Training can be hard on a professional level. While basic movements are known to all athletes and coaches on a higher level, they might not work for everybody. Therein lies a large problem. If you want to compete and the basics are not working for you, what are your options? You need to adapt.

Athletes all over the world have adapted by finding ways to work out which are nowhere nearly as simple or standardized as everybody else’s training might appear to be. Here are the most bizarre training techniques in sports, done by various athletes throughout history.

Novak Djokovic – Stretching and Tire Jumps

You might have heard of the ATP world number one, Novak Djokovic, tennis star. Djokovic is known on the tour for many things, but one of them is definitely his athleticism. He keeps in shape, despite being 34. He is able to outlast much younger opponents in 5-hour games, and while they would be getting cramps, Djokovic would be sliding all over the court.

The secret to his longevity lies in the training that he does (as well as his nutrition, obviously). His training involves a lot of stretching, so much so that he can do a full front split, similar to Olympic gymnasts, which he proudly showed when he took a photo with said gymnasts.

He also works a lot on his stabilizer muscles, doing things like tire jumps. Ninja warrior training or tennis training?

Virtual Reality Training for Olympic Athletes

Some athletes prefer working out in person, but others are not that old school. Athletes like Laurenne Ross and Lindsey Vonn use virtual reality to work on their techniques and practice plays. Skiing is a very dangerous sport where you can get injured simply by making a wrong turn or positioning your body in a bad way at a bad time. This is why these Olympic athletes are also working out in VR, to help make their training as effective as possible, on the snow and off the snow.

We are likely to hear more stories about athletes using VR for workouts as it becomes more mainstream.

Athletes Using Ballet to Stay Healthy

There were many athletes who used ballet as a way of stretching and keeping their muscles ready for the wear and tear of professional sports. One of such athletes is professional NFL player Lynn Swann. When you have to work out in the gym, you will not hit some muscles in the right way. From Franco Colombu to Arnold Schwarzenegger, not to mention Jean-Claude Van Damme, there were many athletes and professionals who trained ballet as part of their workout routines. Not only does it keep them flexible and healthy, but it also helps work out some smaller muscles which are often left out.

Athletes train in many ways, from simple exercises in the gym, to incorporating climbing, ballet, swimming, and non-traditional methods to make their workouts even better. These have been some interesting ways of spicing up workouts on a professional level.