Michael Phelps – Making History in 2012 London Olympics

Michael Phelps just made history in after getting his 19th gold medal in the London Olympics.  The super athlete made headlines years ago for his performance in the Beijing Olympics along with rumors of a 12,000 calorie diet used to fuel his intense training.

But Phelps has recently unveiled his new strategy for healthier eating and revamped his gym training workouts.  After claiming another gold medal, we can still see his effort has paid off.

Michael Phelps Takes On Intense Training for 2012

See video below to see Michael’s training and diet for 2012:

There’s been a trend among athletes like Phelps and Ryan Lochte to step up their dry-land training to include a lot more anaerobic exercise and reduce the aerobic exercise.  Anaerobic exercise, like resistance training, works to increase speed and build muscle.  The focus has shifted because swimmers in these events need speed and explosive power as much as they need endurance.

That means training with the Olympic barbell exercises (snatches, cleans, etc.), medicine ball work, throws, high jumps, and in Phelps’ case he also included sled pushing.

Sled pushing is an excellent form of exercise for training power and speed.  It is also unique in that, unlike weight lifting, sled pushing doesn’t create as much soreness or muscle damage allowing an athlete to train more often without interfering with proper recovery.

This focus on more anaerobic work also means the athletes won’t burn as many calories allowing them to keep their weight up.  Phelps has actually come into the 2012 games with less bodyfat and more muscle.

Of course, the average person can take note of this trend.  Hours and hours of endless cardio sessions will not be as effective for getting both an athletic looking body nor an athletic functioning body like intense resistance training combined with speed and power work will.

Michael Phelps Diet Plan – No More Binge Eating

Michael Phelps may be just as famous for his diet as he is for his gold medals.  News stories spread back in 2008 about his 12,000 calorie days.  But he’s recently set the record straight that he never really ate that much, at least not on a regular basis.  (source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/05/michael-phelps-12000-calorie-diet-just-a-myth/1#.UBi_Q6DN6So )

Granted, training as intensely as he does combined with his fast metabolism certainly affords himself some additional calories.  But like most things, the idea that he eats that much tends to fall into sensationalism for the sake of making a good story.

He has said doesn’t follow a specific diet, but that he’s not eating as much junk food as he did before and takes vitamins, including vitamin D.

This falls in line with an observation I’ve had, and that is that the more physically active one is, the less they need to concern themselves with how many calories they eat.  However, this also doesn’t afford people a “free pass” to eat whatever they’d like.

Given that the 12,000 calorie notion was likely an exaggeration, let’s not forget that sensible eating comes first and foremost when it comes to keeping a fit body.  Following the tips I’ve outlined on this site and in my free fitness survival guide will be adequate for the vast majority of people to figure out what and how much they should eat to burn fat and build or preserve muscle for their activity levels.

Summary:

• Michael Phelps, and other swimmers like Ryan Lochte have increased their power training with weights, sleds, and other power exercises in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

• Michael doesn’t follow a set eating plan, but has become more conscientious about his food intake and reducing the junk, but more or less eats when he wants and doesn’t keep anything in particular too off limits.

• He hasn’t stated how much he eats, but we can assume it’s FAR below 12,000 calories as often stated.

More About Phelps:

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Ryan Lochte’s Training and Diet

 

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