The Habits of a Champion Start in Practice
Ryan Lochte is one of the most successful swimmers of all time. He’s won several Olympic medals, including six golds, and holds several world records. But what sets him apart from his competitors is his relentless work ethic and an incredible training routine.
Lochte has spent countless hours in the pool perfecting his stroke. In fact, he tries to swim 200,000 meters every day. In order to maintain this routine, Lochte relies on adding small increments to his daily training routine to stay on track. To do that, he keeps a training journal that includes his swims and the number of calories he burned. Using this journal, Lochte decides when to add more to his routine to keep progressing.
All of these habits allow Lochte to swim faster and help him to stay focused. But these same habits help average swimmers, too. By keeping diligent records, adding incrementally to your routine and finishing what you start, you’ll make progress without sacrificing any of the fun factors.
Train Fast to Race Fast
It’s funny how we all become accustomed to how we want to do things. We’re a society of routine, and the best swimmers are no different. Many top swimmers have daily plans that they follow regardless of the situation.
I, for instance, have always trained on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m. I don’t get up any earlier or later on those days. I don’t put in fewer or more sets or swim shorter or longer distances than usual. I don’t swim any faster or slower than usual.
I’m not saying it’s the only way to swim. Training fast to race fast is just the way I do it. As a result, I give 100 percent every day. I don’t have good days and less-than-good days; I maintain my intensity and have good swims, great swims and great days. In other words, I’m giving it my all every day. This gives me more consistency in my training and makes it easier to maintain a higher intensity level.
CHAPTER 14:
Bike tour Trips
The Takeaway
Ryan Lochte needs little introduction. He is an Olympic gold medal, 11 time medalist, and one of the most decorated swimmers of all time.
His unique free-style stroke technique helped him defeat Michael Phelps in his breakout performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Going into the 2012 Summer Olympics, Morrissey and Lochte were the bookmakers’ favorites to win in their respective categories. Their victories cemented their status as Olympians for a generation.
Despite the overwhelming expectations of the American swimming community, Lochte went beyond everyone’s wildest dreams. He emerged from the London Olympics with five medals, more than anyone had ever won before. No one had ever hoped for more from Lochte than being good; he surprised everyone by being great.
Lochte’s ruthless intensity, drive, and passion for the sport are the reasons behind his dominance. You can figure out how he trains to be faster than all the others, but you can’t know how he motivates himself to be the best.
Following his success, he launched the Ryan Lochte Leadership Foundation and became a Teen Choice award recipient for his role in “Gilmore Girls”. He also graced the covers of major magazines and became a household name.