Olympic gold medal winning swimmer, Natalie Coughlin, doesn’t live the life of the average person. While training for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, workouts seem never-ending, her eating habits are quite strict, and balancing her everyday life makes things hectic. She’s comfortable with her healthy body, but on occasion finds reasons to feel self-conscious in a swimsuit! Read on to find out what you can do to be more like this elite athlete and also what could possibly make Natalie nervous about that amazing body of hers.
Fitzness: How did you get started with swimming and decide to train for the Olympics?
Natalie: I grew up with a pool in my backyard, so my parents made sure that I took swimming lessons when I was baby. As I got older, my parents wanted to make sure that I was staying active for health reasons, so I joined a local swim team when I was 6 years old. I wasn’t very good at it right away, but I was competitive and I stuck with it. When I was about 13 years old, I started showing talent and when the Olympics became more of a concrete goal I went to nationals. When I made it to the finals at nationals I then realized the Olympics were possible. It was still a long shot, but I realized it was definitely possible.
Fitzness: What is your training regimen for the games?
Natalie: I do a culmination of swimming, weight lifting, running, and power circuit pilates- about 50% in the water and 50% out of the water.
Fitzness: How long do your workouts last?
Natalie: I swim two to four hours a day, breaking it up with having one or two sessions throughout the day. Weights will last about an hour and a half, pilates go for an hour and a half and I go to group classes that last about an hour. My mornings are pretty long with all of these workouts, it’s non-stop, so it’s important to leave a lot of room for snacks and getting meals in. I have gluten-free snack recipes that use dried plums, whole oats, raw almonds, and stuff like that which I can keep in my bag to keep me going between all of those workouts.
Fitzness: Tell us about your normal day?
Natalie: There aren’t too many normal days, but I wake up at about 4:15 and get to the pool by 5 am. I’ll do pilates and a stretching routine for about an hour, I’ll swim from 6-8 and then I’ll lift from 8-9:30, I’ll come home and rest for 3 hours and then I get back to the pool from 1-2:30. I’ll finish with pilates for about an hour and I’m done by 3:30. I have two breakfasts and snacks in between swimming and weights, and then I’ll have snacks before my afternoon session and a big dinner pretty early around 4:00.
Photo Credit: CaliforniaDriedPlums.org
Fitzness: We’ve seen reports of Olympic swimmers needing to consume thousands more calories than the average person. Does this make eating a chore? Or is it still a luxury to eat whenever you want?
Natalie: We do have to eat quite a bit. There are times during competitions when eating does become a chore, because all you really want to do is sleep! But when I am at home and training, I love eating and I really enjoy it.
Fitzness: As far as eating that much and being in a swimsuit, has your body image ever been affected by having to perform in a bathing suit?
Natalie: It’s never been an issue at a competition, but when I have photo-shoots I get self conscious, because I’m in front of the camera – especially when modeling bikinis! For me, I know that I am very healthy and very fit, but I almost feel too muscular as an insecurity when I’m at a photo shoot. But for the most part, I am comfortable being in a swimsuit because I’m in a swimsuit just as much as I’m in regular clothes so it’s second nature for me.
Fitzness: What are your plans for the future?
Natalie: Right now I’m really just focused on the London Olympic Games 2012 and the Olympic trials coming up this Summer. The training camps are really overwhelming so for right now that’s all I’m really focused on.
Fitzness: We’ll be rooting for you Natlie!
Readers: Will you be rooting for Natalie? Will you be upping your workouts to emulate hers? Do YOU think she’s ready for that bikini? What about those shoulders? We think they’re AMAZING!
For Natalie’s favorite go-to healthy recipes, check out californiadriedplums.org
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