“If our body is a Ferrari, we’re asking it to perform…” – Michael Phelps on the importance of intense training
Michael Phelps is the most decorated swimmer in the history of the sport, holding several accolades to his name. With 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold, he has the highest number of Olympic medals in the history of the event.
Known for his exceptional physique and strong training regimen, Michael Phelps recently addressed the importance of taking care of the body during a conversation with PGA Tour star Justin Thomas. Ever since his retirement after the 2016 Rio Olympics, Michael Phelps has occupied himself with golf and also started working as a mental health advocate.
“All of my stuff now is based around golf. Now I am trying to, I guess, make those muscles a lot bigger, because I didn’t have to use some of those muscles when I was swimming,” Michael Phelps commented on his shift to golf.
In the video above, the two sporting legends were seen sharing some great insights while playing golf and working out together. Michael Phelps' achievements in his swimming career have been remarkable and it takes a lot of effort to reach such a level of greatness.
Talking about the process of reaching the pinnacle of his career, he said,
"In order to do something great, you have to do something that people arent willing to do... When I go back throughout my career everything was done with a purpose."
His major lessons were from races that did not go as planned. Whenever he finished second, he would analyze what went wrong and what could have been done better in his preparation, which cost him the gold medal.
Michael Phelps compares the human body to a Ferrari
Furthermore, when talking about the importance of sleep and recovery, Phelps compared the human body to a Ferrari. Just as the car can’t run without loading up on fuel and the right maintenance, likewise our body needs to be taken care of with the optimum recovery.
"If our body is a Ferrari, we are asking it to perform at the highest speed every single day. If you are putting unleaded in there, is that gonna run? No ...So if our body is that unbelievable machine, then we have to sleep, we have to recover, we have to do all of these things to allow ourselves the chance and opportunity to perform at the highest level," said Phelps.
However, he also pointed out that there are times when people just want to go directly to sleep without recovering properly, which can have a direct effect on their performance.
"I am sure you have times where you are so tired and exhausted from practice you dont want to eat. All you want to do is curl up in bed and go to sleep ....you know if you dont do X, Y, or Z, then the chance of you being able to turn that car and go full speed tomorrow is almost zero."
Michael Phelps takes his gym training quite seriously
The 31-year-old takes extreme care of his health and fitness and has bulked up since retiring from the sport. Talking about his mindset while training in the gym, Michael Phelps said,
“I have to be engaged here. Every single day I’m in the zone. I’m a psycho when I come in here.”
He also highlighted the importance of a disciplinary routine.
"Every day isnt going to feel like a million bucks you are going to wake up and roll out of bed and some days you gonna want to hit snooze and roll back over but if you want that goal thats all the way on the other side of the room you got to start by getting out of bed that day," said the swimming legend.
Hearing about his focus and dedication, it's no surprise why Michael Phelps has crossed all horizons in his sporting career. The Olympic legend underlined taking care of himself because "if my glass is half full, I'm not able to be the best person that I can be."
Rise and grind 💪
With his workout focus shifting from swimming to golf, @MichaelPhelps got in the gym with @JustinThomas34 to get some inside tips. https://t.co/fkYOJ9PIoB
Michael Phelps and Thomas ended their training with an ice bath for optimum recovery, which is an everyday routine for Phelps.
“Now that I’m retired, I still do this all the time,” Phelps said. “I think this is one of the best, easiest ways to recover, and it’s so good for your muscles.”
Michael Phelps also shared that the one thing he misses the most post his retirement is representing his country and being able to wear the stars and stripes.