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Usain Bolt’s Workouts and Diet
LATEST NEWS: Usain Bolt Smashes the 200m World Record in 19.19 seconds, Berlin 2009
Usain Bolt is now the reigning Olympic champion over 100m and holds both world and Olympic 100m records with a time of 9.58 seconds. He is also World Record holder for the 200m, running at 19.19 seconds in Berlin on 20th August 2009.
Bolt is also the world junior record holder in the 200 meters (19.93 seconds), and Jamaican national record holder in the 200m (19.67 seconds). His name and achievements in sprinting have earned him the media nickname “Lightning Bolt”.
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In 2009 Usain Bolt was named sportsman of the year. He is one of the most charismatic athletes that have hit the world stage in a long time.
Usain Bolt’s Height & Weight
Bolt maintains his 6ft 4in, 196 pound frame (193cm, 13st 8lb / 86kg) in peak condition with a simple diet.
Usain Bolt’s Training Program:
Bolt uses a combination of plyometric training and weight training to build functional strength. The core exercises for improving performance over 100m and 200m are:
- Weighted Lunges with heavy dumbbells
- Weighted Squats
- Cable Leg Drives
- Explosive step ups with weighted barbell
- Bunny Hops / Box Jumps
- Frog Leaps
- Ankle Rolls
- High-knee Skips
- Strides
Lunges and squats are the core weight training exercises to build strength. Ideally performed with free weights, and go heavy. Sets of 8-12 reps are ideal. The bunny hops and frog leaps build explosive strength. See our plyometric workout for boxers to get more information on plyometric training. Circuit training is also an essential part to all round athletic fitness.
In addition to building core functional strength, Usain Bolt’s workout plan includes a lot of flexibility training and sprint drills. Bolt trains for about 3 hours a day, but this is intensive training, followed by rest, massage and relaxation to ensure full recovery before the next session.
Usain Bolt’s Diet and Nutrition
Usain is one of the few professional athletes who does not take supplements. He admits to taking vitamin C, but nothing else. Instead, Bolt opts for a high-energy diet to maintain his engine, ensuring that each of his six daily meals contain 60% protein, 30% carbs and 10% fats. Sprinters should consume one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight to build and maintain muscle. So at approx. 14-stone, Bolt needs to consume 196 grams of muscle-building protein every day. He alleges to achieve this by eating a lot of chicken fillets, pork and fish. On the day that he beat the world 100m record, he described his preparation as:
“I woke around 11am and decided to watch some TV and had some nuggets.” – Usain Bolt
Bolt also loves his yams, which are an excellent source of energy-transporting carbohydrates, digestion-aiding fiber and vitamins C and A. Yams are a tropical root vegetable, but can often be purchased from shops in Caribbean communities. Usain Bolt is currently sponsored by Puma. You can buy Puma from Shop.com
Personal bests
| Date | Event | Venue | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 August 2009 | 100 meters |
Berlin | 9.58 sec |
| 20 August 2009 | 200 meters |
Berlin, Germany | 19.19 – World Record |
| 5 May 2007 | 400 meters |
Kingston, Jamaica | 45.28 |
Usain Bolt Running Training and Sprint Workouts
(the previous video is no longer available, so here is a new one from YouTube showing him doing some basic sprint training.
Youth Speed Training – How To Sprint Faster
Now take a look at Tyson Gay’s training and diet regime.
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29 Responses to “Usain Bolt’s Workouts and Diet”
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I hadn’t heard of Bolt until these Olympics but I have enjoyed watching him immensely. He did cruise to victory in his 200m heat and it looks like he can still go a lot faster. Thanks for the sprint workout video, I’ve been looking to get back to some sprint training for a while now and this was the exact thing I needed. (great soundtrack as well
) Thanks. Jessica
Usain Bolt is a supreme athlete…an icon for anyone! He is extremely well built and prepared! Proper legend…..
Bolt is amzing, he was so cool to watch in the Olympics! Way to go BOLT!
Well done Usain for winning the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the year. Usain managed to win more votes than Michael Phelps. He is certainly the coolest athlete around at the moment. If he was not so chilled, then he will probably smash his own records!
Today Usain Bolt revealed his secret to attaining great speed. He explained to Andy Jones from thelondonpaper.com that the secret is to remain relaxed. There should be no tension in the body, as clenching fists or gritting teeth is enough to slow you down. This actually reminds me of something I read in Chi Running once. Maybe Bruce Lee explained it best – flow like water my friend!
Also, for those interested in Bolt’s diet, he enjoys chicken nuggets, fried chicken and dumplings before a race. Probably best to follow his advice on relaxation, but not the dietary tips.
Yow BOLT is the real BIG man and there no doubt about that…..1000% the REAL deal……no preservatives or additives……
Why is his weight listed in stones? Come on, use a unit of measure that is normally used world wide. It’s bad enough to see American list in pounds, but stones…really!
Bolt is a legend
Way to go Bolt! Keep it up and the world will stand with you.
JC, weights have been updated.
the great
Usain Bolt is a natural! The guy is a true hero! His performance is amazing and I wish him everlasting success in his career. i admire the fact that he doesnt use anything much to boost his performance… but chicken and dumplings!!!- Great to finally have a dominant winner from elsewhere other than the USA!!!
WAY TO GO MR. BOLT!!
Bolt is amazing, all respect to him, he is the greatest sprinter ever! I’m a licensed dietician and I felt the need to step in and correct a few things:
He is not eating almost 200g of protein per day! No body can process that much, it will cause serious kidney damage, something a world class sprinter do not have time to deal with! Also, he could never workout as hard as he does on only 30% carbs, 92% of the energy we use to move our bodies comes from carbs, he would need plenty more!
