Newsletter-DEC09

Over the past few articles I have discussed different ways to improve your stroke efficiency and increase your distance per stroke. I have discussed various drills that you can use to improve your technique and even provided some creative ways to simulate open water swimming in a pool environment. All the aforementioned things have the same end state; allowing you to swim faster and further with less energy expended. In this article, I am going to discuss the importance of body position and some simple exercises you can do away from the pool will not only assist you in achieving a better body position in the water, but can also help with a better position on the bike and run.

The best part about this strength and conditioning program is that you do not need a lot of fancy equipment in an expensive gym to make it work. You can implement this program with some surgical tubing, a medicine ball, and a stability ball. This makes doing the work much more convenient since you can perform the workout in your home.

First, let’s cover why it is important. Strength and conditioning can enhance your performance, especially in swimming. Swimming is a full-body sport and requires coordinated activation of all the muscle groups in the body. Additionally, swimming is unique in the fact that unlike land-based activities where you generate force and propulsion by pushing off a solid foundation, in the water you must generate this force and propulsion by pressing against a fluid surface; therefore you need to be even stronger and more stable throughout your core.

An individual strength and conditioning program created to enhance and compliment your regular training program should also be designed around the theory of periodization. Just as you and your coach develop your annual training plan for the race season the strength and conditioning program should compliment these phases as well. Your program should compliment your annual training plan. The focus of this program for triathletes should focus on building full-body foundational strength and preventing injury. In each phase of training the conditioning workout should encompass the following elements:

1. 5-10 minutes of Dynamic warm up

2.2-3 exercises designed for Injury Prevention

3.2-3 exercises designed for Core Stability

4.2-3 exercises designed for Foundational Strength

5.15-20 minutes of Static Stretching

The above is the blueprint of your conditioning workout. The conditioning workout should be performed three times a week. It works great if you do this workout prior to your swim. There are of course, literally thousands of exercises that you can use to cover these basic steps. In fact, there are entire books dedicated to the subject. Use your creativity to put exercises in your program that challenge you. Mix them up to keep the routine from becoming static.

Here is an example of what I mean: Triathlete Conditioning Program in the Base Phase

Here are some exercises divided into their appropriate categories to get you started. You can plug these into the above format and presto you have a quick conditioning workout. Incorporate this workout three times a week for best results. All these exercises can be found in the book cited below in the Works cited section of the article.

Here are the explanation for a couple of the above exercises:

Full Can: Stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart and do not allow the

shoulders to slump forward. Lift your chest towards the ceiling to help set the

shoulder blades in the proper position. Focus on pinching your shoulder blades

together and you should feel tension in these muscles for the entire exercise. Raise

your arms so that they extend straight out to your sides. Move your hands forward

about 1-2 feet so they are now slightly ahead of your shoulders to get in the proper

exercise position. This will actually allow you to perform the movement in the same

plane of the shoulder blade. Keep your thumbs turned up so they are facing the sky. Lower your hands to your side and then lift them up again so your hands end up level with the top of your head. Maintain a steady cadence – Take 1 second to lift your hands to head level and one second to lower the hands back to your sides. As you raise and lower your hands, count slowly 1-up-2-up, 1-down-2-down… Remember to keep your hands and arms ahead of your shoulders and keep your shoulder blades together.

Continue this exercise for 2 minutes or until you are unable to lift your arms while keeping your shoulder blades pinched together. Perform 3 sets in this way taking 30 seconds rest between each set.

Chest Punch: While lying on your back hold a moderate weight (3 to 5kg)

medicine ball in your hands above your chest. Extend the arms away from the

body, without bending the arms or lifting your back off the ground, push the

medicine ball towards the ceiling. Hold the position for a count of 2 and slowly

return to the starting position.

Dying Bug: Lying on your back, bend your knees while keeping both feet on

the ground. Lock down the pelvis and slowly lift the right foot 6 to 8 inches off

the ground. Hold this position for a count of three before lowering the foot back

to the ground. Repeat with left foot.

Bird Dog: Start exercise on all fours, keeping the head in line with the spine.

Lock the pelvis and lift the right arm and left leg until they are parallel to the

ground. Keep a flat back throughout the exercise. Hold this position for a count

of three and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat with the other side.

Include this conditioning set prior to your swim and you should see your body position improve in the water as you complete your technique drills and accomplish your swim sets.

Coach Mike is a USA Swimming and ASCA Level 2 Certified coach who coaches competitive triathletes and swimmers from the Age Group ranks up through Masters. Additionally, he is the Director of Swimming at Break Through Multisport Inc. You can reach Coach Mike at Mike@BreakThroughMultisport.com with any questions, comments or for all of your coaching needs.

