Categorized | Mind, Profiles

Lewis Hamilton’s Fast Fitness

With the Grand Prix series in full swing and the British Grand Prix high on the agenda, John Shepherd finds out how Lewis Hamilton gets fit

Interview by: John Shepherd

JS: How long does your preparation work off-season last?

LH: My training comprises of about four months of strength endurance cardiovascular endurance tests, musculoskeletal tests, body scans and nutritional consultations. The programme is designed to build up physical fitness that will last throughout the year.

(Lewis explained that in a typical week he would do four strength and conditioning sessions and three CV workouts. For strength his main areas of focus are: neck, core/back/glutes, shoulders, legs. Running is the mainstay of his CV work. He’ll also do speed and agility work)

JS: Do you work within designated heart rate zone for your CV training? 

My aerobic training lasts up to three hours, targeting a heart rate between 130-150 beats per minute. I’ll also do some interval training lasting 10-30 minutes with my heart rate going above 165bpm.

JS: You work a lot on your core, why is this? 

 LH: You have to have very, very good core stability.  It’s not about having the biggest muscles, core stability is the most important to control the forces that you have going around your body…… it’s all about endurance strength so we do lots of repetitions.

For back strength my weapon of choice is the medicine ball. I do an exercise that involves lying on your back lifting your back off the ground and throwing the 10kg medicine ball with both hands as far as possible.

JS: F1 drivers have to have strong necks, how to do you develop this strength?

This is the muscle that needs to be strongest. My neck grows throughout the year and then shrinks towards the end of the year (due to the demands of training and the F1 season. Ed). The training for the neck is quite simple.  We have a helmet and we put a weight on the top – five or ten kilos.  You can then do the exercise anywhere, which is great so you don’t have to go to the gym.  You just sit on the edge of the bed, for example, just holding your head up.  I do repetitions, forwards and backwards without moving any other part of my body. I do lots and lots of repetitions so many until you can’t do them anymore (these can total 1500 in a day. Ed).

JS: Are there any other specific to driving exercises that you do?

 I use a 15kg disc weight as a steering wheel and sit in a ‘V’ position. This requires the core to work and strengthens the shoulders. 

JS: Tell us a bit more about the specifics of your programme….. 

LH: Keeping my legs in good condition is easy, with all the running, (but) we also do lots of squats.  I hate squats… they kill! But with all the running, where you’re working your quads predominately, it’s important to also have good hip-flexor and glute strength.

JS: Why do you do speed work – aren’t you more concerned with endurance to last through the two hour races?

 LH: Quick reactions … need practice. I develop these through a series of speed and agility exercises. They include speed ladders, sprints and plyometric exercises such as jumping and hopping.

 JS: Do you enjoy all your training?

 LH:  I enjoy training.  I enjoy feeling fit.  If I get up in the morning and I go for a run past the lake when I come back, I feel so refreshed …. it’s like the most positive feeling for the beginning of the day.  

 

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F1 Fitness – Lewis Hamilton

165 hours of training

More then 60 training sessions

The equivalent of training non-stop for 24-hours a day for a week

450k of running – the equivalent of running just under six laps of each of

the 17 race tracks in the 2009/10 Grand Prix season

Up to 750Kg of shoulder shrugs per sessions – 10 times his own body weight

Stats relate to Lewis’ preparatory training

 

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Thanks to Reebok for the interview with Lewis: For more information go to: www.Reebok.com/lewishamilton

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