The Workout of an Olympic Athlete Is Different In Many Ways

Events like the Olympics, World Championships, and Super Bowl are very inspiring, and they all show the world’s most accomplished athletes flexing their muscles on the field. But, what are the factors that make an athlete’s workout so much different than that of a regular person? In truth, an athlete’s workout is different in almost every way. While training is tough for people who are not athletes, it does not even get close to what sportspeople do to keep in shape. Where a normal person would go for two or three runs a week, an athlete will go through 12 sessions a week.

The Time Athletes Spend Every Workout and Working Out Is Staggering

A 2019 study shows that the average American gets around 19 minutes of exercise per day, and the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults should do between 150-300 minutes of exercise every week for substantial health benefits. While that is all good and normal, athletes who hope to make it in elite-level sports do much more. Gymnast Simone Biles trains once from nine am to 12 pm and then once again from three pm to six pm with even more routines on some days. So, that’s about six hours of practice every day. When they were competing, Olympic triathletes Jonny and Alistair Brownlee trained up to four times per day, and swimmer Michael Phelps famously said in 2008 that all he did was eat, sleep, and swim. So, athletes definitely put a lot of time into their workouts.

Becoming a Champion Takes a Lot of Effort During Every Workout

Athletes train a lot, and they use a lot of calories to do so. While some use around 7,500 calories, others go as high as 10,000 calories when training. That is around four or five days’ worth of calories for a normal person. Despite such colossal intakes, athletes use all this energy during every workout and the effort they expend is truly great. But, athletes don’t just train. They make sure to train with the right intensity for their particular goals and sport. Also, pro athletes don’t skip leg day or any other specific day. They train their entire bodies, and they also train to develop highly coordinated movements.

Getting Proper Rest After a Workout Is Crucial for Every Athlete

It’s hardly surprising that pro athletes have fewer rest days than most people but resting up is absolutely crucial for them. In fact, it is just as important as exercise and for a very good reason. That is because sports on the elite level are very taxing on the body, and most athletes push themselves beyond their current limits. So, in order to keep the body in shape and make it fit for even better results, it has to receive enough rest to repair itself. This may seem counterintuitive because allocating time for sleep means wasting training time, but it’s all about giving the body the time it needs to adapt. Athletes know that the specific biomolecular responses triggered by exercise occur during rest and not during a workout, so it is crucial for them to rest to ensure good results.