Pole Vaulter Alysha Newman In Workout Gear Will “Make You Guys Proud”

Canadian pole vaulter Alysha Newman is in full-on training mode for the Summer Games in Paris 2024. Newman, 29, shared pictures of herself wearing a two-piece running outfit, flashing the peace sign at the camera. “Happy Monday! Back on the road this week, taking every day of rest as a blessing to reset 😇🫶🏼 I can feel the greatness for the upcoming competitions, going to make you guys & myself proud ♥️🇨🇦,” she captioned the post. Here’s how the Olympic athlete trains, eats, and stays fit and focused.

1. Athlete Diet

Newman is careful about her nutrition, and tries not to eat late at night. "If I were going to put it on a scale, my mentality is priority number one, nutrition is number two, and practice is number three," she told Bodybuilding.com. "I put my nutrition before practice because I have to fuel my body with the best nutrients to get the best results. It's extremely important to put the proper nutrients in your body, especially during long, hard, and critical practices. If you don't eat right, it's like putting cheap gas in your car. Yeah, it'll drive, but not as well as it should. Our bodies are the same way."

2. Intense Training Regimen

Newman’s training routine is so intense she needs two days a week for recovery. "During the week I stick to a specific schedule," she told Bodybuilding.com. "I usually have two technical days comprised of pole vaulting, gymnastics, and plyometrics. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, I run—anything from tempo runs to quick 60-meter sprints. I finish those running days with weight training. Whenever my competition schedule allows it, I take off Saturdays and Sundays to rest."

3. Core Strength

Newman’s pole vaulting training includes plenty of core exercises. “We do very elongated exercises,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “Not crunches or any of that. It’s rope climbing while upside down. We’re doing pole-rope climbing, wall bar where you’re laying on your back and lifting your legs up but we don’t crunch at the hips; we crunch at the shoulders. When we talk about abdominal strength in the pole vault, it’s literally from the chin to the pelvic region. So, it’s our lats, core, obliques and all that stuff is activated while we’re doing core work.”

4. Pole Vaulting Drills

Newman’s training also includes lots of drills. “We do a lot of sled pulls. We do a lot of box horse drills,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “You have this huge box right in front of the pole vault pit and you’re doing drills to avoid the run up. You’re just doing pole work on the actual pole. Then, we’ll head back and start working on — right before you bend the pole — we call it a takeoff. So you work on getting your arms up, getting activated, and quick feet at takeoff. Then they’ll decide to see where you are energy-wise and we decide which pole you’re going to go on that day.”

5. Lots of Good Sleep

Newman tries to keep her stress—and cortisol—in check by getting the right amount of good quality sleep every night. “My number one secret that people ask me about my beauty regime […] it’s not products, it’s sleep,” she told Elixuer. “I really make sure I give myself that eight hours of sleep. [Your body] needs to decompress, and it needs to not feel stressed, and it needs to not be on social media or interpreting everything you see on the internet, allowing your brain to rest and really recover, [stopping] those endorphins from being released, the cortisol stress levels.”

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 is in full swing. Along with the medal count, people are trying to keep track of some of the hottest female athletes at the highly hyped international sports event. From swimmers and pole vaulters to basketball phenoms, these “genetically blessed”—in the words of the Daily Mail—women are gaining attention for more than just their athletic abilities.

1. Luana Alonso

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Luana Alonso, a Paraguayan swimmer, is a student at the University of Texas. Spending hours in the pool every day helps the breaststroker keep her curves in check. Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, bicycling, or running, can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses, says the CDC. In addition to the many physical benefits, there are multiple studies supporting the mental health benefits of swimming as well.

2. Alica Schmidt

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Alica Schmidt, a German track star, is often dubbed the “world’s sexiest athlete.” Clearly a big part of Alica’s stay-fit routine is by doing a lot of running, which, per the Mayo Clinic, is great for cardiovascular health, muscle building, and weight loss. “For every mile run, the average person will burn approximately 100 calories,” they say. She also works out in a gym doing battle ropes, kettlebell exercises, working out with a medicine ball, or lifting weights.

3. Alysha Newman

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Alysha Newman of Canada is a pole vault star who is very active on social meida. She follows a (mostly) clean eating diet. "It's extremely important to put the proper nutrients in your body, especially during long, hard, and critical practices," she told Bodybuilding.com. “If you don't eat right, it's like putting cheap gas in your car. Yeah, it'll drive, but not as well as it should. Our bodies are the same way." She also avoids trendy diets. “I've experimented over the years to understand which foods work best for me personally. Everyone's body reacts differently to food so you can't just pull a pre-made diet off the shelf. You need to learn what's right for you.”

4. Molly Caudery

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In addition to track, Molly Caudery, a pole vaulter from the UK, enjoys Pilates. In an Instagram video, she shows off her Pilates moves on a reformer. According to the Mayo Clinic there are lots of benefits to Pilates, as it “strengthens the body's inner core while increasing its flexibility resulting in improved overall health. It can also promote longer, leaner muscles, injury prevention, relief from stress and back pain, enhanced athletic performance, and heightened mind-body awareness.

