Michael Phelps retired after the Rio 2016 Olympics, and the 1.93-metre-tall American swimming legend is regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
The foundation of the 37-year-old's extraordinary career was formed by an incredible work ethic that never saw him skipping a day of training.
In a new book by Sally Jenkins, ‘The Right Call’, the former coach of Michael Phelps, Bob Bowman, reveals how extreme dedication saw "The Baltimore Bullet" set record after record and win medal after medal.
Read on to find out more about Michael Phelps's workouts, diet and much more.
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Michael Phelps’ workout: What did it look like?
According to Bowman, Michael Phelps swam 13 kilometres a day, six or seven days a week – at least 80,000 meters every week. Even on Sundays and birthdays.
Phelps usually split his training into two sessions, spending 5-6 hours in the pool a day. His intensity and volume in training were astonishing.
And then there was the time in the gym. Phelps also did some functional training with weights at least three times a week. The star swimmer was a big fan of weighted bodyweight exercises.
Recovery played an important role in his daily routine. Taking ice baths, doing a lot of stretching, getting regular massages and ENOUGH sleep were pivotal to his success.
Michael Phelps' diet: How many calories did Michael Phelps eat?
When Michael Phelps was still competing, he ate an enormous amount of food. He consumed between 8,000-10,000 calories a day divided into three big meals.
The recommended daily intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men, which means Phelps was eating up to four times as much as recommended for an average grown-up man.
In spite of the massive food intake, Michael Phelps only weighed around 85-90 kilos when he was competing.
- Find out more about his diet.
How many gold medals did Michael Phelps win?
Michael Phelps won an incredible 82 medals in major international long course competitions. He clinched 65 gold, 14 silver, and three bronze medals at the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships.
The American swimmer, who has a wingspan of 2.03 metres, holds the highest number of medals in Olympic history with 23 gold medals, three silver and two bronze medals.
Michael Phelps' medal haul at the Olympics
- Athens 2004 (eight medals) - six gold and two bronze medals: 100m butterfly (Gold), 200m butterfly (Gold), 200m medley (Gold), 400m medley (Gold), 4×200m freestyle (Gold), 4×100m medley (Gold), 200m freestyle (Bronze), 4×100m freestyle (Bronze)
- Beijing 2008 (eight medals) - eight gold medals: 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m medley, 400m medley, 4×100m freestyle, 4×200m freestyle, 4×100m medley
- London 2012 (six medals) - four gold and two silver medals: 100m butterfly (Gold), 200m medley (Gold), 4×200m freestyle (Gold), 4×100m medley (Gold), 200m butterfly (Silver), 4×100m freestyle (Silver)
- Rio de Janeiro 2016 (six medals) - five gold and one silver medal: 200m butterfly (Gold), 200m medley (Gold), 4×100m freestyle (Gold), 4×200m freestyle (Gold), 4×100m medley (Gold), 100m butterfly (Silver)
The American also holds the record of winning the most gold medals at a single Olympic Games. In 2008 Phelps claimed eight gold medals, breaking the previous record of seven, set by his countryman Mark Spitz in 1972.
How many world records does Michael Phelps still hold?
Phelps, who started swimming at the age of seven, set 39 world records in his remarkable career. He managed to win the 400m medley, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4x100m free relay, 4x200m free relay and the 200m medley in world record times at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The 27-time world champion still holds three world records which are in 400-metre individual medley (4:03.84), 4×100-metre freestyle relay (3:08.24) – both set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in 4×200-metre freestyle relay (6:58.55).
Phelps was a butterfly specialist, setting several world records. He was the first swimmer to break the 50-second barrier in the 100-metre butterfly in 2009.
Allegedly, Phelps hit the six miles per hour (10 kilometres per hour) mark in swimming freestyle in 2010, according to ESPN. However, he swam the 200-metre freestyle in 1:42 in 2008, which equates an average speed of 4.7 miles per hour or 7.6 kilometres per hour.
