The Olympics – I just love them. Everything about them: the triumphs, the heartbreaks, the close victories and the near-misses. I love the stories behind the athletes and I love how not only does the Olympics bring countries together but how they bring the world together and how they inspire all generations to strive for greatness.

The Olympics have officially started which means there are thousands of athletes with stomachs full of butterflies wondering if the dream of gold, which they have been thinking about every day since the day they could think, will come true. They will be wondering if they trained hard enough and if the work that they put in over these last four years will be enough to get them to the podium. Every single moment of these last four years, for these athletes, has been calculated from the food they put in their bodies to the hours of sleep they get each day.  

These next two weeks will offer us some of the most inspiring moments and with that I want to inspire you with this Olympic inspired workout. I have taken several sports and designed exercises which mimic the movements of the Olympics. Try one or try them all but get inspired to challenge yourself and try something new.

Please click on images below to expand. 

Cross Country Skiing Band Warmup
Take a small circular band and place it up on your thighs, just above the knees. Start with 20 squats, focusing on pressing out into the band, then move into side stepping, 10 each direction, and finish with 20 ski squats, where as you come up from the squat you will kick one leg off to the side.

Biathlon
After your warmup grab a bosu and do 60 seconds of lateral hop-overs followed by a 30 second plank with alternating arm reaches. Go through this four times, getting your heart rate as high as you can in the hop-overs. This mimics the incredible skill of biathletes who get their heart rate to incredible levels then drop them instantaneously to accurately shoot at a target.

Sliding Sports – Bobsled, Luge and Skeleton
If you have access to a sled at your gym then do 8 sled pushes with 30 second supine plank hold between each. For those of us who don’t (myself included) place a dumbbell in a towel and then push that towel the length of a large room (hardwood is key for this).  

Downhill Skiing
Hold a wall sit for 30 seconds followed by 10 jump squats, then hold a wall sit for 25 second followed by 10 jump squats, then 20 seconds followed by 10 jump squats, then 15 seconds followed by 10 jump squats then 10 seconds followed by 10 jump squats. This is bound to make your legs burn just like a downhill ski racer (ok – probably not even close to what an Olympic skier is going through but you get the idea).

Curling
Now many of us probably think of curling as something you do with a beer in your hand rather than an athletic sport but since becoming part of the Olympics the game has become a game of skill and athleticism. For this curling-inspired move, grab a dumbbell or kettlebell and lunge back, placing the kettlebell on the floor while maintaining a straight line from your heel to the top of your head. Leave the dumbbell there and stand up tall, driving your knee forward. Step back into your lunge, pick up the kettlebell and stand up, driving the knee forward again. Repeat this 10 times on each side.

Figure Skating
A sport that is all about grace, finesse and balance, single leg dumbbell rows are the perfect exercise to challenge all 3 aspects. Place a kettlebell, or dumbbell, in your right hand, and tip forward onto your left leg. Lift your right leg behind you and raise it as high as you can from your hamstrings. Hold this position and row the weight up to your hip, driving your elbow by your side. Repeat for 20 then do the other side.

Speed Skating
The short track pursuit is one of my favourite events of the Olympics but I can’t help feeling for the long track speed skaters and the amount of lactic acid that their bodies can handle over 5000 and 10000m races. To get a sense of this pain take 2 dumbbells and place them 1 wide step apart. Start behind the left one, standing on your left leg, then bound to the right one, landing on your right leg. The goal is to stay low and bound quickly, taking minimal rest between each bound. Do 60 seconds, keeping your right hand behind your back, rest for 15 seconds then do another set with your left hand behind your back.

Have fun with this and I hope you all enjoy these next two weeks as much as I do! And please keep your smuttyfitness questions coming to me at [email protected].