Go for gold! Learn to train like an Olympian

By Steve Mazzucchi

updated 8:30 a.m. ET Aug. 7, 2008

Despite all the corporate grandstanding, the saccharine profiles, and the cheesy music, we're still drawn to the Olympic Games because they promise a glimpse of athletic perfection — that sinuous state of being when the outer boundaries of raw physical ability are reached and then exceeded ever so slightly.

But the fact that such boundaries are breached raises a question: How can each generation of athletes become faster, stronger, and quicker ... without doping?

The answer is simple: They train with coaches on the absolute cutting edge of exercise science, coaches whose tips will help you build muscle, burn stubborn fat, and even recover in record time. You'll find their secrets here. Beijing may be out of your reach, but a leaner, stronger, more energetic you is only a few weeks away.

Boxing: Larry Nicholson
USA Boxing's developmental coach of the year in 2003 and current assistant coach for USA Boxing

Float like a butterfly
"Nimble feet will give you a leg up in any activity that requires quick changes of direction, be it backyard toddler chasing or pickup basketball with the guys. Place eight cones three feet apart in a line, and then do three sets of each of the following exercises: Weave through them at a sprint, weave through them while high stepping, jump over them with your feet together, and weave through them while facing sideways.

You won't find a better warm-up. We do it every morning before stepping into the ring."

Develop full-body strength
"Weights are great, but don't underestimate the power of body-weight exercises. They provide you with a body awareness that you just can't get with plates or dumbbells, and that translates into more explosive power in the ring and more agility in the real world. Unfortunately, most guys do body-weight exercises incorrectly.

They focus on reps when they should really be concentrating on time. Rather than shoot for, say, three sets of 10 push-ups, do as many as you can in 30 seconds. Employ the same strategy with pull-ups, dips, and single-leg squats, resting for 30 seconds between each set."

Olympic Lifting: Mike Burgener
Father and coach of Casey Burgener, the top-ranked U.S. power lifter in Beijing

Achieve perfect balance
"Along with flexibility and body control, balance is an essential component of weight lifting. The best way to bolster it is with an overhead squat. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp a length of PVC pipe with a grip that's slightly wider than shoulder width. Hold it eight to 12 inches above your head, keeping your chest out, torso erect, and heels on the ground. Press the pipe upward as you squat down as far as you can go without arching your back, and then rise up. Do three sets of five to 10 reps. Start doing it with a barbell when the PVC pipe becomes easy.

You'll strengthen your core, hips, and shoulders. You'll also find it challenging to get out of bed the next morning."

Keep hitting new heights
"When you hit a wall — say, spending a month at 180 pounds on the bench press — don't train harder or attempt to force muscle growth by piling on more weight. Reduce your load by 10 to 20 pounds. In other words, if you want to bust out of a rut, undertrain for a week or two. Trust me on this one. If one of my athletes is tired, sore, or just not with it, I'll reduce his load for a week to 10 days. More often than not, he'll come back better than before and set records because his muscles were able to fully recover and repair themselves."

Swimming: Bob Bowman
Head coach for the University of Michigan swim team and personal coach to six-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps

Extend your stroke
"If you watch Michael Phelps swim, you'll see that his power comes not from fast strokes, but from long ones. The average freestyle swimmer takes 12 to 16 strokes to cover 25 yards. Michael requires just six to eight. Follow his lead by trying to trim one stroke per pool length the next time you jump into the water. Consciously extend your arms. It will feel awkward at first, like you're exaggerating each stroke, but once you start hitting those longer strokes at your previous short-stroke speed, you'll be faster, stronger, and fitter."

Armor-plate your core
"In order to slice through water with deftness and speed, you have to be strong in multiple planes of motion. I have Michael do medicine-ball exercises to achieve that end. My favorite is called the diagonal woodchopper. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a medicine ball over your right shoulder. Chop down and across your body until the ball touches the ground outside your left foot. Return to the starting position. Do three sets of 10 reps on each side. Next, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Holding the ball directly above your head, suck in your navel and lower the ball behind you as far as you can without lifting your back or bending your arms. Do three sets of 15 reps."

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