Athletics
Fit for 2026: How to train like a professional athlete
A look at some of the top Red Bull athletes’ fitness routines and how you can start the new year feeling motivated.
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The new year often brings a renewed commitment to fitness. Here, we highlight five Red Bull athletes and share their training tips, tricks and exercises to inspire your fitness goals.
To help you with your motivation, we’re launching the Red Bull Zero Missed WorkoutsChallenge on Strava designed to help you build habits, find consistency, and celebrate progress with fun surprises along the way. The challenge is free, with no purchase necessary—just your commitment to showing up for yourself.
Learn more about Red Bull Zero Missed Workouts
01
Noah Ohlsen, Functional Fitness
Training in your 30s is about maintaining the base you built in your 20s
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
Noah Ohlsen is one of the top functional fitness athletes in the world and has been at the elite level for over a decade. Since 2014, he's consistently finished among the sport’s best, earning a reputation as one of its most respected fitness competitors.
Recovery and mobility are essential, Ohlsen shares "All the small things are important. At the beginning, they're more important, as they then turn into habits. Now, I don't have to think about them, they're just part of my lifestyle and I do them out of routine. It almost feels like it doesn't take any effort to maintain good sleep, stretching and good eating. One pro tip would be to join them into your lifestyle. That makes it a lot easier to maintain them."
"I like to go for walks every day. I have a dog and my wife and I will sometimes go for walks together. That helps to get your blood flowing, get you breathing in some fresh air. It's not necessarily a pro tip, but that’s something that I think helps me stay feeling good. My favorite warm‑up exercise is probably an inchworm. I always will do those. Go down and touch my toes, walk my hands out and you can do a lot of variations on the stretch there: lift your chest up, downward dog, lunges."
02
Jake Canter, Snowboarding
Jake Canter sending it during the Red Bull Performance camp in Saas-Fee
© Frederik Kalbermatten
Jake Canter is heavily focused on conditioning, adding consistent time in the gym to his typical snowboarding and physio workouts.
“I’m 5’8 and weigh 150 pounds, so I need to maintain my body the best I can,” he said. “I’ve gotten into a great routine of stretching, and probably spend more time stretching and rolling around on the floor after a contest than I do actually snowboarding that day.”
It’s why Canter now focuses on eating well, stretching, and going to the gym—activities that might have been disregarded by previous generations that Canter now views as cool and fun.
“When I was younger, it wasn’t cool to go to the gym as a snowboarder,” Canter said. “You didn’t want to be seen as a ‘jock.’ But now, being healthy is cool, and taking care of your body is even cooler. I want to snowboard until I’m 80. If you’re not taking advantage of the opportunity to better yourself on and off hill, you’re really missing out.”
03
Bergen Reilly, Volleyball
Bergen Reilly
© Charlotte Gottfried / Red Bull Content Pool
Many assume volleyball players generate power from their upper body, but it actually comes from their legs. That’s why Team USA and University of Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly focuses much of her fitness routine on her lower body.
“During the season, we lift about four times per week,” Reilly said. “We do a lot of squats and hang cleans to get our legs going and we also do box jumps, wall squats and a little bit of arms.”
Reilly said she’ll usually lift in the morning with practice in the afternoon lasting anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours. “In the spring, we’ll play beach volleyball, and after practice, do conditioning in the sand,” Reilly said. “Summer is our true offseason when we hammer getting stronger and more in shape.”
For Reilly and her team, a big part of getting and staying in shape involves countermovement exercises—working on being “springy” and using the force of the ground to jump off it as quickly as possible.
With only one rest day, Reilly’s schedule requires her to keep moving, which is where Red Bull helps her power through this tough routine.
“Sometimes we have 8:00 p.m. games which are hard to stay awake for,” Reilly said. “Hyping yourself up at 8:00 p.m. can be challenging, but Red Bull has saved me many times and helps me feel ready for the moment.”
04
Kate Courtney, Mountain bike
Kate Courtney
© Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
World Cup mountain biking champion Kate Courtney's fitness routine goes beyond just riding. “We do hours of riding, interval sessions, a little running, and a good amount of gym work,” she said, all aimed at building power on the bike and staying injury-free.
Courtney’s training is tailored with support from a team that helps her focus on strength and mobility. After training sessions, she incorporates physical therapy to counteract the effects of riding in a hunched position.
“When I was younger, I focused on coordination and balance, but now I focus on form and precise movements,” she explained. “It’s about finding areas to improve and having the right program to build power and strength.”
Her strength sessions are about 90 minutes long, targeting heavy lifts, while the core/mobility session often follows a tough ride. This balanced routine not only builds physical strength but helps Courtney’s mental performance.
“I use Red Bull when I’m doing intervals and pushing really hard in the gym,” Courtney said. “I also use it when it’s a test day as it helps my body and mind kick it up a notch.”
05
Kai Lenny, Big wave surfer
Kai Lenny
© Trevor Moran / Red Bull Content Pool
Professional big wave surfer Kai Lenny’s fitness routine varies depending on the season. In the summer, he focuses on endurance, while in the winter, he lifts heavy, works on hip mobility, and prioritizes recovery. “I need strong muscles to survive giant waves,” Lenny said, emphasizing the importance of building strength.
At home in Hawaii, Lenny trains three to five times per week, depending on surf conditions. If the waves are good, he’ll surf. If not, he’ll hit the gym. When traveling, he’ll adapt his workouts and reach for Red Bull, giving him caffeine to stay alert and sugars as an energy source for his body. “Red Bull is vital for travel and adjusting to time zones,” he said, noting the boost it provides him before big wave competitions.
Another part of Lenny’s workout innovation is his mindset. Rather than viewing the gym as a chore or a checklist, he stays motivated by focusing on specific things he wants to achieve within the sport.
“If I’m doing duck walks or hip movements, I’m thinking about the turn while I’m doing it,” Lenny said. “If I’m lifting heavy, I’m thinking about the strength I’ll need for wipeouts and for going over these big bumps at high speeds. If you have a goal and you have a path, the journey is always more fun than the destination.”
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