The 5 Hardest Working Athletes to Motivate You to Keep Trying

How many hours do you devote each week to the gym or roadwork?

If the answer is “zero” or “just a couple,” I hope this list of impressive athlete training regimens can inspire you to reach new heights. After all, you can only achieve your maximum physical potential by pushing yourself at every turn.

And for those cocky individuals who already consider themselves workout warriors, this collection of dedicated men and women should prove that there’s always someone willing to work longer and harder to get what they want.

Either way, prepare to be amazed.

1. David Goggins

This former Navy SEAL competes in ultramarathons to raise money for charity, something he decided upon after Googling the 10 most difficult feats on the planet. His first race left him with failing kidneys and on the verge of death, but he recovered and finished fifth in the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon several months later.

(Source, Instagram)

So how does he stay in the shape necessary to compete in grueling endurance events throughout the year? Goggins wakes every morning at 3 a.m. for a 20-mile run, and then he bikes another 20 miles to work. He runs during his lunch break whenever possible, and then it’s another 20-mile bike ride back home before weight training with his wife in the evening. And despite all this exertion, he somehow only needs to sleep about three hours per night.

Goggins has admitted in interviews that he hates to swim, run, or ride a bike. However, that hatred is exactly what motivates him to do all three.

2. Tom Brady

When Brady was drafted in the sixth round out of the University of Michigan, most expected him to be a backup quarterback at best. But when an injury to franchise QB Drew Bledsoe thrust him into the starting lineup, Brady took control of the Patriots and never looked back. He’s now considered one of the greatest signal callers to ever play the game, and he continues to use his lowly draft status as motivation to be the best.

Everything he does is meticulously planned out by a team of experts, whether it involves eating habits or the time and duration of his naps. Tom Brady’s diet is 20 percent acidic and 80 percent alkaline, and during the summer months, he mainly subsists on raw foods such as tofu, lentils, veggies, and sprouted grains. He also claims to drink 12 to 25 glasses of water EVERY DAY.

Tom Terrific exercises a couple of times per day in a variety of conditions, although he favors resistance bands over weights to avoid too much bulk. He’s also equally devoted to keeping his mind in shape, routinely performing exercises to boost his memory and improve his ability to process information.

3. Travis Stevens

An Olympic competitor and master of both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Stevens is considered one of the greatest martial arts practitioners ever produced by the United States. His weekly workouts clock in at around 44 hours, and special attention is paid to the cornerstones of judo: explosiveness, core strength, and grip strength.

Just look at that motivation.

On an average Monday, when most people are still complaining about the weekend being over, here’s what Stevens gets up to: weight lifting for 1 ½ hours, judo training for 1 ½ hours, sprints for 30 minutes, cross training for 1 hour, judo practice for 1 ½ hours, and running for 1 hour.

4. Ray Lewis

These days, Ray Lewis gets paid to talk about football. But from 1996 to 2012, he racked up 13 Pro Bowl appearances while playing middle linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. His focus and ferocity on the gridiron have earned him the reputation as one of the greatest players at his position, but his intense workout regimen also played a major role.

Lewis would take almost two weeks off after the season ended, but the rest of the year was spent doing three 90-minute workouts per day. Many of these sessions took place on the beach, with Lewis sprinting in the sand while wearing a 45-pound vest. Another favorite was flipping over playing cards and doing a specific number of push-ups or sit-ups based on the result.

Now that he’s retired, Lewis claims to work even harder. He cycles from 30 to 80 miles on a daily basis, as well as getting in two or three regular workouts focusing on weights or abs.

5. Usain Bolt

The Jamaican sprinter is considered the fastest man to ever live, and he’s collected 8 Olympic gold medals, which would have been 9, but his teammate was caught using illegal substances. He rolls out of bed around 10 am, then heads down to the gym for 90-minute workout sessions that emphasize leg extensions and hamstring curls to maintain explosiveness. Since he was born with scoliosis, he also devotes significant time to his back and core.

Bolt loves to eat fast food, but he often denies himself that pleasure for up to three months at a time. Instead, he focuses on a diet created by his personal chef, usually consisting of items such as yams, pasta, rice, and chicken breasts.