Ollie Bearman Trains Less on Race Week. That's the Point.
UPLIFT IRON CLUBRace Week Isn't the Time to Chase a Gym Personal Record
Two days before a Formula 1 weekend in Austin, Ollie Bearman was still in a hotel gym. That detail sounds like the beginning of a punishing athlete-workout montage, but the reality was more interesting. He and performance coach Gigi della Bona worked through upper-body movements for the chest, shoulders and lats, adding modest neck and core preparation. The purpose was to switch the muscles on, not to prove how much weight the Haas driver could move. Bearman described race-week training as less intensive than the sessions he completes through the rest of the season.
That distinction matters because training and performing are different jobs. A demanding workout is an investment: it creates fatigue today in the hope of useful adaptation later. A Grand Prix is the day the investment has to pay out. If the driver arrives with sore shoulders, exhausted forearms or a stiff neck, an impressive hotel-gym session has become an expensive mistake. The car demands precision over many laps, not a one-repetition maximum. A session that looks easy from the outside can be exactly right for the circumstances.
The same mistake appears in ordinary gyms before recreational competitions. A lifter signs up for a Saturday powerlifting meet and decides Thursday is the perfect moment to test a new squat record. A runner does a brutal leg circuit before a Sunday race. A person planning a demanding hike adds high-volume lunges on Friday because they feel guilty about missing Wednesday. All three confuse proving readiness with creating readiness. The final days are better used to preserve the strength already built.
Sports scientists call the broader strategy a taper: reducing accumulated training stress while retaining enough intensity and movement practice to stay sharp. It is not necessarily a week of doing nothing. Research across endurance sports finds that well-designed reductions in training volume can improve performance, although the best duration and size of the reduction depend on the sport and athlete. It would be misleading to copy an endurance taper percentage directly into a Formula 1 schedule. The transferable idea is simpler: reduce work that makes you tired without abandoning the skills that keep you confident.
For a normal lifter, a useful pre-event session might involve a brief warm-up, two comfortable sets of a squat or hinge, two sets of a press and row, and a few controlled trunk exercises. Stop with several clean repetitions in reserve. Avoid unfamiliar exercises that cause disproportionate soreness. The goal is to leave the gym feeling better coordinated than when you entered, not to stagger into the elevator. If your event is on Saturday, your last genuinely hard session may belong earlier in the week.
Bearman's approach also challenges the social-media assumption that every elite-athlete workout must be extreme. We tend to see highlights: heavy plates, grimaces and sweat. We rarely see the decisions that prevent those highlights from ruining the next performance. His hotel session is interesting precisely because it looks ordinary. It demonstrates restraint, timing and the ability to distinguish productive training from training that merely photographs well.
The lesson is not that heavy lifting is bad before every activity. A person with no imminent competition can train hard and recover on a normal schedule. The lesson is to give every session a purpose. When the main event is close, arrive prepared rather than depleted. A workout that preserves performance can be more valuable than one that produces a dramatic pump.
Build Strength Before the Race, Not at the Last Minute
The lighter race-week session makes sense only because it sits on top of months of more demanding work. Bearman has spoken about building strength and cardiovascular capacity in different training blocks. That is how an athlete creates the physical reserves needed for competition. A few easy sets in a hotel cannot suddenly build a stronger braking leg or more resilient shoulders; they can maintain movement quality while the larger adaptations come from repeated, progressive sessions elsewhere on the calendar.
Formula 1 is an unusual combination of seated posture and intense muscular work. Drivers need to operate controls with fine precision while the head and torso resist acceleration and cornering forces. They also need lower-body strength for repeated firm braking, upper-back endurance for posture, and enough aerobic capacity to manage sustained effort. Those demands are not identical to a bodybuilder's aim of maximizing muscle size, but the same foundational exercises can contribute. Squats, split squats, hinges, rows, presses and carries each address useful capacities.
The temptation is to invent a secret driver-only routine. In reality, much of the base can look familiar. A controlled split squat develops single-leg strength and stability. A Romanian deadlift trains the posterior chain and hip hinge. A row builds the upper back that helps maintain posture. A push-up or dumbbell press develops pushing strength without requiring a complicated machine. Carries teach the trunk to resist unwanted movement while breathing under load. Their value comes from appropriate dosage, technique and progression, not the glamour of the equipment.
