I tried an Olympic swimmer’s two-move method for building strength and power, and it’s brilliantly simple
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Adam Peaty’s training schedule is intense, but the moves are surprisingly simple. Adam Peaty redefined what was possible in the pool, obliterating world records in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke events. He also flaunts a physique that would make most bodybuilders’ eyes turn green.
![[Team GB swimmer Adam Peaty wearing Castore]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/10/17/13/Untitled-design---2024-10-17T125437.773.jpg)
As fitness inspiration goes, you could do a lot worse. And it turns out his favourite workout trick is surprisingly easy to cut and paste into your own gym routine. As a fitness fanatic who wouldn’t mind a slice of Olympic athleticism, I asked Peaty for the training blueprint he uses to put this practice into action, then headed to my local gym to give it a try. Here’s how I got on.
![[Swimmer and Castore athlete Adam Peaty]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/10/17/12/Untitled-design---2024-10-17T125337.554.jpg)
To target the lower body, perform five rounds of:. To target the back and biceps, perform five rounds of:. To target the chest, shoulders and triceps, perform five rounds of:. Peaty starts most gym sessions with a contrast training superset (two exercises performed back to back with no rest in between). The only prerequisite is that the exercises are similar and recruit the same muscles – his suggestions for targeting the lower body, back and biceps, and chest, shoulders and triceps can be seen above.
“You might do five back squats into five countermovement jumps [a max-height vertical jump from a standing start] for five rounds,” he says. Peaty increases the weight of his squats with each round, starting at 100kg and finishing with a max-effort set at around 150kg. You don’t have to go this heavy – use weights that are challenging for you, to the point where you’re forced to slow down on the last couple of reps.
