What are some interesting facts about Usain Bolt?

There is no doubt that Usain Bolt is faster than billions of Homo sapiens to have circumambulated the Earth in the past centuries. Let us find out the secret to his super-human speed and immense strength.

The Big Man

Here he comes - The big man! The big man!’ shouted a thrilled Colin Jackson as Usain Bolt stormed to a new Olympic record in the 100m race at the London Olympics. If experts were to be believed, Usain Bolt isn’t built for the 100m. That’s because his big 6’5 frame poses an impediment for him especially in a race in which explosive power and rapid turnover are extremely crucial.

Usain Bolt’s Secret

The secret to Usain Bolt's speed lies in 2 things:

• His uncanny height
• His massive strength

Majority of Usain Bolt’s competitors are much shorter than him and have a slight advantage in running off the starting block, but his super-efficient and long strides eventually help him gain speed and distance. To give you an approximate number - most top sprinters need somewhere about 45 strides to cover 100 meters, the “big man” does it in about 40 strides.

But, because the “big man” is so freakishly tall, he also has more mass to move as compared to other sprinters. To achieve this remarkable feat, he needs loads of strength, which means that he needs to spend lots of time in the weight room.

Usain Bolt training

Unless you have been living under a rock, you must be aware of the fact has Usain Bolt has one of the best bodies on the planet. To maintain his well-toned body, the Jamaican hits the gym with a vengeance. His 90-minute workouts are directed toward developing explosiveness and at the same time maintaining his lean physique. He does a lot of leg extensions and hamstring curls and tries his best to not get too bulky. That is why most of his conditioning is core-centric.

If you want a physique like Usain Bolt, you must do three sets of the following moves and follow his strenuous routine of 30 seconds on and 30 seconds rest:

• Leg Raises
• Side Sweeps
• Reverse Crunches
• Side Plank Clams

All these exercises can be easily performed without any special machinery or equipment, making them outstanding and highly efficient exercises to try in any environment. You can do these exercises at home, in the gym, or anywhere on the go.

Except for these, the ace sprinter also uses three types of jumping and lunging exercises to improve his strength:

• Bunny hops
• Box jumps
• Bounding

These exercises involve jumping either horizontally or vertically and can be easily performed by amateurs at any level of fitness.

Flexibility is another important factor that plays a crucial role if you want to run fast. To increase his flexibility, Bolt performs various workouts involving simple equipment like pull-up bars and cable pulleys. He does bale knee drives and hanging leg raises.

Speed Training

Bolt runs 400 meters to build strength and speed endurance. Bolt's speed training workouts are extremely strenuous and demanding. The Jamaican superstar didn't get there overnight, he took his own sweet time to develop super-human strength and run at lightning speeds.

Bolt recommends the following key points that one should always keep in mind if one wants to build speed and strength:

• Eat properly
• Keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water.
• Abide by this golden rule – “The more demanding the exercise, the more rest you should take”.
• Rest five to eight minutes between exercises.
• Use proper form and technique
• Perform static stretches at the end of workouts
• Above all – “Be patient and remember that a concoction of smart work and hard work always pays off”.

Watch Usain Bolt make a lightning 100m sprint here.

Usain Bolt diet

Usain Bolt’s personal chef has a difficult task at hand as he has to ensure that the sprinter’s body remains rock-hard. To ensure this, he has one secret weapon up his sleeve – yams. This super-food has the following benefits:

• It fulfills 34 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement. This helps in fighting post-workout muscle inflammation.
• It fulfills 26 percent of your daily potassium requirement.
• It fulfills 40 percent of your vitamin B6 requirement, which is a natural energy booster.
• It has only 177 calories per cup.

Also, he goes for long periods without in to his fast food cravings.

A typical day meal of Usain Bolt includes the following:

• Breakfast: A traditional Jamaican dish - Ackee and salt-fish with yellow yam, dumplings, potato and cooked banana
• Lunch: Pasta and chicken breast
• Dinner: Rice and peas with pork

For a complete diet plan for Usain Bolt, visit Usain Bolt Diet - The Fuel for Fire

Achieving greatness like Usain Bolt

According to Bolt, anyone can achieve fame and prominence in sports if they focus on developing the following:

• Strength
• Power
• Acceleration
• Flexibility

So, what are you waiting for? Gain some inspiration from the world’s fastest man and train hard to unleash the sprinter in you.

And if you are still hungry for inspiration, read this story about a man who ran 10 km everyday for a complete year.