For general strength, begin with two or three full-body sessions each week. Select one knee-dominant exercise, one hinge, one push, one pull and a simple trunk movement. Complete two or three working sets for each, usually in a range of six to twelve controlled repetitions, and leave one to three good repetitions in reserve on most sets. Record the load, repetitions and how difficult the work felt. When technique stays reliable and the upper end of the range becomes manageable, increase resistance modestly. That is a more dependable progression than changing the routine every week.
The 2026 resistance-training guidance from the American College of Sports Medicine reinforces the broader importance of consistent, appropriately prescribed resistance work. It does not suggest that every healthy adult needs an F1 driver's workload. Different goals call for different combinations of load, volume, frequency and effort. A novice who can train twice weekly will often gain more from reliably completing those sessions than from borrowing an elite driver's six-day calendar and abandoning it after two weeks.
There is also a difference between developing force and repeatedly applying it while fatigued. Heavy strength sets may improve the capacity to produce force; moderate-load sets, intervals and sport practice help an athlete sustain performance. For most gym-goers, the sensible sequence is to build basic strength first, add cardiovascular work gradually and let the most demanding sessions be separated by enough recovery. You cannot substitute exhaustion for progression.
If you have a weekend event, make Monday or Tuesday your final hard lower-body session, depending on how quickly you recover. Keep a modest amount of upper-body work later if it does not interfere with the event. If you do not have a weekend event, distribute sessions to suit your schedule and keep progressing. The principle is the same in both cases: strength is built through repeatable work over time, while readiness depends on knowing when to stop adding stress.
Neck Strength Is a Whole-Body Problem, Not a Party Trick
The most recognizable F1 fitness image is a driver wearing a neck harness while someone pulls on elastic bands. The visual is memorable, and it reflects a genuine requirement: cornering and braking repeatedly load the head and neck. But Bearman's coach has pushed back against the idea that an athlete can isolate the neck and ignore everything around it. Neck work belongs within a broader program for the upper back, shoulders, trunk and lower body. That is a better explanation of driver fitness than pretending one obscure exercise makes a champion.
Bearman himself has previously emphasized how much more neck preparation he needed after discovering the physical demands of a Formula 1 car. The important detail is progression. A driver builds tolerance over time under professional supervision. It is not a challenge to replicate high-G conditions with improvised straps in a home gym. The cervical spine is sensitive, and aggressive loading can create unnecessary risk. Copying a dramatic training clip without the assessment and supervision behind it misses the point.
Consider the forces involved. A helmet and head do not become physically heavier when the car corners, but acceleration increases the effective load the neck muscles must resist. The driver needs to keep the head stable while continuing to steer, brake, breathe and process information. Upper-back endurance and trunk control support that task. If the torso collapses or the shoulders fatigue, the neck is left doing a harder job. The system is connected even when one muscle group gets all the attention.
For a regular gym routine, begin with the less exotic foundations. Rows, controlled pulldowns, rear-delt work and carries build the upper-back and shoulder capacity many desk workers and recreational athletes need. A stable trunk can be trained with dead bugs, side planks and Pallof presses. None of these exercises makes someone ready for a six-G corner, but they are reasonable components of general fitness. Build control before adding specialized demands.
People who want direct neck exercise should approach it conservatively. Gentle hand-resisted isometrics may be a suitable starting point for some healthy adults: sit upright, keep the head nearly still, apply light resistance at the forehead or side of the head for a few seconds, then relax. Avoid jerking, forcing the neck into end-range positions or trying to match professional athletes' loads. Anyone with neck pain, neurological symptoms, a previous cervical injury or unexplained dizziness should seek individualized medical or physiotherapy guidance before experimenting.
A practical upper-body session might pair a chest-supported row with a dumbbell press, add a light rear-delt movement and finish with a short side plank. If appropriate, controlled low-effort neck isometrics can follow after the main lifts rather than preceding heavy work. This keeps the neck from becoming a limiting factor during exercises that demand stable head position. Progress in small steps and judge success by comfort and consistency, not by how much tension the band can generate.
There is a marketing lesson here too. Highly specialized sports create impressive-looking accessories, but an accessory is not a shortcut around training principles. The driver has coaches, monitoring, individualized progression and a reason for every drill. The ordinary lifter has different needs. Build strong foundations, protect the neck and resist the temptation to turn a useful concept into a risky spectacle.
