Whether it is aquatics, gymnastics or track and field the world's top athletes work for nearly their entire lives in hopes of winning an Olympic gold medal. They spend six to eight hours of physical training a day and there are no days off.
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte for example, does rigorous, out of the ordinary cross fit training.
“Athletes at that level, they're always trying to find something to give them just a small edge. Because first and second place, there's a difference between 100th of a second sometimes in the Olympics, said Eric Traeger, owner of Cross Fit Combat Fitness, in Fresno. He makes his clients do similar Olympian workouts.
“It's going to be about maintaining their power output, generating high power and being able to maintain that longer than the other athletes,” said Traeger.
Log sit ups, climbing ropes, ring push-ups, each workout has it's specific purpose.
“Anything and everything they can do to get that edge, they're willing to do,” said Traeger.
Of course, not all Olympians incorporate cross fit training in their workouts, but Traeger says many are Olympic swimmers and runners.
Cross fit training is also popular among law enforcement officers, firefighters and military personnel.
TXT 24
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