And finally, if he eats 200g protein per day and has a daily diet of 60% protein, 30% carbs, and 10% fat, that would mean that he eats about 333g of fat, carbs and protein all added together, thats 200g protein, 33g fat and 100 grams of carbs per day, which adds up to about 1500 calories per day, and that is not even enough for a 160 pound girl who doesn’t work out, and no athlete in tho world could improve on such a diet. An athlete of Bolt’s caliber would need almost 4000 calories per day, and absolutely no less than 3000calories per day! If any one wonders how I came up with these numbers I just used the approx 200g protein, and the 60%, 30% 10% distribution and used simple math. 1g of fat equals 9 calories, 1 g of protein equals 4 calories and 1g of carbohydrates equals 4 calories. Just for facts, your body has to have at least 130g of carbohydrates per day to function properly, that’s the main problem with diets like Atkins.
Enjoy the fantastic career of Usain Bolt!!
Luke, not all forms of protein carry the same percentage of fat. Fish, poultry and pulses contain much less fat than red meat. By keeping carb levels low this helps to keep body fat low too, this reducing bodyweight, making him a leaner, stronger runner. This method is used by many athletes.
As for 200g protein a day causing kidney damage, the jury is still out on this one. Several studies have suggested that the problem is overweight and obese people with diets high in red meat containing saturate fat, plus a genetic prevalence to develop a kidney problem. Bolt certainly does not fall into the first group!
bolt your performance is great
Bolt is the greatest every……….2 di world
go bolt u are doing the caribbean proud…we love u…………da man leave out the rest ah ppl in dat last race…go….
All the way from TRINIDAD
Ok you misunderstood me, my problem wasn’t how much fat is in the meats he eats, but your numbers and calculations are all wrong. Let me explain.
You claim that he eats 196 grams of protein per day, let’s call it 200grams just to make things easier, you also write that he eats six times per day, that’s about 33 grams of protein per meal.
You write that of his meals 60% is protein, 30% is carbohydrates and 10% is fat. Using very simple math this means that since 33grams equals 60%, his entire meal consists of 33g protein, 16.5 grams of carbohydrates and 5.5 grams of fat, that results in a 55gram meal. Using just as simple calorie calculations which you can find on Wikipedia or any nutrition book, this means that he eats 132 calories of protein, 66 calories of carbohydrates, and 50 calories of fat. In one of his six meals, this adds up to 248 calories in this meal. Times six (because you said he eats six meals) this equals 1488 calories, which (like I have stated before) is not even enough for a 160 pound average height girl who doesn’t work out!
Now if a pro athlete, or super athlete like Bolt would try to work out on such a high level as he is, his body would collapse if it didn’t get sufficient amount of calories, he would need at least 3000 calories, but on the level he works out and competes I expect he eats almost 4000 calories!
As for the “one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight” you have just missed a small detail there, it is one gram of protein per kg of bodyweight! In Bolts case that ends up being about 86 grams of protein per day, which is still a lot, but his body will be able to process it!
Even protein in excess will be stored as fat, but too much protein also causes liver and kidney damage (because of the disease Ketosis, look it up if you don’t believe me).
And as for carbohydrates, carbs that you don’t use will be stored as glycogen and later on as fat, but the ones that you use are your primary source of energy.
In bolts case, working out so hard as he does, he would need at leas 65% carbohydrates in his diet too have sufficient energy to stay on top! The only times he would eat less is either if he would be injured and not working out, or if he is going to do a carboload before a big competition such as the world championships, the he would start by starving the carbs out of his body using a high protein diet.
Please don’t take a defensive stance when you read this, these are simple facts and simple and correct calculations, they are easy to find on google, Wikipedia or any well written nutrition book. I just came across your article and noticed that it was all wrong so I just wanted to correct it before some poor young athlete starves themselves while following this in an attempt to become the next Usain Bolt.
Thank you
bolt is the best
way to go Bolt, i had the pleasure of watching u set the world record time for 100m, i was soooo impressed, and the factu dont take drugs or anythin is great, natural talent is the best way to go, it proves your greatness!!!
Hi bolt this is akshay, I am deeply impressed by your performance. I promise that you will have an excellent time in New Delhi 3rd to 14th oct
Usain Bolt u really surprise every body at Berlin 2009,bolt you are great see u soon at Dechi
the greatest man in history (i love u Bolt !!!!!!)
Does anyone know the drills he does they removed the video. Just anything he does in regular training email me jjstarunner1@aol.com
We will look in to it, had not realized the video was removed, thanks for letting us know!
my name is kavosha. I am 15 and a track star at my school.usain bolt is my hero!i want to meet him sooo bad!!! watching him run gives me chills and butterflys! one day i hope to b just lik him!!!
Usain bolt the machine. You are a hero to everyone. How do you do it?
Usain Bolts diet is actually very hard on his body. Protein is harder on the body to break down to use as an energy source. Protein is great for muscle synthesis and athletes should consume anywhere from 0.8 to 1.8 grams of protein per pound body weight. A proper diet should consist of 60% Carbs – Main energy source, easiest form of glucose and bodies main energy source, 15% Protein, and 35% fat. Fat is the second best source of energy for our bodies. I do not believe that Usain Bolt consumes 60% protein in his diet and only intakes 196 grams of Protein. 1 gram of protein equals 4 calories so that equals 784 calories that means he is intaking less than 1500 calories daily.
Looks like we need to review our source of information on this one. Thanks for the heads up!