?Started Adding Weightlifting?: Olympics Legend Michael Phelps Had an Intense Training Method for 2008 Games

American swimming icon Michael Phelps is one of the most accomplished and well-known athletes of our time. The legend also holds several records to his name, including the most number of Olympic gold medals in swimming.

Although Phelps has retired now from swimming, he still is an inspiration for many youngsters in the sport. During one of his old interviews, Phelps shared some crucial training tips from his daily training routine.

Michael Phelps did extra preparation for the Beijing Olympic

Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics,?Men’s Fitness?interviewed Phelps about his workout regime and asked him to share some tips with everyone.

During the interview,?Phelps?revealed that he was training extra hard for the Olympics.?“I?m running more than I ever have,”?disclosed Phelps. The ‘Flying fish’ shared that he had also added an extra weightlifting routine to his regular training.?“In preparation for Beijing, I started adding weightlifting to my dry-land work,??said Phelps. Weightlifting builds swimmers’ strength, which is beneficial for their overall performance.

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Apart from hitting weights and excessive running, Phelps emphasized the importance of ‘resting and recovering.’ According to Phelps, letting your body recover after a hardcore workout shall deliver the best results.

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Phelps also believed that swimmers should train their minds as well. Physical and mental training always work concurrently in sports. All these detailed and well-organized training sessions helped Phelps achieve all the great heights in his?swimming?career.

Phelps’ achievements at the Beijing Olympics

Beijing was Phelps’ third Olympics. The legendary swimmer achieved great heights and broke several records at the event. He had set an Olympic and a world record, during the 400m heat and won his first gold medal in Beijing. In total, Phelps won six gold medals, as well as set six world records, at the 2008 Olympics.

Phelps also became the first swimmer to win three consecutive Olympic butterfly titles in swimming history. However, this was just Phelps’ halfway journey toward building an era of his own.