Works Cited/Further Reading

1. Salo, Dave and Riewald, Scott (2008) Complete Conditioning for Swimming. Human Kinetics.

As winter approaches, even the most dedicated athlete can have a hard time staying motivated, especially when it gets dark early and it is cold, wet, or windy outside. This time of the year often means a lot of indoor workouts, but getting outside from time-to-time can break up the routine and ward away those winter blues; and with a little preparation and the proper equipment, you can keep up the motivation and make those winter workouts fun.

Prepare the night before. When it is warm and cozy in your bed in the morning, it is easy to find any excuse to stay under the covers instead of getting your workout in. That is where preparing the night before helps out. If you plan on going to the gym in the morning, pack your gym bag and lay out clothes the night before. If you are riding on your bike trainer, the night before, completely set up your bike trainer with bike and towel and lay out your clothes. It makes it easier to get up and going knowing that all you have to do is get dressed and grab your bag or jump on your bike.

Workout with a friend. Meeting someone to workout adds more motivation to make your date with the treadmill or the pool. This is true year-round, but during the winter months, indoor equipment makes it easier to workout with friends that may have a different fitness level than you have. You can reconnect with friends that you normally can’t train with outside.

Take a Computrainer class. Similar to working out with a friend, Computrainer classes can make bike workouts more fun and exciting, and adds that motivation to make your scheduled class. Not to mention all the training benefits of a Computrainer workout, it also breaks up the routine of just riding on your bike trainer. You will get interaction with other athletes, and, in most cases, a coach-led class. Break Through Multisport offers the PREMIER Computrainer class- CYCLING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM in the Chicago area.

Take it outside. The winter doesn’t have to mean all indoors, all the time. With the proper equipment, a run or bike outdoors can be safe and fun. Planning on at least one workout outside per week, not only mixes it up, but it also gives you something to look forward to. The key to making your outdoor workouts fun is the proper clothing with layers, and extremity, head, and face covering.

Go to a training camp in a warmer location. Scheduling a trip during the winter months to a warmer location will add some excitement to your winter base training. Not only do you get the benefit of the catered training at the camp, you get to train outside in warmer weather with other athletes. You may even get a tan! Knowing that you will be heading to a warmer location will help motivate you through those colder training weeks. Break Through Multisport is offering two training camps this winter and spring- the Winter Training Camp (Tempe, AZ) and the Spring Training Camp (Boulder, CO), both of which have been certified by USA Triathlon as a Continuing Education Unit due to the high standards of instruction and coaching.

Winter doesn’t have to be a time of year that you dread. By mixing up your training locations, a little preparation, and meeting up with others, you can not only keep up your motivation but also help you maintain consistency in your training plan. The race season will come sooner that you think.

Coach Laura is a USA Triathlon Certified coach and an Assistant Coach at Break Through Multisport Inc. You can reach Coach Laura at Laura@BreakThroughMultisport.com with any questions, comments or for all of your coaching needs.

Linnea Miller is the December 2009 athlete of the month. She was NOT satisfied with only one Ironman race so... she completed her second Ironman distance race at Ironman Arizona in less than 1 month!

By Laura Koerner, USA Triathlon Certified Coach

By Dina Aburmishan RD, LDN

Liz Yerly, MPT, ATC, CSCS, C-ART

The information contained in this newsletter is the opinion of Ryan Riell and Break Through Multisport on endurance training, racing, and nutrition. These points are suggestions on how to train and not recommendations for athletes. Any article on the Break Through Multisport website may be reprinted into a paper or online newsletter for your NON-PROFIT club or organization, so long as Ryan Riell and www.BreakThroughMultisport.com are credited. If you do reprint or link to any Break Through Multisport material, please send a courtesy email to Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com. For medical advice, and before starting a strenuous training program, consult with a physician.

We're all headed for a lot of parties and family get togethers this holiday season. Even if you aren't the party type you will probably be around some holiday sweets and goodies. Gaining weight is not unavoidable. If you are expecting to gain those ten pounds you very likely will. If you plan to maintain your weight or even loose some that's possible.

The key is good planning. You can plan your holiday eating more than you think you can. You may not always know the specifics of a given situation but you can see social occasions coming. Chances are many holiday functions are already on your calendar.

Here are 9 tips that will help you keep the weight and stress of the weight gain off during the holidays.

Ten Tips to Keep the Holiday weight off…or at least to a minimum.

