GOtriSports

I have been thinking a lot about Michael Phelps and what he accomplished at the Olympics. I am not sure how much you all know about his training but you can all assume it is INTENSE.

From what I read his morning workout usually burns about 4,000kcal, his afternoon workout burns about 2000kcal and his evening workout is another 2-3000kcal. How in the WORLD is that not over training? I mean heck when I tell people I hit the gym ONCE a day 6 days a week often times people tell me I am over training.

I have also read that he lives on a 12,000 calorie per day diet. Maybe this is how he does it but still I just cannot imagine how his body survives what he puts it through.

Another interesting thing I read about his workouts is that when he is finished they use a pin to prick his ear and test his blood for lactic acid levels, if it is too high they send him back to do some more cool down type stuff in the pool or with the weights.

Does anyone else think that this is crazy, or this guy is just a total freak!

IainDaniel

Remember he is an elite athlete. You are not. There is a difference when it comes to training.

I am not sure on the accuracy of the calories burned, but have read he swims over 88km a week. Which equals 250 lengths of the pool a day. If you have swam any where competitively, you would know how ridiculous that is.

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

Michael Jordan

jimmachak.com

I honestly did not know his training and diet were like that. WOW...

www.jimmachak.com

GOtriSports

I understand that he is an elite athlete and I am not but still I have been wondering. IF I had the extra time during the day to spend training would I be able to train even half as much as he does if I eat say 6,000 calories per day?

And yes, I have done some swimming training for triathlons and I know how INSANE that amount of swimming is, and that is why I am wondering HOW is it possible haha

fufu

Maybe, but he has been progressing slowly over 15+ years

fufu's 1337 Journal

Your diet will set you free.

Merkaba

I've read 12k calorie intake.

Oh yea, and dont forget the fact that he's a freak. ok?

God benches only 255, and he wants to know: "How much can you bench??"
--------------------------------------------
Some Pics. All Natural

rahaas

I've heard that too. He excelled in swimming at an early age, that's when they realized he was gifted and that's when the training started.

I like to swim myself but doing it (or anything else) for as many hours in a day for year after year like he does I'd go insane.

rookie325

I was an all state swimmer in high school, as well as all state in water polo. I know swimming, I did it competively for 10 years. Michael Phelps is something that you will never see again. His form is impeccable, a pure machine.

bigsahm21

1.) Like others have said, he's one in ten billion.

2.) He's done it for years and years, slowly building up to it, and his entire life is spent swimming and, most importantly, recovering.

3.) I'm guessing that it's much easier to "overtrain" doing intense weight-lifting than it is swimming. Not that swimming isn't an intense, taxing sport...I really have no idea I've never done it competitively but I hear it can be brutal...but it is an endurance sport all the same. I'm sure the majority of his training isn't done sprinting the lengths of the pool hours on end.

Merkaba

<-----Swims like a rock

God benches only 255, and he wants to know: "How much can you bench??"
--------------------------------------------
Some Pics. All Natural

P-funk

Lets see:

1) he is an elite athlete with superior genetics.

2) he has built up an enormous amount of training tolerance over the years.

3) He has a program mapped out that is (most likely) based on the quadrennial. So, he has periods where there is more intensity and volume and periods where there is less.

4) his coach manages volume and intensity, so if he is off on a certain day or run down...they are adjusting things.

5) all he does is train...so he has no work stress to worry about.

6) he has an incredible support staff taking care of him...massage therapists, chiropractors, doctors, etc...to ensure his health.

7) He is still a young guy and able to train with more volume.....Compare that to Dana Torres who is over 40 and still made the olympic team and swam amazingly. Yet, she also spent less time in the water training than she ever has preparing for an olympics and she spent more time training in the gym and taking advantage of a lot of recovery strategies (nutrition, massage, chiropractic care).


Everything in context.

http://pwtraining.blogspot.com/.....come and see what is on my mind!

Ivonne's Blog on Health and Wellness!

Optimum Sports Performance

"In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, in the experts there are few."
-Buddha's Little Instruction Book

RexStunnahH

Kinda like the schwarzenegger of swimming?
I heard arnold used to just lift eat and sleep for a long time......

"MAKE IT HAPPEN"

fufu

I love it when you get all scientific on our asses.

fufu's 1337 Journal

Your diet will set you free.