It’s fair to say that British swimmer Adam Peaty has been in dominant mood at the European Championships
He’s won gold in the 50 metre breaststroke, mixed 4 x 100m medley and even smashed his own world record in the 100 metre breaststroke.
What you see on the podium is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Peaty’s success owes as much to a consistent and structured training plan than it does performance in the pool.
Loughborough University (where Peaty trains) have thankfully shared footage of his workout routine:
Peaty’s programme borrows a lot from traditional bodybuilding, particularly in its use of cycles and periodisation.
He says: “We tend to think in the winter that we get a lot more out of bulking.
“I’ll rest at about 94 kg during winter, and race about 88 kg.”
In the clip, Peaty can be seen performing a range of free weight exercises.
Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
This move is a great lift for your lats, adding overall size and strength. Swimming dictates that you pull against the resistance of the water, and the muscles responsible for this in the body are all worked by rowing movements.
Barbell Squats
Squats are the ultimate exercise for building explosive power. Much of Peaty’s success comes in short, sprint races, where this is particularly important. Given that your legs are responsible for generating power in the pool, this exercise is a must.
Weighted Pull-Ups
One of the core bodyweight exercises, pull-ups are a fundamental show of strength. Dumbbell rows help you isolate the lats, but adding weight to a pull-up will really make a noticeable difference to performance.
Barbell Hip Thrust
Peaty needs to produce power from his entire lower body, and no muscle does this better than the glutes. The Barbell Hip Thrust is the pick of the bunch.
Hanging Leg Raises
Everything in your body is connected. You can build your upper body and blast your quads and glutes, but you still need a strong core. Hanging leg raises help Peaty strengthen this area, and he adopts a slow and controlled lowering phase to add extra tension.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that the breaststroke, Peaty’s real strength, demands a strong chest and great pressing ability. Although you can’t see it from this footage, the 23-year-old has said he benches 130 kg for reps – you’d be a fool not to take his word for it.
Read more on how you can add 10 kg to your bench press with this 50-rep routine
