Secrets from Olympic Trainers

Uber-useful tips from the pros who help fine tune the athleticism of Team USA members every day

July 26, 2012

The expert: Jennifer Gibson, M.Sc, R.D., sport dietitian for the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC)

Gibson works with the U.S. national teams in acrobat and combat sports: judo, tae kwan do, wrestling, boxing, fencing, synchronized swimming, diving, and gymnastics.


Slim-down your snack. "I'm really in love with Greek yogurt right now. It's got an amazing amount of protein in it, comes from a natural food source, and it's relatively low fat," says Gibson. She recommends it as a post-workout recovery snack, and adds honey, fruit, or maple syrup to plain yogurt to sweeten it up.

Many athletes make the mistake of… Forgetting to "pre-hydrate," as Gibson calls it. "Most athletes drink during and after a workout, but it's essential to come into your workout well hydrated so your body is primed and ready to give 100 percent. Drinking during sometimes just restores you to the level of dehydration you had coming in." Wondering if you've had enough water? Well, there's an app for that. Download iPee Daily to your iPhone to track your daily hydration status based on your weight and pee color. (We swear, we're not making this up!)

(Just about) everyone should eat more... omega-3-rich foods, especially fatty fish like salmon and rainbow trout. "We know that omega-3s are really good from an anti-inflammatory perspective, and for joint health too. It's one of those foods that athletes hardly ever eat as often as they should, and it can actually help them avoid injury and stay healthy."

(Just about) everyone should eat less... processed food. "Look at the degree of separation from the original food source. If it's really far away (or you can't tell!) you probably want to stay away from it."

Go ahead a cheat—a little. "We take a very holistic attitude here at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC). We don't say any food is completely bad. Everything is OK to have sometimes."

The expert: Jo A. Hannafin, M.D., Ph.D, orthopedic director of the Women's Sports Medicine Center and director of orthopedic research at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City

Dr. Hannafin was a USOC physician for the 2004 Olympics and will be the chief medical officer for FISA (the international governing body of rowing) in London. She's also a head team physician for the U.S. national rowing team and the New York Liberty WNBA team.

To prevent injury... Get enough rest in between workouts. Dr. Hannafin recommends checking your resting heart rate regularly. "If you aren't getting enough recovery time, your resting heart rate will go up," she says, "It's a sign of increased cortisol production--meaning your body is stressed and you may be overtraining."

To test your ticker, give yourself a few minutes after the jolt of your morning alarm clock, find your pulse (either on your wrist or side of your neck). Count the beats for 30 seconds and keep track of the number. It may occasionally go up if you don't get enough sleep or you knock back a few margaritas the night before, but in general, it should stay the same. "If it goes up more than five or six beats, and stays up, that's a very good signal that you're not recovering enough from your workout."

Make the call. It's a no-brainer to make an appointment for a traumatic injury (that's from, say, a slip or fall), but repetitive injuries (ones that may occur over time due to overuse or repetitive motions), are a little trickier. While some soreness during and after your workout can be expected, if it doesn't ease once you warmup, stop. "If you warm up and you begin to feel more comfortable as you work out, you can continue," notes Dr. Hannafin, "But if you feel pain with every stroke or every step, don't do it. Your body is sending the signal that it's not ready to do what you're asking it to do."

Go beyond RICE. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation is your first defense against sprains and strains, but when you're laid up, don't forget to eat well too. "The same way you need to fuel for performance when you're healthy, you need to fuel healing in your body. This is not the time to restrict your food because you're concerned that you're burning fewer calories," says Dr. Hannafin.

Keep up your (hopefully!) well-balanced training diet, with plenty of protein, fruits, and vegetables, so your body has the nutrients it needs to heal itself.

The expert: Timothy Pelot, M.S., C.S.C.S, strength and conditioning physiologist for the U.S. Olympic Committee

Pelot works with the U.S. senior national teams in swimming, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, and water polo.

Learn new moves. If I had to pick one exercise that's most helpful--that you won't see people do in most gyms--it would be the clean pull. It's a combination of a dead lift and an explosive jump, and it combines whole body strength, stability, core, legs, and upper body." If you can do a conventional dead lift comfortably, you're ready to try this. Start slowly before working up to a faster speed.

To do it:

1. Position your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly pointed out with your shins no more than two inches from a 9- to 12-pound barbell. Place your hands on the bar slightly wider than your knees. Position your chest directly over the barbell, hips back. Your elbows should be pointed out, knuckles toward you.

2. Keeping the barbell close to your shins, lift your hips and shoulders and straighten your knees, starting slow and then accelerating with control.

3. Once the barbell has passed your knees, bend them and push them slightly under the bar so the barbell makes a slight contact with your thigh.

4. With a quick movement, straighten your knees and extend your hips, pushing up onto the toes (as if simulating a jump), and shrugging your shoulders at the same time. When your heels are as high as possible, quickly plant your heels back down onto the floor, keeping control of the bar. Lower it back to just above your knees, and then drop the weight (with control) to the floor. Do three sets of six reps to start.

Get faster. Add sprints and intervals into your routine at least once a week. On a track, run the straight always and walk or jog the turns. Start with three laps, and build up to 12 to 15. "If you're trying to look more toned and increase your strength, nothing really compares to sprinting," he explains, "Plus it boosts your metabolism for the entire day afterward."

Celebrate mini achievements. "Many athletes have a mindset of always looking to improve themselves. That's good, but don't forget to look back at all you've accomplished," says Pelot. At the USOTC, Pelot and the other strength coaches keep detailed logs of each athletes' workouts, and remind them constantly how much stronger they've become. "Recognize the small achievements, and you'll be much more motivated as an athlete," he says.

The expert: Amanda Wittenmyer, M.S., strength and conditioning coordinator at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs

Wittenmyer works with many different teams, including figure skating, javelin, equestrian, men's fencing, shooting, Paralympic swimming, and Paralympic alpine skiing.

Surefire strength booster: The pullup.
To do it: Start in a hanging position with your arms straight, palms facing away from you and hands shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. Hold for a second, then slowly lower back to the start. Try not to swing (called "kipping") or use any momentum. Not there yet? Start at the top of the pullup and try to lower yourself slowly in eight seconds. Get more pullup tips.

Every athlete should try... Swimming. "It's a great total-body workout that is low impact on the body," says Wittenmyer. Get a beginner and advanced swim training programs.

Get creative. Wittenmyer knows that variety is key for all athletes—even elite ones—and encourages those she works with to incorporate running, swimming, cycling, boxing, weights, hiking, exercise classes, yoga, rowing, and anything else they enjoy. "Figure out what you enjoy and do them!" she says, "If you see a sport at the Olympics that you find fascinating, check out the National Governing Body website for that sport for local clubs. Be ready to be challenged!"

Score an Olympian attitude. Training for the Games can definitely be a grind, so the USOTC athletes take one refrain to heart: "It's not every four years; it's every day." It's what they do day in and day out in the weight room, the practice fields, gyms, and pools, and even on rest days that gets them to their goals. Breaking it down helps them deal with such seemingly far-off dreams.

Steal this mantra the next time you're struggling to get motivated for a run or workout. It's that run, today, that'll get you to a marathon—or whatever your own goals may be. So go lace up!

Tags: Olympics