Archive for May, 2008
« Previous EntriesTo Swim Faster, You Must Train Faster
Friday, May 30th, 2008With runners, they must train fast to become faster. Current research shows that the same is true for swimmers. Long swim training sessions actually inhibit power development.
Physiologist Dave Costill says:
“Most competitive swimming events last less than two minutes. How can training for three to four hours a day at speeds that are markedly slower than competitive pace prepare the swimmer for the maximal efforts of competition?”
To optimize strength and power, swimmers need to follow an exercise program out of the water that closely mimics their actions in the water. In other words, swimmers need to go workout in the gym too!
Research has proven that there is no speed advantage gained by swimmers continuing to do high-volume swim training (long practice sessions).
Swim coaches continue to do high-volume, low-intensity training no matter what research has proven.
The disadvantages of high-volume swim training are:
1. Depletion of glycogen muscle stores which hampers performance.
2. Fatigue and depletion of fast-twitch muscle fibers which reduces force production.
Sport-specific strength training should be combined with high speed swim training to improve swimming times. Here are some strength exercises for swimmers:
Arm pull down exercises:
Cable rotational front and back pulls: boosts forward propulsion by training the internal rotator cuff muscles by replicating the arm ‘pull down’ through the water.
Rear pulls: promotes balanced strength around the shoulder joint by training the external muscles. This technique avoids shoulder injuries and helps train your core stability skills.
Medicine ball single arm overhead throw: develops the power of the latissimus and pectoral muscles to improve the rate of force production in the shoulder by accelerating the arm hard. The focus is on producing the power from the shoulder and pulling across the body as you do in the crawl.
Swiss ball body pulls: helps to develop core and shoulder strength. A closed kinetic chain movement where the moving limbs remain in contact with a fixed object, it is regarded as functional for sports performance. Uses the stomach muscles to support the spine, using a strong pull of the shoulder muscles to raise your body back to the parallel position.
Leg kick exercises
Hip extension and flexion kick: each leg is worked independently to increase the specificity for swimming. Mimics the upward and downward phases of the swimmers kick action, where the glutes and hamstrings extend and the hip flexors flex the leg at the hip.
Dive start and push-off turn: The dive start and push off turn involves dynamic ankle, knee and hip extension.
Barbell squat jumps: improves vertical jump performance by involving dynamic extension of the ankle, knee and hip joints and trains the calf, quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Helps you generate peak power by adding weight to the squat, so when you perform the jump squat with body weight only, the jump will be very fast and high.
Swimmers can also benefit from using sprinting exercises on the running track. A more diversified swim training program will improve swimmers’ competition times.
To Swim Faster, You Must Train Faster
Friday, May 30th, 2008With runners, they must train fast to become faster. Current research shows that the same is true for swimmers. Long swim training sessions actually inhibit power development.
Physiologist Dave Costill says:
“Most competitive swimming events last less than two minutes. How can training for three to four hours a day at speeds that are markedly slower than competitive pace prepare the swimmer for the maximal efforts of competition?”
To optimize strength and power, swimmers need to follow an exercise program out of the water that closely mimics their actions in the water. In other words, swimmers need to go workout in the gym too!
Research has proven that there is no speed advantage gained by swimmers continuing to do high-volume swim training (long practice sessions).
Swim coaches continue to do high-volume, low-intensity training no matter what research has proven.
The disadvantages of high-volume swim training are:
1. Depletion of glycogen muscle stores which hampers performance.
2. Fatigue and depletion of fast-twitch muscle fibers which reduces force production.
Sport-specific strength training should be combined with high speed swim training to improve swimming times. Here are some strength exercises for swimmers:
Arm pull down exercises:
Cable rotational front and back pulls: boosts forward propulsion by training the internal rotator cuff muscles by replicating the arm ‘pull down’ through the water.
Rear pulls: promotes balanced strength around the shoulder joint by training the external muscles. This technique avoids shoulder injuries and helps train your core stability skills.
Medicine ball single arm overhead throw: develops the power of the latissimus and pectoral muscles to improve the rate of force production in the shoulder by accelerating the arm hard. The focus is on producing the power from the shoulder and pulling across the body as you do in the crawl.
Swiss ball body pulls: helps to develop core and shoulder strength. A closed kinetic chain movement where the moving limbs remain in contact with a fixed object, it is regarded as functional for sports performance. Uses the stomach muscles to support the spine, using a strong pull of the shoulder muscles to raise your body back to the parallel position.
Leg kick exercises
Hip extension and flexion kick: each leg is worked independently to increase the specificity for swimming. Mimics the upward and downward phases of the swimmers kick action, where the glutes and hamstrings extend and the hip flexors flex the leg at the hip.
Dive start and push-off turn: The dive start and push off turn involves dynamic ankle, knee and hip extension.
Barbell squat jumps: improves vertical jump performance by involving dynamic extension of the ankle, knee and hip joints and trains the calf, quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Helps you generate peak power by adding weight to the squat, so when you perform the jump squat with body weight only, the jump will be very fast and high.
Swimmers can also benefit from using sprinting exercises on the running track. A more diversified swim training program will improve swimmers’ competition times.
Level Sight Lines Are Needed For Many Sports
Thursday, May 29th, 2008For an athlete to reach optimal strength, flexibility, balance and power, postural imbalances and dysfunctions must be corrected as much as possible. One common postural dysfunction is called the Upper-Extremity Postural Distortion. This distortion is seen in a person with rounded shoulders (chest caves in) or a forward head posture as shown below.
Flexibility deficiencies with this postural distortion include tightness in the upper trapezius, neck muscles, latissimus dorsi and chest muscles (pectoralis major/minor). Common injuries include headaches, biceps tendonitis and shoulder injuries. Important core stabilization exercises for this distortion include prone cobras and cervical retraction.