5. Hailey Van Lith

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Hailey Van Lith has made a name for herself in NCAA women’s basketball playing for teams like Louisville, LSA, and Southern Methodist University. Now the gorgeous blonde is taking on the world with her first appearance at the Olympics. Hailey is a “pescetarian now,” she revealed in a video. She eats “just fish and eggs” and “no chicken, no red meat,” she said. “I eat dairy products, but not animals.” She also dished to ESPN that she has a hobby in the kitchen – she is “addicted” to baking shows. “I’m a little baker,” she said. “I watch all the shows.

The pro track and field athlete on Team Canada, Robin Bone, is an excellent pole vaulter with a passion for health and fitness. “A little dancey dance for recovery days at the track,” she said on Instagram on a video of her being goofy, doing a little dance. Here’s what Bone does to stay looking and feeling her best.

1. She’s confident

On a video of Robin looking confident and strong, running on the track, she said on Instagram “feelin’ good and ready for fall training camp next week.” She knows the importance of having a positive mind set, in addition to working on building her physical strength.

2. She practices functional strength

On a video of her working out, doing various body movements, she gives followers a look into what she does to stay in shape. “Been spending this fall easing back into things and spending a lot of time on plyos and functional strength… body feels great and happy to be movin’🏃‍♀️,” she said on Instagram.

3. She pushes through

She’s grateful, even during tough times. “Didn’t have my best day on Friday. While disappointed, I am walking away from Trials with so much gratitude. To be healthy again on the runway is a blessing and to my family, friends, coaches and sponsors- thank you! I am eternally thankful and have so much love for each and every one of you who has been a part of this chapter! 🙏🏼❤️🇨🇦,” she said on Instagram.

4. She recognizes progress

She celebrates the progress during her training and workouts. “NEW PR!! 305LBS BABY!!!! Going into this season my goal was to hit 2.5 times my body weight on this explosive exercise… this was 2.54🤪🎉,” she said on a video on Instagram of her lifting weights.

5. She golfs

She has fun practicing other sports and finding ways to stay active. On an Instagram video of her golfing, she said “off-season golf powered by my new @ustmamiyagolf Recoil SmacWrap Shafts ⛳️ 🤗 #teamessx #ustmamiyagolf.” According to Better Health, “golf can be good for your health and your heart. Walking an average course for a round of golf can be between five to seven kilometres. If you walk 18 holes three to five times a week, you’ll get an optimal amount of endurance exercise for your heart. If you pull your clubs or carry them, you’ll burn even more calories each round and benefit even more.”

Holly Bradshaw is an elite Olympic pole vaulter who claimed a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics and the 2018 European Championships. She’s gearing up for the upcoming Padova Pole Vaulting Convention, where her appearance is highly anticipated. Padova’s official Instagram shared a video of Bradshaw competing, captioned, “Ready for Holly Bradshaw? The Britain’s first pole vault Olympic Medallist is coming to Padova!” Here’s how Bradshaw stays in peak condition and maintains her wellness.

1. She Has Balance

Bradshaw shared her wellness secrets with Get Sweat Go. She says that she is working on having more balance in her life. “One project I’m currently working on is getting the right training and lifestyle balance. Being an elite pole vaulter doesn’t take up every hour of the day, there is a lot of downtime and I am useless at being bored so I am currently helping conduct some research with two other researchers surrounding ‘post Olympic blues’, which is keeping me busy.”

2. She Does A Variety Of Workouts

Bradshaw shared her training routine with Get Sweat Go. She says that she does a lot of different things. “My training is very varied and I train five times a week for around 3-5 hours each session. My training schedule consists of pole vault once a week, weights sessions 2/3 times a week, gymnastics, explosive jumping and throwing, various running sessions including short acceleration sessions (30m), medium speed runs (50m) and then speed endurance running sessions (90-120m). I also do yoga and stretching work most days.”

3. She Evaluates Her Sessions

Bradshaw shared how she evaluates her training sessions with Get Sweat Go. “I like to evaluate my sessions both objectively and subjectively. I sometimes compare any numbers I have from previous sessions and check how far I am away from them. However, I feel evaluating subjectively is important too. Some days just aren’t PB days – or even close – however, it could be really good session for other reasons. I think using both methods is vital for an athlete. I am an optimistic person and finding the positives in any situation is my strength and something I value a lot.”

4. She Plans Her Workouts

Bradshaw tells Get Sweat Go that she likes to plan things out. She says that she has a journal for this. “It’s so important to have a plan and then note everything I do down. Training components, training numbers, PBs, notes on how I felt etc! It’s awesome to reflect back on what you did, how you felt – I think having a training diary is something simple but gives you structure and confidence when you look back and see how awesome you were.”

5. She’s Focused

Bradshaw shared her biggest piece of advice with HFE. “Make sure you stay committed and focused. That’s one of the things that I do, make sure I’m focused because I’m a really determined person and I have clear goals to focus on. You need to make sure you’re always having fun, I think athletes can be way too serious. Obviously you need to work hard in training sessions, like I always do, but I feel like there always needs to be an element of fun.”