Fotor

Great Gold VS. Great White

Michael Phelps has broken a new swimming record while simultaneously losing a race. Nearly 5 million viewers tuned in to Discovery Channel on July 23, crushing all previous ratings for the event. While he is arguably the most decorated Olympian of our time, Phelps sought to challenge himself with the world’s most infamous apex predator: the Great White shark.

A Fierce Opponent

Wikimedia Commons

Michael Phelps has never been one to shy away from friendly competition. In his most recent race however, it is hard to say whether or not Phelps’ competitor was anything close to that.

All Jaws and Sharknado references aside, the Great White is quite fearsome due to its size and teeth. It can reach speeds of up to 25 mph, and can kill a human with only one bite. The Great White is known to cause more fatal attacks on humans than any other shark.

Although it is not known for its speed, it certainly is known for its ferocity. So naturally, Phelps decided to get into the water and race one. Or did he?

Pulling A “Fast” One

Wikimedia Commons

Leading up to the Discovery Channel’s most popular broadcast week, the news of Phelps’ endeavor spread across airwaves creating a lot of hype. It was made to seem that Phelps would be swimming side by side with his competition. Immediately before the unique race was aired to kick off Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, it was revealed that Phelps would be racing a computer generated Great White shark. Needless to say, many were disappointed.

Fake It So You Make It

While Phelps swam his signature butterfly stroke in the ocean, he was fitted with a fin-like apparatus to give him an advantage over the shark. However, the fin wasn’t the only fake item involved in the race. The shark used was a CGI image that mimicked the speed and movement of a Great White Shark. It looked… somewhat real.

Everyone knows how dangerous this race would be, so why would anyone think it’s real? Although there have been a few people to swim with Great White sharks and had no harm come to them, it is important to note there was no racing involved. Sharks are attracted to not only blood but vibrations in the water. Phelps’ thrashing around while swimming as fast as he can would have increased the likelihood of him becoming supper before ever reaching the finish line.

First of all, there is no way an entire TV network is going to risk the life of a beloved Olympian. Can you imagine recovering from that lawsuit?

Understandably, people are still upset or at least mildly annoyed by this mishap. Shark Week is sacred, and to mislead viewers like this until the last minute is blasphemy. Discovery Channel has had a good run with Shark Week over the past 25 years, and as long as this doesn’t happen again, there will hopefully be many more to come.

The post Michael Phelps Vs. Shark: The Race (Or Disappointment) Of A Lifetime appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It’s safe to say that if you’re looking for some inspiration for your next workout program, there are worse places to look than the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt. While his elite genetics ensure that you’d never be able to catch up with him on the track no matter how hard you train, you can still steal his training regimen to get some next-level results for yourself.

While his elite genetics ensure that you’d never be able to catch up with him on the track no matter how hard you train, you can still steal his training regimen to get some next-level results for yourself.

Train Like A Champion

Jmex60 / Wikimedia Commons

Although Bolt would likely be able to give a cheetah a run for its money even without ever stepping foot inside a gym, his workout routine certainly helps take his performance to the next level. But despite what some might think, there are no mystical training methods that Bolt credits as the secret to his success.

“There are no secrets,” he says. “You just have to develop strength, power, acceleration, and technique.”

So how can we mere mortals develop strength, power, acceleration, and technique like Bolt? The Lightning Bolt Workout is a great way to start seeing some fantastic results. This workout consists of three specific moves at its core and focuses on helping a runner develop explosive power.

1. Bunny hops

YouTube

5 sets of 20 reps

Holding a kettlebell, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms hanging in front of you with a kettlebell in hand. Then, squat down, and explosively spring up, pushing against the resistance of your body along with the added weight of the kettlebell. As soon as you land, quickly repeat the jump for the remainder of the prescribed reps.

2. Box jumps

YouTube

4 sets of 8 reps

Begin in a squatting position with your hands on your hips. Then, using an appropriately-sized box based on your experience, jump explosively from the squatting position into the air, landing on your feet on the box. As soon as you’ve landed, jump back down into the starting squat position and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

3. Bounding

YouTube

3 of sets 10 reps

Starting in the standing position, you’ll move quickly into a semi-squat position before immediately springing out of the squat and jumping for length. Swing your arms aggressively to power your body through the air.

Stretch Those Muscles To Boost Your Speed

Nick Webb / Wikimedia Commons

Strength and plyometric training with the exercises already mentioned are critical for any acceleration sport like sprinting. But it’s critical not to overlook the importance of flexibility work as well.

According to Bolt, “Flexibility helps with stride length, as does core stability to hold the hips in a good position. Usually when the hips drop the stride gets shorter.”

YouTube

There are a number of stretches that are powerful for stretching the hip flexors which help with stride length. One of the most effective stretches that Bolt himself has likely used as part of his flexibility program is the Frog stretch, a common pose often found in yoga. Illustrated in the picture above, this stretch begins on knees that are fully bent and beneath the butt, with forearms resting at a 90-degree angle in front of the body. From the starting position, you walk the body forward to really intensify the stretch and really enhance your flexibility.

