EVEN THOUGH OLYMPIC competition is already under way in Italy, athletes still need to stay sharp. That's why the various locales being used for the Milano-Cortina Games (Milan, Cortina, Livigno, and Predazzo) have been outfitted with a top-of-the-line training center for team members to lift weights, run on treadmills, and perform their sport-specific workout routines.
These centers give Olympians just a bit more than you'll find in your average big box gym—but you might be surprised that there are lots of things in common. Your gym might not be outfitted with the latest Technogym treadmills, but from the machine layout to the overhead fluorescent lights, you'll likely find some similarities to the places you've trained.
The MH team on the ground in Italy got a behind the scenes look at one of these centers to get a better idea of how Olympians are staying prepared as they approach their shot at gold. "Not everyone needs to train this way, but there’s a lot we can learn from athletes and should at least think about when it comes to training," says fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. Here are his biggest takeaways from touring the Olympic fitness facilities.
Machines Are Embraced By Olympians
When you think performance training, often you think of turf and sprints, and you think Olympic lifts and power moves—it's right there in the name! These all hold a place for an athlete, who usually want to focus on rate of force development.
But muscle and strength help drive rate of force development, and building these is increasingly key. Machines are a safe way to build and push muscle and strength because you can fail on them and get very close to fatigue, even if technique isn’t perfect. There were a host of plate-loaded Technogym machines here (including my favorite Technogym piece, a Belt Squat), and another series of AI-powered Technogym machines for athlete assessments (the Checkup).
Pilates Is Here to Stay
There were three Technogym Reformers in the space. Pilates is finally growing out of being a buzzy boutique fad, and more athletes are embracing it. This isn’t your training entree, but it’s great for building the strength and awareness of smaller stabilizing muscles.
Cardio Is Important for All Athletes
Many Winter Games athletes (downhill skiers, some snowboarders, figure skaters, some speed skaters) expend energy for only small pockets at a time—but they still take time to develop their engines.
Technogym reps said the company got an order for a lot of treadmills in the space, and the stationary bike section was full.
Kettlebells Are Kinda Overrated for Olympians
This is a big space, but there were just three tiny bays of kettlebells, and no weight I saw was over 53 pounds. KBs are great for power training and learning how to be bouncy and athletic, but you don’t need to go heavy to do that. For strength and power, athletes have better options.
Brett Williams, NASM-CPT, PES, a senior editor at Men's Health, is a certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
