The 2020 Summer Olympics begin on July 23 in Tokyo, Japan, after being postponed for a year due to COVID-19. With more than 200 countries eligible to participate, the Tokyo Games will bring thousands of elite athletes together to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. But even though most top athletes spend years training to become the best of the best, anyone can use the Olympics as inspiration to try a new workout without spending hours at the gym. Many Olympic athletes train using basic exercises you can modify at home, and most successful Olympians focus on toning their entire bodies, not just perfecting one specific skill. This summer, use a favorite athlete or sport as motivation to try similar exercises and make your workout more fun.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are scheduled to include
339 different events across 33 sports. In addition to popular favorites like gymnastics and swimming, this year’s Games include Five new sports: skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing, karate and the return of baseball and softball.
Every Olympian knows it’s crucial to warm up before the main event. Warm-ups help prevent injury and prepare your muscles, and the circulatory and respiratory systems. Olympic warm-ups can easily stretch into an hour or more while waiting for an event, but for most at-home workouts, 5 to 10 minutes is plenty. Take a short, slow walk, or do dynamic exercises like hip circles and arm swings.
Get Warm
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different Events are scheduled for super saturday, august 7. it’s the highest number of events on any single day of the tokyo 2020 games.
Athletes are expected to compete at the tokyo 2020 summer olympics. TEam USA expects to have more than 600 athletes in the competition.
Train like an Olympian
At your own pace
Most elite athletes tone their entire bodies when going for gold. Add some of these Olympic-inspired exercises to your next total-body workout.
did you
know...
Over 6.2 million cell phones were donated and recycled to create Tokyo 2020’s bronze, silver and gold medals.
listening to your body is a huge part of Olympic training. Start slowly, spend time cooling down post-workout and take a rest day if your muscles are sore.
At your own pace
Watch for these sports during the games, and try exercises inspired by them.
1
Swimming
There are 18 events each for men’s and women’s swimming, including breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle races, plus one mixed medley race. Even if your workouts don’t include practicing in the pool, Olympic swimmers also do dryland exercises you can try to strengthen your upper body, core and leg muscles.
3
weightlifting
Olympic weightlifting is split into seven weight classes each for men and women, with the simple goal of lifting the most weight. Since form for safety is just as important as strength, it’s easy to practice moves like the alternating snatches or the power clean at home to improve your arm, leg and overall strength.
4
Boxing
Also split into weight divisions for men and women, boxing has been part of the Olympic Games since 1904. Olympic boxing matches last for three rounds, each three minutes long, with five judges awarding points for hits. Boxing workouts usually tone the whole body, especially the arms.
5
athletics
The largest sport at the Summer Games, athletics includes 48 track, field and road events like the 4x100-meter relay, hurdles, pole vault, long jump and marathon. Training can look completely different for athletes across events, but cardio exercises and strength training can help you run faster and longer.
Targets: Abdominal muscles Lie flat on back; raise legs up to 45-degree angle. Keeping legs straight and toes pointed, lower one leg (without touching the ground), while raising the other. Continue, alternating legs.
Flutter Kicks
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Targets: Lower back, ab muscles Lie on stomach with arms and legs extended. Keeping arms and legs straight, simultaneously lift them a few inches off ground while arching back. Hold for up to 5 seconds, then slowly lower.
Superman
Swimming
Dryland exercises help swimmers build strength.
gymnastics
Build overall strength and balance to train like a gymnast.
1
Targets: Ab, arm and leg muscles Position elbows directly under shoulders with forearms flat on floor. Raise up onto your toes, keeping your body in a straight line from head to toe and drawing belly button in toward spine. Hold for 30 seconds.
Plank
2
Targets: Abdominal muscles Start in push-up position with palms flat on ground and feet hip-width apart. Without moving hands, walk feet in one or two steps and move hips up into an upside-down V. Hold, then lower back to push-up position.
PIKE
Weightlifting
For beginners, practice form before adding any weight.
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Targets: Leg and arm muscles Hold dumbbells in each hand at waist height. Bend at the knees into a squat, then explode back up into standing position, swinging dumbbells upward and catching at shoulder height. Lower dumbbells to waist and repeat.
Dumbbell power clean
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Targets: Shoulder and leg muscles Holding dumbbell with arm straight, squat down. Jump, pulling dumbbell over shoulders and catching with straight arm and knees bent. Slowly stand straight, keeping dumbbell over shoulder. Repeat, alternating arms.
Dumbbell snatches
2
gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics includes all-around competitions and individual events like floor exercise, balance beam, vault, uneven bars and rings. To train like a top gymnast, include exercises that increase flexibility, particularly core-strengthening exercises that will help improve balance and stability.
1
Targets: Arm muscles Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and raise fists to chin. Punch straight in front of you with knuckles forward, repeating three to five times before switching arms. Increase difficulty by holding light handweights.
Air punches
2
Targets: Glutes and leg muscles Standing with feet together, step backward with right leg into lunge. When bringing right leg forward, kick leg up straight in front of body. Return to starting position and repeat with left leg, alternating legs.
forward kick lunge
Boxing
Build overall strength and balance to train like a gymnast.
Athletics
Cardio and strength exercises help athletes run faster.
1
Targets: Glutes and leg muscles Using short step or box, place right foot on step. Press right heel into step to bring left leg up so left knee is at 90-degree angle and right leg is straight. Step down and repeat, alternating legs.
step-ups
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Targets: Lower back, ab muscles Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with right leg, bending knee and lowering so thigh is parallel to floor in lunge position. Repeat motion with left leg. Repeat, alternating legs and walking forward.
walking lunges
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