Athletes who depend on level sight lines to be successful should correct this postural distortion as soon as possible. Because the head is not in proper alignment, this affects players in sports such as baseball/softball, basketball, football, lacrosse, tennis, etc. Hand/eye coordination will be affected if the athlete’s sight lines are not level.
We hear about the glamourous attributes that athletes need like speed, power, explosion, etc. all the time. I would argue that posture also needs to be discussed in the same sentence as the other athletic attributes. It is impossible to have optimal speed and power if you have postural dysfunctions.
Every athlete needs a postural assessment performed by a fitness professional. Then, steps can be taken to correct them.
Fire On The Track DVD - Loved It!
Thursday, May 29th, 2008Work Your Hamstrings More When Doing Walking Lunges
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008There are few injuries as bothersome and harder to recover from than hamstring injuries. Prevention of hamstring injuries is the best solution. Similarly, weak hamstrings can lead to other serious injuries, such as knee ACL tears. For example, female athletes tend to have weaker hamstrings because they use their quadriceps muscles more while walking and running.
See my post here for a detailed discussion of hamstring flexibility and strength.
The walking lunge can be a great strength and flexibility exercise for your hamstrings. The further you “lunge out” with the lead leg, the more your hamstrings are worked. And, if you don’t “lunge out” very far, your quadriceps will get more work than your hamstrings. The quadriceps get plenty of work with other exercises like leg presses, squats and leg extensions. So, why not use walking lunges to help out those hamstrings!
When you do your walking lunges today, don’t forget about your hamstrings!
General Training Guidelines For Young Athletes
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008Don’t push a young athlete too hard or too fast! Teach them to enjoy sports! By the time a child is 5 or 6 years old, they are usually ready for some type of resistance training. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) gives the following general guidelines:
1. If your child is apparently healthy, a medical exam is not mandatory. An exam is recommended for kids with known or suspected health problems.
2. The child should be ready to follow instructions and training guidelines.
3. The exercise environment should be safe and free of hazards.
4. The child should warm-up for 5 to 10 minutes before resistance training.
5. Children should be encouraged to ask questions about training and praised for participation.
The child should be emotionally mature enough to accept and follow directions from competent adult instructors. Here are some benefits of youth resistance training:
1. Increased muscle strength and endurance.
2. Increased bone density.
3. Decreased risk of injury.
4. Positive changes in body composition (less body fat and more muscle mass).
5. Improved sports performance, running speed and jumping ability.
6. Improved self-esteem and self-confidence.
7. Overall improved health.
For kids ages 5-9, bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, back extensions, crunches, squats, etc. are sufficient. To prevent injury and burnout, any speed or agility “drills” should be limited to fun games that require cutting, explosive burst, change-of-direction, jumping, bounding and jumping rope. For kids ages 10-12, some light dumbbell exercises can be used with the bodyweight exercises and the speed and agility drills can be ramped up.
A YOUNG ATHLETE SHOULD NOT BEGIN A SPORTS TRAINING PROGRAM WITH PLYOMETRICS AND RESISTED SPEED TRAINING TECHNIQUES (WEIGHTED VESTS, SLEDS, ETC.)! FOUNDATIONAL STRENGTH, CORE STRENGTH AND RUNNING/LANDING/JUMPING MECHANICS SHOULD BE MASTERED FIRST. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE PROGRESSIONS WILL SUBJECT THE YOUNG ATHLETE TO POSTURAL DYSFUNCTIONS AND INJURIES!
Beginning at about age 13, young athletes can begin a more serious program of sports conditioning. These athletes should not limit themselves to one sport, but should participate in as many sports as possible to enhance overall athletic skills. In all cases, avoid over-training young athletes. Over-training will take the joy out of sports as well as break down their bodies. And remember, kids are not training to be the next Derek Jeter, Adrian Peterson or Tom Brady. They are training to be the best they can be!
Bigger, Stronger, Faster Documentary
Sunday, May 25th, 2008I enjoy watching documentaries and I came across a trailer for a new one which is soon to be released, titled “Bigger, Stronger, Faster.” It is based around 3 brothers who have always looked up to physically fit individuals like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Hulk Hogan, etc.
However, they are somewhat disappointed to [...]
Leg Press Machine - Proper Usage
Saturday, May 24th, 2008Today I ventured out to try a new machine at the gym and this time I tried the leg press. Let me tell you, it knocked the wind out of me and I’m sure it was silly of me to try it with weight, being that it was my first time. I had [...]
Build Lower Body Strength And Power–One Leg At A Time
Friday, May 23rd, 2008Sometimes, too much focus is placed on leg exercises done with two legs. These two-legged exercises, like squats, are needed in your exercise program. But, one of the best physical indicators of athletic success is dynamic balance (rate-of-force production or power is the other). The athlete cannot have dynamic balance without muscular balance. To achieve muscular balance in the athlete’s lower body, one-legged exercises should be a big part of the athletic training program. These one-legged exercises can be performed as strengh or power (full speed) exercises.
One lower body exercise that should be in your program is one-legged step ups. This exercise is done one leg at a time to force each leg to work evenly. For example, you would do 10 repetitions with your right leg and then 10 repetitions with your left leg.
The hanging leg should not touch the bench and you should lower your body under control. This exercise can also be done without dumbbells if the weight is too heavy.
Add one-legged step ups to your training regimen.
When you look in the mirror, do YOU want to CRY?
Friday, May 23rd, 2008This is a guest post by Matthew Perry.
Of course, at least once in your life…and I have too, too many times to count in fact.
And if you haven’t, you are either a liar, or genetically gifted beyond the norm. Or, you diet and exercise because your body is your profession and you have to [...]