Even Usain Bolt, the World’s Fastest Man and nine-time gold medalist from Jamaica, only has 24 hours in the day…
Outside of his genes and natural physique, is there anything he does on a daily basis that makes him special?
Usain answers with a quote from his coach and mentor, Glen Mills, “Everybody on the circuit, everybody at the Championships are talented athletes already. It’s the work you put in that makes you a champion, or better than the other talented person”.
Usain’s Day Plan
- 10AM – Wake Up
- 1015AM – Small Egg Sandwich, Green Bananas
- 11AM – Weight-Lifting
- 1PM – Lunch: Pasta, Corned Beef or Fish
- 3PM – Track Exercises
- 6PM – Large Dinner: Broccoli, Yams, Chicken, Pork or other meat, Jamaican Dumplings, Rice
- 8PM – Spend time with friends, play video games, go out on the town
- 12AM – Sleep
Fast Food
Bolt gained quite a reputation for himself during the Beijing 2008 Olympics for claiming to eat over 1,000 Chicken McNuggets during his 10 days at the event. Apparently he did not take well to the local cuisine, and the fried chicken bits were “all I knew”, according to his biography Faster Than Lightning:
At first I ate a box of 20 for lunch, then another for dinner. The next day I had two boxes for breakfast, one for lunch and then another couple in the evening. I even grabbed some fries and an apple pie to go with it… Man, I should have gotten a gold medal for all that chowing down.
He laughs off suggestions that this is regular style of eating… Instead, he focuses heavily on protein and vegetables. Some local favorites include Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica and relative of the lychee and longan, and saltfish, fresh fish that has been salt-cured and dried. The yam is another healthy local staple, supplying much needed complex carbohydrates for long endurance workouts, as well as vitamins C, B6 and potassium. His number one craving is for “hot wings… That’s the biggest craving that I have, all the time.” Go-to snacks include: mango, pineapple and apples.
Sleeping In
Usain says he’s supposed to be at the gym at 10AM, but “that’s when I wake up”… He finds it difficult to go to bed early, and prefers to sleep in to ensure a minimum of eight hours. “Sleep is extremely important to me — I need to rest and recover in order for the training I do to be absorbed by my body.”
At night, he’s usually liming with friends and long-time acquaintances, such as his childhood friend and now manager NJ and his half-brother Sadiki. The PlayStation takes precedence in the evening after dinner, with Call of Duty being the first choice.
Bolt is also known for his outgoing personality, outspoken behavior and living it up as one of the greatest athletes of all-time. He is frequently rumored to be with women, and readily admits it’s one of his main motivations to succeed, “When I’m at the gym, I think about chicks, going to the beach, and looking good. I do it for the girls.”