Team GB's Bryony Page just dropped her training regime – and we're exhausted reading it
When it comes to superior strength and flexibility, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone with more than a Team GB gymnast – and Bryony Page, the 2021 and 2023 women's individual trampoline world champion, who also won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics and bronze at the 2020 games, is certainly a name to be inspired by.
The 33-year-old athlete is dedicated to her sport and has a rigorous training schedule to match, featuring everything from "Jane Fonda-style glute circuits" to neck-strengthening exercises (more on that below...) and, as you might expect, has stepped her game up lately in the build up to this year's Olympics, where she's hopefully set to storm it once more.
So, curious to learn more about how a professional gymnast trains (and to see what bits of her routine we might be able to weave into our own), Cosmopolitan UK chatted to Bryony about how she stays strong, fuels herself and keeps her brain happy to boot.
P.S. Given that Bryony is an actual pro athlete, there are of course many parts of her routine that simply aren't be suitable for an average person, along with the intensity of how often she trains. Please don't suddenly attempt a backflip after reading this (unless you're also a trained gymnast or have professional guidance on hand) or decide that four entire days a week in the gym is your new normal...
How does Bryony Page train?
Keep committed
Given that her job is going out and smashing competitions, it likely won't come as a shock that Bryony has a rigorous and regular training regime – coordinated by her coaches, Ben Young (from UKSI and LNSC) and Laura Travis (The Gym Group, Poole) – which shuffles around slightly depending on how close she is to competing.
"Normally, I train on the trampoline Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and do a couple of strength and power specific gym sessions within that. Additionally, there is conditioning, rehab/prehab, mobility and flexibility work every day," she says. The setup? One to two hours of conditioning in the morning, up to an hour warming up before two hours training on the trampoline, then half an hour to 90 minutes of cool down. "On the heavier days, I'll go to the gym again afterwards, which can again be a two hour session," Bryony adds. "Wednesdays are a half day to allow for recovery." Phew!
As a competition edges closer, the athlete says she reduces down from two strength and conditioning sessions per week to one, then a half and on "the week of the competition it'll be zero", to ensure she's in the best shape possible.
Never skip leg day
As for what her strength and conditioning sessions involve, Bryony explains that although she wants to build every muscle in her body, she particularly focuses on her legs and shoulders; she needs strong legs to propel herself up from the trampoline and sturdy arms and shoulders to prevent a loss of energy in the process. "I like using a leg press and weights," she notes, adding that for conditioning she does "Jane Fonda-style glute circuits, and rehab and prehab [preventative physical therapy] work for my ankles".
Neck strength
The most "embarrassing" part of her training routine? Neck exercises, the Olympian reveals. "When we're spinning in the air, we experience g-forces equivalent to a race car driver, so you can imagine how much neck strain is involved... that's why you get the really pretty photos of our faces being completely warped," Bryony laughs, explaining that she and her teammates will use a resistance band (not advised for the rest of us, btw!) to strengthen the necessary muscles.
Never miss a warm up (or cool down)
When you're pushing your body as hard as Bryony, proper stretching and recovery work (featuring ice baths) are non-negotiables.
"As I've gotten older, I'm a little bit stricter with it," Bryony admits. "We've got loads of different recovery techniques, not just stretching off before and after but ice baths and compression boots too, where you look like you're in a Michelin Man suit. They're really good for flushing out all the toxins, aches and pains."
She's also a big fan of PMR (Progressive Muscle Relaxation), where you "lie down and listen to some Enya-style music, and tense and relax different parts of your body" in turn, along with a Pulseroll massage gun.
What is a gymnast's diet like?
It's all about intuitive eating
As a pro athlete, fuelling your body can become a task to fixate on, says Bryony, but she's worked hard to reach a place where she's free from calorie counting and being overly strict with herself.
"I've definitely gone through different phases of how I view eating but for the last seven years I've been quite balanced with it all," she explains. "I've learned a lot through different nutritionists over the years about which foods are helpful for recovery, what ones are good for gaining strength or immunity."
These days, her focus is on simply eating when she's hungry and if she's had a particularly hard session, making sure she has a bigger lunch or dinner to compensate for the energy burnt. "I try to make the plate as colourful as possible too," she adds.
Chocolate is also on the menu, the gymnast says. "When I was younger, I used to restrict myself to only eating green foods from the traffic light rating system, but that's really bad for you. I found it was too consuming and too difficult psychologically, and if you're that restrictive you can end up bingeing." Now, it's all about balance and treats from time to time.
Groovy smoothies
"I really like a power smoothie or shake," Bryony shares. Keen for a recipe? "You could use milk, juice or water, but I tend to go for a banana for the carbs, maybe some oats if I need an extra boost, a dash of chia seeds, handful spinach, and then frozen fruit such as mango, cherries or blueberries."
Frozen is always preferred, she explains, as it makes everything "nice and cold, and it's a little bit cheaper!" – plus, as the fruit lasts longer there's less waste.
Milk, anyone?
Since childhood, Bryony admits she finds water to be "boring" and instead prefers the white stuff. "I drink a lot of milk – lactose-free because my body can't deal with it – but a lot! Sometimes at training instead of a bottle of water, I'll just have a milk bottle." She adds that it helps to circumnavigate any "bone stress responses from training" too. Squash with added salt for electrolytes is also a favourite.
Self-care tips from an Olympian
Surround yourself with the right people
Bryony is all about keeping her mind sharp: "I try and book in a psychology session once a week, if not every other week, depending on the level of training." Here, she'll discuss tactics for keeping focused during high-pressure situations.
She also has a nutritionist she works with and a personal lifestyle advisor to support her in having a work-life balance "if you're on a certain level of funding, for example, they can help you figure out how to balance another job alongside training".
Keep perspective
Giving yourself a reality check every now and then is always helpful, Bryony recommends. "I'm super grateful that I'm able to do this sport as a full-time job, I could be doing something else and not be as happy. So even when training is difficult or I'm feeling under pressure, I try to remind myself that actually I've chosen to do this. Because I love it."
Games and animals
"I've got a cat, Grandma Sushi, that I love to spend time with, as he likes me no matter what – even if I've had a bad session or not done well in a competition he's up for a cuddle," Bryony shares, adding that her cat is "basically a dog in a cat's body, he waits for us at the door and wants his belly petted".
The Olympian also says she finds playing games – be they video or board-based – soothing and a great way to switch off from the pressures of her sport. "I'll try and organise a board game night every couple of weeks with my friends."
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