Check out the video below to see the fastest man alive in action in the gym.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZeumjYLE-K4″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

The post This Is How The World’s Fastest Man Works Out appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Fotor

Great Gold VS. Great White

Michael Phelps has broken a new swimming record while simultaneously losing a race. Nearly 5 million viewers tuned in to Discovery Channel on July 23, crushing all previous ratings for the event. While he is arguably the most decorated Olympian of our time, Phelps sought to challenge himself with the world’s most infamous apex predator: the Great White shark.

A Fierce Opponent

Wikimedia Commons

Michael Phelps has never been one to shy away from friendly competition. In his most recent race however, it is hard to say whether or not Phelps’ competitor was anything close to that.

All Jaws and Sharknado references aside, the Great White is quite fearsome due to its size and teeth. It can reach speeds of up to 25 mph, and can kill a human with only one bite. The Great White is known to cause more fatal attacks on humans than any other shark.

Although it is not known for its speed, it certainly is known for its ferocity. So naturally, Phelps decided to get into the water and race one. Or did he?

Pulling A “Fast” One

Wikimedia Commons

Leading up to the Discovery Channel’s most popular broadcast week, the news of Phelps’ endeavor spread across airwaves creating a lot of hype. It was made to seem that Phelps would be swimming side by side with his competition. Immediately before the unique race was aired to kick off Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, it was revealed that Phelps would be racing a computer generated Great White shark. Needless to say, many were disappointed.

Fake It So You Make It

While Phelps swam his signature butterfly stroke in the ocean, he was fitted with a fin-like apparatus to give him an advantage over the shark. However, the fin wasn’t the only fake item involved in the race. The shark used was a CGI image that mimicked the speed and movement of a Great White Shark. It looked… somewhat real.

Everyone knows how dangerous this race would be, so why would anyone think it’s real? Although there have been a few people to swim with Great White sharks and had no harm come to them, it is important to note there was no racing involved. Sharks are attracted to not only blood but vibrations in the water. Phelps’ thrashing around while swimming as fast as he can would have increased the likelihood of him becoming supper before ever reaching the finish line.

First of all, there is no way an entire TV network is going to risk the life of a beloved Olympian. Can you imagine recovering from that lawsuit?

Understandably, people are still upset or at least mildly annoyed by this mishap. Shark Week is sacred, and to mislead viewers like this until the last minute is blasphemy. Discovery Channel has had a good run with Shark Week over the past 25 years, and as long as this doesn’t happen again, there will hopefully be many more to come.

The post Michael Phelps Vs. Shark: The Race (Or Disappointment) Of A Lifetime appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It’s safe to say that if you’re looking for some inspiration for your next workout program, there are worse places to look than the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt. While his elite genetics ensure that you’d never be able to catch up with him on the track no matter how hard you train, you can still steal his training regimen to get some next-level results for yourself.

While his elite genetics ensure that you’d never be able to catch up with him on the track no matter how hard you train, you can still steal his training regimen to get some next-level results for yourself.

Train Like A Champion

Jmex60 / Wikimedia Commons

Although Bolt would likely be able to give a cheetah a run for its money even without ever stepping foot inside a gym, his workout routine certainly helps take his performance to the next level. But despite what some might think, there are no mystical training methods that Bolt credits as the secret to his success.

“There are no secrets,” he says. “You just have to develop strength, power, acceleration, and technique.”

So how can we mere mortals develop strength, power, acceleration, and technique like Bolt? The Lightning Bolt Workout is a great way to start seeing some fantastic results. This workout consists of three specific moves at its core and focuses on helping a runner develop explosive power.

1. Bunny hops

YouTube

5 sets of 20 reps

Holding a kettlebell, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms hanging in front of you with a kettlebell in hand. Then, squat down, and explosively spring up, pushing against the resistance of your body along with the added weight of the kettlebell. As soon as you land, quickly repeat the jump for the remainder of the prescribed reps.

2. Box jumps

YouTube

4 sets of 8 reps

Begin in a squatting position with your hands on your hips. Then, using an appropriately-sized box based on your experience, jump explosively from the squatting position into the air, landing on your feet on the box. As soon as you’ve landed, jump back down into the starting squat position and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

3. Bounding

YouTube

3 of sets 10 reps

Starting in the standing position, you’ll move quickly into a semi-squat position before immediately springing out of the squat and jumping for length. Swing your arms aggressively to power your body through the air.

Stretch Those Muscles To Boost Your Speed

Nick Webb / Wikimedia Commons

Strength and plyometric training with the exercises already mentioned are critical for any acceleration sport like sprinting. But it’s critical not to overlook the importance of flexibility work as well.

According to Bolt, “Flexibility helps with stride length, as does core stability to hold the hips in a good position. Usually when the hips drop the stride gets shorter.”

YouTube

There are a number of stretches that are powerful for stretching the hip flexors which help with stride length. One of the most effective stretches that Bolt himself has likely used as part of his flexibility program is the Frog stretch, a common pose often found in yoga. Illustrated in the picture above, this stretch begins on knees that are fully bent and beneath the butt, with forearms resting at a 90-degree angle in front of the body. From the starting position, you walk the body forward to really intensify the stretch and really enhance your flexibility.

Check out the video below to see the fastest man alive in action in the gym.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZeumjYLE-K4″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

The post This Is How The World’s Fastest Man Works Out appeared first on SportzBonanza.