Advice from American Olympians

4 Fitness Tips from the Women of Team USA

Four of Team USA's finest offer tips on fitness, muscle, mental strength, and dating

By Kevin Cirilli and Cassie Shortsleeve

2 of 4

4 Fitness Tips from the Women of Team USA // Nastia Liukin gymnastics olympics men's health picture c AP Images

Image: AP Images

Keep It Simple

Winner of all-around gymnastics gold at the 2008 Games, Nastia Liukin, 22, has an old-school fitness secret: Work your butt off. Liukin, who is 5'4" and 110 pounds, trains 7 hours most days, combining calisthenics, core work, and lots of apparatus-specific drills, I also run six times a week—about 3 miles each time," says Liukin. "Running keeps me strong." To speed recovery, she sees a masseuse twice a week, receives regular acupuncture treatments, and uses a foam roller. (Video: Foam Roller Primer) "The foam roller is a good way to hit your hamstrings, quads, and IT bands—and you can do it yourself anywhere."

Related: Get on the road to lifelong fitness and the best new exercises by signing up for the Men’s Health Exercise of the Week Newsletter.

Back to Start

2 of 4

Keywords:

More From

	Related Program
	Personal Trainer for Men This program does triple duty—building muscle, burning fat, and saving you time. The plan is built on complex movements that use more muscle with every rep, so you build more lean tissue in fewer sets.

4 Fitness Tips from the Women of Team USA

sites/default/files/wonder-women-th.jpg

%5B%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F27%5C%2Fmeatless-monday-five-bean-salad%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22Meatless+Monday%3A+Five-Bean+Salad%5C%22%3EMeatless+Monday%3A+Five-Bean+Salad%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F27%5C%2Fmeatless-monday-five-bean-salad%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Ffive-bean-salad-meatless-monday-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F24%5C%2Ffitstreak-weekend-workout-hot-body-workout%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22%23Fitstreak+Weekend+Workout%3A+The+Hot-Body+Workout%5C%22%3E%23Fitstreak+Weekend+Workout%3A+The+Hot-Body...%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F24%5C%2Ffitstreak-weekend-workout-hot-body-workout%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Ffitstreak-weekend-workout-hot-body-juicebar.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F23%5C%2Ffitstreak-day-23-tone-your-body-your-body%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22%23Fitstreak+Day+23%3A+Tone+Your+Body...with+Your+Body%5C%22%3E%23Fitstreak+Day+23%3A+Tone+Your+Body...with...%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F23%5C%2Ffitstreak-day-23-tone-your-body-your-body%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Ffitstreak-tone-your-with-your-body-day-23-juicebar_3.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F22%5C%2Fwednesday-workout-modern-family%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22Wednesday+Workout%3A+Get+Fit+While+Watching+TV%5C%22%3EWednesday+Workout%3A+Get+Fit+While...%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F22%5C%2Fwednesday-workout-modern-family%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fwed_5.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F22%5C%2Fdietitians-favorite-foods-for-grill%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22Dietitians%5Cu2019+Favorite+Foods+to+Grill%5C%22%3EDietitians%5Cu2019+Favorite+Foods+to+Grill%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F22%5C%2Fdietitians-favorite-foods-for-grill%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fdietitians-favorite-foods-to-grill-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F22%5C%2Ffitstreak-day-22-make-most-out-elliptical%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22%23FitStreak+Day+22%3A+Make+the+Most+of+the+Elliptical%5C%22%3E%23FitStreak+Day+22%3A+Make+the+Most+of+the...%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F22%5C%2Ffitstreak-day-22-make-most-out-elliptical%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Ffitstreak-elliptical-day-22-juicebar_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%2C%7B%22link%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F21%5C%2Fafghanistans-first-women-s-cycling-team-eyes-2016-olympics%5C%22+title%3D%5C%22Afghanistan%26%23039%3Bs+First+National+Women%5Cu2019s+Cycling+Team+Eyes+2016+Olympics%5C%22%3EAfghanistan%26%23039%3Bs+First+National+Women%5Cu2019s...%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%2C%22image%22%3A%22%3Ca+href%3D%5C%22%5C%2F2013%5C%2F05%5C%2F21%5C%2Fafghanistans-first-women-s-cycling-team-eyes-2016-olympics%5C%22%3E%3Cimg+src%3D%5C%22%5C%2Fsites%5C%2Fdefault%5C%2Ffiles%5C%2Fafghanwc_1.jpg%5C%22+%5C%2F%3E%3C%5C%2Fa%3E%22%7D%5D