Cardio, Cycling and Padel Belong in the Fitness Picture
A Formula 1 driver may spend race day sitting down, but that does not make cardiovascular fitness optional. Heart rate, heat, concentration and repeated muscular work all place demands on the body. Aerobic conditioning helps an athlete tolerate sustained effort and recover between harder bursts. It also provides a training tool that can be adjusted independently of heavy lifting. The best choice is not always the hardest interval session; it is the amount of conditioning that improves capacity without wrecking the next important workout.
Bearman has described using a mix of training approaches through the season, and reports of his routine include outdoor activity such as cycling and padel. These activities are not interchangeable with the specialized demands of racing. They can, however, provide movement, conditioning and variety around a tightly scheduled life. Enjoyment matters because even elite athletes need to repeat useful behaviors week after week. A recreational game that encourages someone to move consistently can have a better long-term effect than a theoretically perfect program they dread.
Cycling is especially convenient for a lifter who wants additional aerobic work without adding the same impact pattern as running. A steady twenty- to forty-minute ride at conversational effort can be placed between lifting sessions. You should be able to speak in full sentences without gasping. This does not mean every bike ride is automatically easy: hills, sprints and competitive group rides can create substantial fatigue. The training effect depends on intensity, duration and what the rest of the week contains.
Padel introduces a different kind of demand. Short accelerations, lateral movement, reactions and changes of direction make it more intermittent than an easy ride. A casual match may be enjoyable activity, while a fiercely contested two-hour session can be a hard workout in disguise. If you have an important lower-body session the next morning, count the match as real training stress. Soreness and fatigue do not care whether the activity was labeled exercise or fun.
For someone who lifts three days a week, begin with two easy conditioning sessions of twenty to thirty minutes. Place them after upper-body work or on separate days, and build gradually. If you enjoy a sport, substitute one session with a game and adjust the following day based on how demanding it was. There is no requirement to turn every session into intervals. A simple plan you can sustain for three months is usually more useful than a perfect seven-day plan that lasts one week.
When an event approaches, the calculation changes. A hard game of padel forty-eight hours before a race or strength meet may create unpredictable fatigue or a minor strain. Easy cycling, walking or mobility work is more controllable. The same principle explains why a driver can remain active during race week without trying to set new conditioning records. Movement can preserve routine and confidence while leaving the most demanding effort for the competition itself.
It is tempting to label one activity as superior: lifting builds muscle, cycling builds an engine, padel builds agility. Real fitness is not a contest between them. A strong athlete needs the right blend for the task ahead. Borrow the variety from the paddock, but keep the priorities clear. Your conditioning should support your lifting, your lifting should support your life, and both should leave enough energy to enjoy the activities you trained for.
Heat, Hydration and Recovery Are Performance Skills
Race fitness is not just a list of gym exercises. A driver can arrive strong and well conditioned yet struggle if heat, sleep, travel and hydration are poorly managed. Formula 1 cockpit conditions can be extreme. During discussion of the Singapore Grand Prix, drivers described cockpit temperatures approaching sixty degrees Celsius in some circumstances, alongside very high humidity. Those are not conditions an ordinary gym-goer should attempt to recreate. They demonstrate why physical preparation includes environmental and recovery planning, not merely muscle development.
The body generates heat during exercise and relies heavily on circulation and sweating to regulate temperature. When conditions are hot and humid, cooling becomes harder and cardiovascular strain rises. Dehydration can make that challenge worse. At the same time, drinking indiscriminately is not a magic solution; excessive fluid intake without regard for duration and sodium losses can also be dangerous. The practical objective is to start activity adequately hydrated, drink appropriately for the conditions and recognize when cooling and rest are necessary.
For everyday training, a straightforward routine is more useful than elaborate biohacking. Carry water, pay attention to thirst and the weather, and plan a cooler environment for demanding workouts. For longer or particularly sweaty sessions, consider how much fluid you typically lose and whether electrolyte replacement is appropriate. Avoid rigid one-size-fits-all drinking targets. People vary in body size, sweat rate, medication use, health conditions and heat tolerance. Anyone who feels faint, confused, unusually weak or unwell in the heat should stop and seek appropriate assistance.
Sleep deserves equal billing. A driver travels across time zones, meets media obligations and still has to concentrate under pressure. Most recreational lifters face less exotic versions of the same problem: late work calls, poor sleep, commuting and training after a stressful day. A missed hour of sleep cannot always be fixed by an extra supplement or a harder workout. If your performance is deteriorating while fatigue rises, the solution may be to reduce training stress temporarily rather than adding another set.
