Noah Lyles, a name synonymous with speed and athleticism in the world of track and field, has captivated audiences with his electrifying performances. Understanding the dedication and precision behind his success requires a deep dive into his rigorous training regimen and dietary habits. This article explores the multifaceted approach that propels Noah Lyles to the pinnacle of sprinting.
The Noah Lyles Routine
To understand the essence of his phenomenal sprinting prowess, it's essential to delve into the intricacies of his training regimen.
Dynamic Warm-up: Setting the Foundation
Noah Lyles understands the importance of a robust foundation. His workout routine commences with an intensive dynamic warm-up that includes active stretching, leg swings, high knees, and lateral lunges. This dynamic routine primes his muscles, increases blood flow, and prepares his body for the rigorous training ahead.
- A-skip
- B-skip
- C-skip
- High Knees
- Karaoke
Acceleration Drills: Unleashing Explosive Power
Acceleration drills constitute a pivotal component of Lyles' training. Incorporating exercises like resisted sprints using parachute-like devices, sled pushes, and explosive box jumps, he harnesses his explosive power and cultivates rapid acceleration. These drills enhance his starting speed, allowing him to burst out of the blocks with incredible force.
- Fast legs
- Alternating Fast Legs
- Double Alternating Fast Legs
- Stick It 1-2-3 drill
Speed Endurance Training: Sustaining the Momentum
Maintaining top speed throughout a sprint is a hallmark of Noah Lyles' technique. His training routine integrates speed endurance exercises, such as split runs, where he alternates between all-out sprints and jogging. This cultivates his ability to sustain his velocity over extended distances and ensures he's a dominant force in the latter stages of a race.
Read also: Transformations: Noah Cappe
Plyometric Work: Elevating Agility and Coordination
Plyometric exercises are a staple in Lyles' training arsenal. He engages in bounding drills, hurdle hops, and depth jumps, which hone his agility, coordination, and overall explosive strength. These exercises contribute to his remarkable ability to transition smoothly between strides and maintain his speed even through turns.
- Pogo Hops
- Bounds
- Box Jumps
Strength Training: The Backbone of Power
Noah Lyles' physique is a testament to his commitment to strength training. He engages in weightlifting routines targeting his lower body, focusing on squats, deadlifts, and leg presses. These exercises cultivate the power required for explosive bursts, while also fortifying his muscles against injury.
- Olympic Lifting
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Lunges
- Step-Ups
Recovery and Regeneration: Nurturing the Body
Rest and recovery are vital aspects of any elite athlete's routine, and Noah Lyles is no exception. He emphasizes recovery through activities such as yoga, foam rolling, and stretching. These practices aid in muscle repair, prevent overuse injuries, and maintain his flexibility for optimal performance.
- General Stretches
- Yoga
- Foam Rolling / Massage Gun
Mental Conditioning: Mastering the Mind
Sprinting isn't merely a physical feat; it's a mental game as well. Lyles incorporates meditation, visualization, and sports psychology techniques into his routine. By honing his focus, managing pre-race jitters, and staying mentally resilient, he ensures that his mind is as finely tuned as his body.
How To Run The 200M
- Blocks - 20 Meters Acceleration Phase
- 20 - 30 Meters Slowly Start Coming Up
- 30M-50M Fully Up, Running Powerful
- 50M-60M Prepare For The Turn, Gradually Start Turning Your Hips To Stay in The Middle Of The Lane
- 80M-100M Start Pushing into The Ground Again To “Slingshot”
- 100M-130M Slingshot Off The Curve (Fastest Part Of Your Race)
- 130M-180M Push In To Track Again (Shoulder Forward, Force In To Ground)
- 180M-198M Focus On Your Form (Think About Every Step)
- 198M-200M Dip If You Need (Throw Your Arm Out TO Dip Well)
Noah Lyles' Diet: Fueling the Fastest Man
Beyond the rigorous training, Noah Lyles' diet plays a crucial role in optimizing his performance. Working with a chef and nutritionist, Lyles follows a customized low-fat, low-carbohydrate meal plan. He emphasizes lean meats, such as chicken and turkey, along with plenty of vegetables and greens. Lyles prioritizes protein to aid muscle recovery and rebuilding.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Sperm Health Considerations
Interestingly, some aspects of Lyles' diet and lifestyle have implications for sperm health. While his emphasis on poultry over red meat is beneficial, other habits require careful consideration.
Meal Prepping
Lyles preps meals in advance, with a chef’s help. This is good for sperm.
Red Meat Intake
Lyles keeps red meat to a minimum. Poultry is superior to red meat when it comes to sperm health.
Sugar Consumption
Lyles “can’t live without” Raisin Bran Crunch, he told GQ after the Tokyo Olympics. “A necessity of all necessities,” he said. To deal with the restrictions on sugar placed by his trainers, the athlete satisfied his cravings with Raisin Bran. “Everybody makes fun of me, because they’re like, ‘This is an old people’s cereal,’” he said.
Raisin Bran Crunch contains 13 grams of added sugar per cup, which is about three full teaspoons. Sugar is harmful to sperm and sperm motility, or the sperm’s ability to move or “swim,” is decreased in men whose diets are high in added sugars.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Training Volume
Lyles will do sprinting and explosivity drills for up to 5 hours per day.
Hot Tubs
To wind down and soothe his taxed muscles and joints, Lyles will regularly soak in a hot tub.
Hot tubs - and anything that raises testicular temps, such as saunas, tight underwear, and biking - are associated with lower sperm counts.
Mental Fortitude: The Unsung Hero
Lyles has been open about his mental health struggles and his therapy journey, Lyles says that training his mind was equally as important as training his body.
“There was just so much going on [in 2021],” says Lyles. “I was coming offof antidepressants, I was not running the fastest that I've run in previous years, and I hadn't seen the progression that I wanted to see. Sometimes you have this vision that you want to come true so badly, and when it’s not going according to plan, you almost start to self-destruct. And having those moments, it's like, ‘Okay, I'm not going to let a moment like that happen again.’ I’m not saying that I'm going to try to control it, it's just, I'm going to be a lot more self-aware, and be very proactive to the situation rather than reactive. That's how I've gone into this Olympics - and to be honest, these last three years leading up to this, knowing that every year I was creating a new blueprint for how I wanted the Olympics to look.”
Lyles' Training Evolution
“I was purely a 200-meter runner,” says Lyles. “Of course, I was winning quite a bit of 100 meters, but never to the level that I had been in the last two years. It's involved a lot more top-end work - a lot of sprinting, a lot of jumping into uncomfortable scenarios. Anybody who knows me in track and field will say I do not have the best for 60m. So what did I do? I started running more 60m, so much that I got silver medal at World Championships Indoor, and that's a huge achievement for our guy who's supposed to be known as a 200-meter runner. Then we said ‘Okay, we're gonna start running more hundreds,’ then we start running more hundreds, and I became a world champion. These are all blueprint benchmarks, and I said, ‘These are the things that I want to accomplish before we go into the Olympics.’”
Music as a Motivator
On the track, he listens to an eclectic mix comprised Jay-Z, Kanye West, J. Cole, Queen, Fred Hammond, and Kirk Franklin. He turns up the heat in the gym and weight room with what he describes as more “aggressive rap,” with artists like Pop Smoke and Youngboy Never Broke Again. “Sometimes, I don't even have to think about my warm-up, because the songs already telling me what exercise I should be doing.”