But nobody knows about his secret 5-min mindset method that helped him win 23x golden Olympic medals.
Here's everything you need to know about his secret (& how to become unstoppable):
Phelps had one of the most intense training routines.
- Swam 13km/day, 6-7 days/week
- Covered at least 80,000m every single week
- Spent 5-6 hrs daily in the pool, even on Sundays & holidays
But his success wasn’t just because of his training.
It came from something else…
Every night before bed, Phelps would visualize his races.
- The perfect dive.
- The crowd’s roar.
- His stroke rhythm.
- The feel of the water.
But he didn’t stop there...
He also visualized obstacles — goggles filling with water, a bad start, or an off-stroke.
Your brain can’t tell the difference between imagination & reality.
That means, when you visualize, your brain thinks everything is real.
This allows you to "practice" the exact situation without leaving your room.
Studies show visualization activates the same neural pathways as physical practice, leading to:
- Anxiety Reduction
- Performance Improvement
- Building of Muscle Memory
This is why Phelps rehearsed both success & failure.
The 200m Butterfly Final — Beijing, 2008.
Phelps’ goggles filled with water halfway through the race.
Most swimmers would panic.
Phelps didn’t. He executed his stroke count perfectly — exactly as he’d visualized.
The result?
Gold medal. World record.
70% of top performers use visualization to achieve their goals.