Fuel also matters. An athlete performing repeated hard efforts needs adequate energy and carbohydrate availability; a lifter pursuing muscle growth needs enough total food and protein to support adaptation. The details depend on goals, duration and individual needs. The unifying principle is that recovery is not a reward you earn after doing everything else. It is one of the conditions that allows training to work. Trying to build fitness while chronically under-fueled and sleep-deprived is a poor bargain.
The simplest recovery dashboard has four questions. Did you sleep reasonably well? Are you eating enough to support your goals? Are you maintaining performance in your main exercises? Are you arriving at sessions with normal motivation and manageable soreness? A single bad day is not a crisis. Several weeks of declining performance, persistent fatigue and worsening sleep are a reason to review volume, intensity and life stress. Keep the dashboard descriptive rather than turning every sensation into a diagnosis.
Bearman's lighter race-week routine makes sense within this broader budget. Every hard session spends something; travel and competition also spend something. The objective is to spend enough during preparation to become fitter, then protect the remaining capacity when the event arrives. If a professional driver can accept a lighter gym day before the main performance, a recreational lifter can do the same without feeling that their discipline has vanished.
A Seven-Day Race-Week Template for Normal Lifters
You do not need an F1 contract or a hotel gym to use the underlying idea. Build capacity when there is time to recover, then arrive fresh for the activity that matters. The following is an original template for a healthy recreational lifter with a Saturday event: a local competition, demanding hike, sports tournament or a personal performance test. It is not Ollie Bearman's actual program, and it should be adjusted for your training history, recovery and the nature of the event.
Monday is your final substantial strength session. Warm up, then perform a squat or leg press for three working sets of five to eight repetitions, a Romanian deadlift for two sets of six to ten, a row for three sets of eight to twelve and a press for two sets of six to ten. Leave roughly two clean repetitions in reserve. The weights should feel purposeful but not reckless. Avoid new movements and unusually high eccentric volume, especially if you know your legs become sore for several days.
Tuesday is easy conditioning. Walk briskly, cycle or use a rower for twenty-five to thirty-five minutes at conversational effort. Finish with a few comfortable mobility movements if they help you feel better. Do not transform this into a surprise interval workout. The purpose is to keep moving and support recovery, not to make up for missed training. If Monday left you unusually sore, reduce the duration or take a genuine rest day.
Wednesday is a short full-body reminder. After a warm-up, do two sets each of a light goblet squat, dumbbell press and cable row, with eight to ten smooth repetitions. Add a brief dead bug or side plank. Keep several repetitions in reserve and stop while everything still feels crisp. If your Saturday event is highly demanding or you recover slowly, omit the squat or reduce the session further. The correct dose is the smallest one that leaves you confident, not a number copied from a professional athlete.
Thursday is a low-stress day. Walk, stretch gently or do an easy fifteen-minute spin if you enjoy it. Check equipment, plan travel and make meals practical. Friday is mostly recovery. Prioritize sleep opportunity, eat familiar food, hydrate normally and avoid a last-minute experiment with supplements or an unfamiliar exercise class. A short walk can help settle nerves. The day before an event is not the time to prove how committed you are.
Saturday is the main performance. Warm up for the specific task rather than repeating your entire gym program. A lifter might use progressively heavier practice sets; a hiker might begin at an easier pace; a team-sport athlete might use dynamic movements and short accelerations. Fuel appropriately, respect weather conditions and stop if symptoms suggest something is wrong. The objective is a high-quality effort, not maximum fatigue for its own sake.
Sunday is review and recovery. Note how you performed, how fresh you felt and whether the preceding week worked. You may rest completely or move easily. If you felt flat on Saturday, ask whether the week contained too much hard work, too little sleep or too many outside demands. If you felt excellent but underprepared, consider whether the training block before this week needs more progressive work. A taper cannot replace months of preparation; it can only help reveal what those months built.
For people without a Saturday event, use the same structure as a repeating training week rather than tapering every seven days. Keep two or three meaningful strength sessions, add easy aerobic work, and progress one variable at a time. Save the lighter week for a genuine competition, a planned deload or a period of accumulated fatigue. That distinction is the whole story behind Bearman's gym session: hard work creates capacity, smart timing allows you to use it, and a well-chosen easy day can be part of serious training.
Funny gym shirts, tanks, hoodies and workout gear for lifters who like training hard and not taking gym culture too seriously.
EXPLORE COLLECTION
