunday for a year would add over fifty training days that his competitors would be missing, “… so they were always playing catchup.
Diet: Fueling an Olympic Champion
Michael Phelps's diet plan is as crucial to his success as his rigorous training regimen. As one of the most decorated Olympians in history, Phelps understands the importance of fueling his body with the right nutrients to optimize performance, support recovery, and sustain his demanding training schedule.
Macronutrient Breakdown
Protein is essential for muscle repair, growth, and recovery-crucial components of Phelps's training routine. Carbohydrates serve as the primary fuel source for Phelps's intense workouts, providing the energy necessary to sustain prolonged periods of physical exertion. While Phelps's diet is relatively low in saturated fats, he recognizes the importance of incorporating healthy fats into his meals to support overall health and enhance nutrient absorption.
Meal Structure and Caloric Intake
Phelps follows a structured meal plan that emphasizes regular eating intervals to maintain stable blood sugar levels and sustain energy throughout the day. When Michael Phelps was still competing, he ate an enormous amount of food. Despite the persistent rumours floating around the internet, Michael Phelps never consumed 12,000 calories per day during his Olympian days. Blame it on the sensationalising article that made headlines around the world when it published Phelps’ typical meal plan and exaggerated calorie figure. Phelps’ actual daily intake was closer to 8,000 - 10,000 calories. That being said, it was still an insane number of calories that Phelps was eating every day, especially compared to the average person’s 2,000 - 2,500. Per his trainers, he would lose 5-10lbs a week from his rigorous physical training if he didn’t average this load. Michael’s physical training amounted to 25-30hrs per week, and included at least three days a week of weight-lifting. “Eat, sleep and swim. That’s all I can do,” Phelps told NBC in 2008 when describing his routine.
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A Glimpse into Phelps's Diet
For breakfast, he had three fried egg sandwiches, with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, fried onions and mayonnaise, followed by three chocolate-chip pancakes. Breakfast consisted of a 5-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, 3 fried egg sandwiches with spinach, 3 slices of French toast, 3 chocolate chip pancakes, and 2 cups of coffee. Lunch: One pound of pasta. Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise on white bread, plus energy drinks. Dinner: One pound of pasta, an entire pizza, and even more energy drinks. Even during competitions, he would stick to this diet so there would be no glycogen depletion - the result of not getting enough carbohydrates.
Life After Competition
Now living in Scottsdale, Arizona, Michael gets to spend more time on the golf course, which is his favorite way to relax and unwind. He’ll leave his cell phone in the car, and unplug for the full session. Phelps claims to be a “homebody” outside of the pool and prefers spending time with his wife and four kids. Only times they’ll mosey out if not for work will be to get some food or run an errand. Since his retirement, Phelps has been active in mental health advocacy, raising awareness about depression and anxiety. He continues to be involved in swimming through his foundation and mentoring young athletes.
Lessons and Inspiration
Michael Phelps won an incredible 82 medals in major international long course competitions. Since the age of seven, Michael Phelps has been swimming competitively and even went through a five-year streak during his teenage years training every single day, 365 days a year. When pressed on his motivation for getting in the water over 1,800 consecutive days, Phelps responds that it comes down to his competitive nature and “not wanting to lose… wanting to do something that no one else had done before.” Bob, already a vetted coach when he first met Michael in 1996, decided to invest his time into the eleven year-old because he saw the “competitive nature, focus and build” necessary for a future Olympic champion. Much has been made of Phelps’ 12,000 calorie diet, but according to his interview with 60 Minutes it actually amounts to 8,000-10,000 calories per day. He does not follow any strict nutrition guidelines - Phelps will order the burger and snack on chips, Oreos and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups while at home.
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