Written by MuscleTech athlete Ellie Black
Everyday includes purpose whether it is two workouts, or a rest day. Being conscious of taking care of my body and following my routine. This includes fueling my body properly, hydrating well, following my workout plan, and focusing on good recovery physically and mentally.
Everyday looks different for me. It can depend on the season or what training phase we are in. All in all, it is a full-time job. I think it’s important to note that there needs to be rest and relaxing, even for an Olympian.
Wake up is usually around 7:30am or 8am. I take a few moments every morning to ground myself and set my objectives for the day. Starting with a healthy breakfast is a priority to fuel me for my morning workouts. I pack my bag with snacks, water, and protein shakes, so I can continue to fuel properly throughout the day. Some days I am super busy moving to and from different workouts and appointments that preparing ahead is very important for my nutrition and recovery.
I hit the weights gym first thing in the morning. We work on different programs according to the time of year. For example, the off season from gymnastics competitions is usually heavier strength & lifting or endurance workouts and during competition season, we focus more on speed, power, and explosiveness in the weights gym. We start with stretching, warm up, and muscle activation. Our programs usually include a focus on lower body strength and power. For example, squats, trap bar, split squats, sprints, box jumps etc. We do upper body weight exercises as well including, single or double arm dumbbell chest presses, dumbbell rows, chin ups etc. There is always core, stability, and injury prevention exercises in our program. Bike or bike sprints are used for warm up, cool down, or endurance work.
These workouts can range from 1-2 hrs depending on the season and program. This is twice a week.
After the weights workout, I head over to the gymnastics gym. I will have a snack here to recover a bit from my first workout and give myself energy for the next one. We train for 4.5 hrs 5 days a week. Warm up includes foam rolling, band & balance work, full body stretch, muscle activation, and running warmup. Then we do specific apparatus event training (bars, beam, floor, and vault). Usually 30min-1 hr on the apparatus. We usually only do 3/4 per day unless we are in competition season. Then the time on the apparatus will be shorter and we will do 4/4 events. Conditioning is usually done after the event training, although some is done before events to warm up and activate muscles. Conditioning is about 30-60 min, again depending on the season. It is generally muscle weight exercises. Examples: Presses, handstand hold, handstand pushups, push ups, planks, calf raises, chin ups, leg lifts, L-hold, core exercises/circuits, squat jumps, hamstring curls, box jumps, rope runs, trunk lifts, and specific injury prevention exercises. Finishing up with a good stretch and flexibility (splits, pike, straddle, shoulders, hips).
Twice a week I do performance conditioning/ gymnastics specific Pilates/ injury prevention exercises with one of my physiotherapists/Pilates instructor for an hour at the gym.
Once a week I do artistry, flexibility, and leaps/jumps with my artistry coach for an hour.
I see my other physiotherapist once a week for treatment/injury recovery.
I see a massage therapist once a week.
I speak with my sports psych once a week in busy times of the year and once a month in the slower parts.
After all my training is finished for the day, I make sure I get a meal and protein shake in to optimize recovery. If I am going from practice to an appointment, I usually have my MuscleTech protein shake as it is easy to take with me on the go.
When I am home at the end of the day, I cook myself a proper healthy dinner and take time to connect with my family or friends. I catch up on emails, calls, interviews, and work to be done. I also make sure to carve out some time for recovery and relaxation: such as icing, ice baths, leg compression, meditation/mindfulness, journaling, reading, watching a show, shower or bath, and preparing for a good sleep.
What I Eat In A Day
Breakfast
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup blueberries
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
- 1 boiled egg seasoned with salt and pepper
Snack
- Orange/ piece of fruit
- Energy bite or handful of almonds
Recovery/Lunch
- 1 scoop Muscletech Nitro Tech Whey Gold protein vanilla
- ½ Banana
- ½ cup frozen mixed berries
- ¼ cup oats
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup skim milk
- Handful of spinach
Dinner
- Grilled chicken breast (rosemary thyme parsley olive oil salt pepper)
- ½ cup brown rice
- 1-2 cup steamed broccoli
Snack
- 1 cup cherries
- 1 piece dark chocolate
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