Discover the extreme training regimes of track & field stars 

In a sport where even a one per cent gain can be the difference between glory or defeat, there’s no limit to what the world’s best track & field stars will do in training to improve their competition-day performance.

A quick glance back through history shows the pursuit of improvement through extreme or out-of-the-ordinary training is nothing new.

The legendary Czechia runner Emil Zatopek, winner of the gold medal in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon at the Helsinki 1952 Olympics, famously employed a number of groundbreaking training techniques - some perhaps more questionable than others - to achieve his athletic goals.

The more bizarre of those included running day and night in heavy army boots and holding his breath until he passed out -  a regime that would leave even the greatest runners battling complete exhaustion.

But there was method behind the apparent training madness, as the distance-running maestro himself explained: “It is better to train under bad conditions for the difference is then a tremendous relief in a race.”

Nowadays, innovative athletes have proven the Zatopek mindset is alive and well, with harsh, punishing and seemingly oddball techniques used to push their bodies to places they could never have imagined.

The pain-inducing regime of a 400m hurdles champion

Take, for instance, the training regime of the Olympic 400m champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm.

Just the sound of the term “red days” - the expression he uses to describe his hard training sessions - can set off alarm bells.

And even more so when you find out what those days involve.

Before he even gets started on the real work, Warholm warms up by continuously jumping up a set of 21 stairs with a maximum of three jumps permitted to clear all of the steps by the end of the exercise.

The morning session consists of up to 30 sets of 60m sprints spread out in sets of five.

Yes, you read that right: 30.

Afternoons consist of hurdles practice with 10 sets of nine hurdle sprints, followed by weight work in the gym.

It’s a gruelling regime so it's no surprise that the act of tearing off his shirt - famously seen by the public in the Olympic final at Tokyo 2020 - has become a common practice during these sessions.

Lockdown calls for extreme measures from a British shot put supremo

Then there’s the case of Team GB’s shot put supremo Scott Lincoln whose own extreme training regimes were born out of the necessity of adapting to the realities of COVID-19.

The nine-time British champion found himself with limited access to training facilities during Britain's lockdown period in the lead-up to Tokyo 2020 but that didn’t stop him from training like crazy to achieve his goals.

In a widely-shared Instagram post, Lincoln can be seen pushing a truck down the street in a scene more reminiscent of a World’s Strongest Man competition or the 'Rocky' movie franchise than athletics training.

He also created his own “cave” in his house where he practised throwing a shot put into a self-fashioned net over and over again to improve his athletic prowess.

In the end, the punishment seems to have been worth it, with the Brit claiming his first major international medal in 2022 with bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Hard work and innovation pays dividends it seems.

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Pole vaulter takes it to the next level to achieve jumping perfection

Ever wondered how pole vaulters nail their jumps?

One example of the training they may use was shown by 2021 European Indoor champion Angelica Moser whose makeshift vaulting contraption sees her launch herself into the air time after time as she seeks to replicate the rigours of championship vaulting.

As you can see, it’s not a training technique anyone could describe as easy. But when you’re aiming for the heights of elite competition, nothing is.

And then there’s the case of USA world heptathlon bronze medallist Anna Hall who has been honing her hurdling skills by racing against one of the fastest male hurdler on the planet, double world champion Grant Holloway - albeit with a small head start.

If you want to be the best, you have to face the best - and that means in training as well as in competition.

Rebekka Haase and her musically-inspired training techniques

However, it’s not all about pushing yourself to your limits in training. Sometimes thinking outside the box can be just as useful.

For German sprinter Rebekka Haase, that means using her love for the flute to push herself on in her quest for athletic greatness.

The 30-year-old, who won bronze in the 4x100m relay at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Oregon, has credited the instrument with helping with her rest and relaxation.

But perhaps even more surprising are the ways in which she has incorporated flute into her training plans.

Along with her coach, she plans her training in the manner of sections of music, in order to find the rhythm so essential for success in sprinting.

Finding the one per cent gains - whatever it takes

In the end, all of these techniques show that athletes are willing to do whatever they can to maximise their training - even if that means pushing beyond the limits they thought possible.

The first three ideals of the Olympic motto “Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together” take dedication and commitment to achieve and athletes are constantly pushing the boundaries to gain an advantage over their opponents.

Perhaps it’s best to leave the final word to Zatopek, who summed up the thought process behind the mavericks who dare to go where few others do when training for the sport they love.

“They thought I am crazy,” he said, after cycling an exhausting 220 miles to compete in an event he eventually went on to win.

“'Who is he,' they are saying? 'He is crazy. Crazy.' But I won this event, and it was a great inspiration for me.”

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