Michael Phelps told the Michigan football team that there are 3 basic ingredients to elite conditioning
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Cork Gaines
Nov 30, 2022, 00:43 IST
Tony Ding/AP
Michael Phelps spoke to the Michigan football team about the keys to conditioning.
Jim Harbaugh celebrated the comments and sounded like he was all in on using them.
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Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps had a simple message for the Michigan Wolverines football team, but it might have been just what they needed to put them within reach of their first national championship in 25 years.
Phelps, who trained and took classes at the University of Michigan during his career, spoke with the football team before the season started. According to head coach Jim Harbaugh, what stood out about the talk was the importance of recovery and how simple it is to achieve.
"The thing that just continues to ring in my ear and head from that talk — crystal clear he told us how he couldn't wait to get into 105 pounds of ice waiting for him in a bath that was gonna be the thing he did right after he got done with talking to our team," Harbaugh told the media, via Maize N Brew. "He talked about sleep, he talked about hydration, water. Somebody that could go anywhere in the world, do any kind of treatment known to mankind — Ice, sleep, and hydration with water."
Harbaugh also noted that the talk's timing was critical as the team wanted to emphasize conditioning and health entering the season.
"I really appreciate Michael Phelps for really embedding that in my mind and in our players' minds," Harbaugh said. "Talk about the world's greatest Olympian, arguably. No question about swimming, the most medals of anybody. That was huge. It was a good message right at the right time to keep our team focused and on track and as healthy as can be."
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Harbaugh calls the team's health the X-factor for their success
After beating Ohio State to clinch a spot in the conference title game, Harbaugh celebrated the team's health and conditioning and made it clear how important it has been.
"To me, [strength and conditioning coach] Ben Herbert is the X-factor for our entire football program," Harbaugh told the media, according to Alejandro Zuniga of The Michigan Insider.
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