Usain Bolt’s Training Plan & Schedule

Usain Bolt is often called the fastest man on earth. Have you ever asked yourself how he became that person?

Genetics often play a part in people reaching physical goals and finding success; however, the majority of it is not left to genetics and chance.

Athletes like Bolt engage in a very rigorous training schedule to reach that level of success. 

Strength and Resistance Training

When diving into Usain Bolt’s training schedule, you will find resistance training tops the list. Bolt spends about 90 minutes, 3 days each week, devoted to this part of his workout. Workouts include a strong focus on core, but that is not where it ends. 

Bolt and other sprinters recognize the value of using weights as a way to build muscle and explosive speed. Lifts such as power cleans, squats, medicine ball throws, and others help to work the body this way.

Drills and Plyometrics

Plyometrics will build muscle strength in an active and dynamic way. This portion of the workout takes the static exercises to a whole new level. Box jumps, burpees, lunges, and movement-based exercises of this sort are all plyometrics. 

Drills are another good tool. Most drills help the athlete to focus on the form necessary to run strong. Some drills have the runner focusing on speed movements.

Combining these things help the sprinter become faster. 

Track Work

We all realize that you don’t get better at your craft unless you practice it. Hitting the track to work on speed is very important for any sprinter, and Bolt is no exception.

Track work focuses on starting out of the blocks, explosive speed to begin the race and finishes. These are technical pieces to help with the beginning and end of the race.

Sprint workouts often have components of varying distances, each with a different goal in mind. Working on reaching top speed and holding for a predetermined amount of time helps with your muscle memory.

The runner also needs to learn to lean into and embrace the discomfort of this hard effort. Of course, for men like Bolt, it is a short time you have to embrace that discomfort!

Proper Warm-Up and Cool Down

Warming your body up is crucial to success as an athlete. This is especially true of sprinters as neglecting to properly warm-up can result in injury in a hurry.

Taking that time to get your body ready for a hard effort workout, whether on the track or in the weight room, is worth it and will save you grief down the road.

Cooling down is equally important but often neglected. Your body is not meant to go from the hard effort to standing still without an adjustment period.

Take the time to cool down. You won’t regret it. This can be anything from an easy jog to a bike ride to brisk walking.

Diet

There is a saying that abs are made in the kitchen. Sure, people like Bolt work hard in the weight room on strength and resistance training. However, if you fail to fuel your body for success, you may not see the results you are hoping for. 

Usain Bolt relies on a balanced diet of whole foods that will help you reach your goals faster than leaving that piece to chance.

Usain Bolt Training Schedule

Bolt focuses on different things in his weight training routine. Some of his routines aim to improve and maintain flexibility, and the rest about power, strength, and explosiveness.

It stands to reason that Bolt spends a good amount of time on the track as he prepares to race the 100 and 200-meter dashes. As mentioned, Bolt needs to spend time focusing on different areas.

The sample workout is complements of Built for Athletes. 

• Starting Blocks: 10×2 point starts for 10-20m (rest: 2mins), 6×3 point start for 10-20 m (rest: 3mins), 4×2 block starts for 10-30 m (rest: 5mins)
• Acceleration: 10×20m with weight vest (rest: 4mins), 5×15m 2-point start using weight sleds (5mins recovery)
• Top End Speed: 5×30m acceleration, 75 % speed for 15-20m, sprint for 10-15m (rest: 4-5mins)
• Deceleration: 2×100m (2-3 reps), 95% of 200m pace (rest: 2-3mins between reps, 5-8mins between sets)
• Speed endurance work would also get regular attention, including 6-8 reps of 150m at 80-90% of 200m pace with 3-4 minutes rest.

Usain Bolt’s Training Routine

It is reported that Bolt trained for approximately 4 hours each day when he was racing competitively. His routine included warming up, strength training that included plyometrics and core work, drills, speed work, and a cool down.

When reading up on Usain Bolt’s daily plan, I found myself thinking he has habits similar to a teenage boy. Please read no judgment in that. Who can argue with his success?

Bolt wakes up around 10:00 am each day and then has his favorite breakfast of an egg sandwich and perhaps some fruit. By 11:00, he was hitting the gym for his weight-lifting routine. When finished with that, he would be ready for lunch.

Late afternoon, perhaps around 3:00, Bolt would be ready for his track work. As you can imagine, that would take him quite some time to go through all the phases of his speed work. 

After the workout comes dinner, which is Bolt’s biggest meal of the day, then, Bolt reports he would either spend time with friends or perhaps play some video games. 

Since he is not an early riser, Bolt would not be in any hurry to get to bed. Of course, then wake up and start the day all over again.

6 Bolt-Inspired Tips to Get Faster

If, like Usain Bolt, you have a need for speed, here are some tips to get faster.

1. Focus on form
2. Build strength
3. Core, core, core!
4. Do plyometrics
5. Stay relaxed
6. Trackwork

Taking time to focus on these 6 things will help you become a faster runner. But don’t take my word for it. Look at the Olympic great sprinters throughout history.

They did these things, too.