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Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is an American swimmer who holds the record for most Olympic gold medals won with 28 total medals. He won 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, surpassing Mark Spitz's previous record of 7 gold medals. Phelps trains 6 days a week in the pool and 3 days strength training, focusing on building muscle endurance through high repetition exercises. Though he has faced controversies over marijuana use, Phelps insists he earned his titles honestly through strict training and by participating in anti-doping programs.

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387 views2 pages

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is an American swimmer who holds the record for most Olympic gold medals won with 28 total medals. He won 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, surpassing Mark Spitz's previous record of 7 gold medals. Phelps trains 6 days a week in the pool and 3 days strength training, focusing on building muscle endurance through high repetition exercises. Though he has faced controversies over marijuana use, Phelps insists he earned his titles honestly through strict training and by participating in anti-doping programs.

Uploaded by

Metehau Denis George
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Michael Phelps

Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30, 1985, Baltimore, Maryland, USA) is an American
swimmer, multiple Olympic and world champion in various swimming events. He is a 24-
time Summer Olympic gold medalist (the most medals won by any athlete) and holds seven
world records.

Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics, with eight
medals won at the 2008 Summer Olympics.With this record, he surpassed Mark Spitz, who
was also a swimmer, who held the record of seven medals of gold won at the 1972 Summer
Olympics.

In total, Phelps won 28 Olympic medals: six gold and two bronze at
Athens in 2004, and eight golds in Beijing in 2008.

The unbeatable combination of genetic factors, mental strength, will and training have
brought Michael Phelps 14 gold medals. It takes more than a few laps of the pool to reach his
level of performance. Michael Phelps' evolution from a kid just learning to swim to the best
swimmer in the world has been littered with many medals and records never broken.

Michael Phelps' performances originate in his physical constitution. He is 1.93 tall but
his arms reach 2.04 meters, which gives him a huge advantage in the swimming pool. The
legs are slightly shorter than its torso, helping it to have less drag in the water and better
hydrodynamics. When competitions approach, Phelps is careful to keep his weight under 100
kilograms. The less it weighs, the faster it can swim. In shoes he wears the number 46, and
considering the fact that the joints of his legs have an unusual flexibility, it is easy to imagine
that they are almost as efficient as the fins of a fish.

Even though he seems genetically designed for swimming, Michael Phelps got where
he is through severe discipline and a strict training regimen. He trains in the swimming pool
six days a week, plus 3 days a week of interval training with weights. He doesn't use heavy
weights, because an overdeveloped muscle mass would put him at a disadvantage. Phelps
needs to maintain his athletic build and steady weight. He specifically focuses on building
muscle strength and endurance, so high-rep circuit training is perfect for him. If a
bodybuilder progresses by progressively increasing the weights, Michael Phelps changes his
type and routine of exercises very often in order not to let his body get used to it. His favorite
exercises are bodyweight exercises, such as parallel push-ups or pull-ups.

His idol and role model

Michael Phelps was the legendary Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, owner of five
Olympic gold medals. When asked what the chances were of Phelps taking home all 8 gold
medals in Beijing, he didn't give it much of a chance.

Phelps found in his idol's doubt a motivational factor that turned him into a champion.
He taped a piece of paper with Ian Thorpe's words to his locker door to constantly remind
himself that his goal is to prove him wrong. Thorpe attended the Beijing competitions. As
Phelps emerged victorious with 8 gold medals, making history, Thorpe congratulated Phelps
and his mother, saying, "I've never been so happy in my life that I was wrong!"
Michael Phelps' relationship with the media has not been without controversy.
Although several photos of him smoking marijuana in his youth appeared in the media,
Phelps wants to assure everyone that the title of undefeated champion was earned honestly,
without resorting to banned substances in competitions.

Phelps participated in the "Project Believe" program implemented by the United


States Anti-Doping Agency. As part of the program, Phelps is tested regularly to make sure
he is not using substances banned by the International Olympic Committee.

Michael Phelps invests heavily in his public image. His prestige as an Olympic
champion is also doubled by the fact that he is the image of a big sponsor in the world of
fitness. Speedo paid him $1 million, money he used to set up the Michael Phelps Foundation.
The foundation promotes swimming as a sport and offers assistance and advice to those who
want to have a healthier swimming style.

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