Indian track and field athlete Neeraj Chopra is all set to perform his best in the Paris Olympics 2024. The reigning Olympic champion will be defending the title that he won at the Tokyo Olympics. As we eagerly wait for his performance in the qualifying round of the javelin throw event, let's take a look at how the star athlete prepares for such a crucial challenge.
Neeraj Chopra has a meticulously designed fitness and diet plan that he strictly adheres to, especially while preparing for an important event. Neeraj Chopra focuses on a series of training exercises to strengthen his muscles and joints that are critical for throwing the javelin. Additionally, during an interview with Curly Tales, Neeraj shared that he spends "7-8 hours" in the gym in the "loading phase", for which he intakes about "4000-5000" calories.
The loading phase that Neeraj mentioned most likely refers to the creatine loading phase, which is a short period of time when people take high doses of creatine to saturate their muscles with it and enhance their athletic performance. This method is strategically designed for athletes who need extensive training for their participation in professional sports or high-level competitions.
This loading phase is followed to increase the athlete's efficiency. By doing this an athlete not only improves his performance but also has a faster recovery time.
Neeraj focuses on a combination of strength-training exercises with intervals of high-intensity exercises. During an interview with ESPN Neeraj shared that he maintains a 10% body fat percentage just like his fellow athletes. He keeps a varied workout regimen with a focus on strength training for arms and elbows along with emphasis on hip and ankle mobility.
He includes medicine ball exercises, cable pulls, squats, lunges and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to divide his training into separate phases of speed, technique and strength, and involves adequate recovery sessions as well to avoid burnout.
Neeraj follows a strict protein-rich diet with ample fruits to maintain his body fat percentage and muscle strength and avoids eating processed or high-sugar foods when training for a high-stakes competition such as the Olympics. He emphasises the addition of natural foods like fruit and salad to his diet, and eats a healthy breakfast of oats, eggs and yoghurt before starting his workout.
With a perfect balance of workout, rest and diet he has prepared for the Olympics. Neeraj has the aim, dedication and grit to defend his title and here's hoping adds another gold to his impressive collection with his bout at the Paris Games!
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