1.Eat with your eyes closed: Or at the very least experience each bite of food. We have two types of hunger our physical hunger that is controlled by our stomach and our appetite hunger that is controlled by our mind. We tend to eat very fast which fills our stomach hunger quickly, but it’s too quick for our mind hunger to be full or content. This is why we keep going back for seconds or thirds, even when we are already stuffed. We are trying to fulfill the taste receptors. Eating with your eyes closed, decreases the distraction and allows you to taste your food. The more you taste your food, the more content you will be with the amount of food your stomach will allow you to eat and your physical hunger and appetite hunger will be fulfilled at the same time.

2.When there is food in your mouth there should be no food on your fork. Try to avoid the continuous fill cycle that happens when we eat. Hand to food and to mouth, repeat. Put a bite of food in your mouth then put the fork down! Chew and experience your food. Doing this will allow you to follow tip 1. Enjoy each bite!

3.Don’t Skip Meals: The worst thing you can do on a Thanksgiving or a food focused day is skipping a meal in anticipation for the big meal. This only perpetuates a binge episode. You will always eat a lot more when you skipped a meal. Your body doesn’t know your skipping a meal because you want to, it thinks your skipping a meal because you have to. So when you allow it to eat, it will make up for the meal you skipped. Have your normal sized breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

4.Be a Picky Eater: Choose the foods you like and don’t choose the foods you don’t like. I know that sounds like common sense, but most people will eat the food just because it is there. If you choose something you thought you’d like and it turns out to be less the stellar then skip it and go spend your calories someplace else.

5.Eat When You’re Hungry and Stop When You’re Full: Again this sounds like a no brainer, but again many people around the holidays will continue eating because they feel that they wont be able to get this food again for another year or so. Not true. You can have this food again…Repeat that…you can have this food again. Reminding your self that you are allowed to eat the food again, will decrease the eating desperation that you may feel. When you start eating when you’re hungry and stop eating when you’re full you are truly allowed to eat what ever you want. Your body will help you figure out when you’re full; you just need to listen to it.

6.Be Active: Holidays are always a hectic time and it maybe difficult to fit in activity but always try. Go for a walk with family (the ones you like), help clean up, or play with the kids for a10-15 minutes during family get-togethers. Those few minutes may not technically be a work out, but it will get your muscles going a bit and allow for better digestion.

7.Don’t skip on the water: You’ll have so many beverage options. Try to choose a lower calorie option and water. Drink water and your other beverage simultaneously. That way you don’t over drink calories and still ensure your getting your water in.

8.Don’t Skip on Protein: Make sure you get your turkey, ham, beef, or tofu serving in with your meals. Protein will help you feel full longer and help control your blood sugar from dropping too quickly.

9.Color your plate: With vegetables or other flavor. Choose bright foods like sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, squash, broccoli, spinach, green beans, etc. Bland color foods are often those that have a lighter nutrient content. Notice how many people comment on how colorful your plate is. What they don’t know is how nutrient filled your plate is as well!

Bottom line: Anticipation and adjustment can help you survive this intense calorie season. It's possible to weigh the same on January 1st as you did on November 1st. Be aware, be attuned, anticipate, adjust and be consistent.

Dina Aburmishan RD, LDN is a registered dietitian who works with endurance athletes. Dina owns DMA Nutrition Inc. a private practice nutrition consulting company. You can reach Dina at dina@dmanutrition.com or www.dmanutrition.com or call her at 847-581-1160.

Liz Yerly, MPT, ATC, CSCS, cART is a licensed physical therapist and athletic trainer who has experience working with the highly trained athlete, as well as the weekend warrior She is the facility manager of the Bridgeport

Accelerated Rehabilitation Center, as well as a treating therapist specializing in advanced certifications such as Active Release Technique and Graston Technique. She uses her manual skills to successfully rehabilitate her patients and quickly get them back to where they need to be.

You can reach Liz at: lyerly@acceleratedrehab.com or call her at (773) 254-5250.

By Mike Koerner, USA Swimming and ASCA Certified Coach

December, 2009

Volume 2,

Issue 12

In This Issue:

Announcements

Winter Training Tips

Revolutionary Coaching

Holiday Eating

Strength Training for Swimmers

SPONSOR of the Month-

Element Multisport

Athlete of the Month

Rotator Cuff and Swimmers

2010 Training Camps

Last month we talked about shoulder injuries in the swimmer, and the use of Active Release Technique to remove scarring and adhesions laid down by the body from repetitive shoulder use. This month, I’m going to give you a few go to exercises for your rotator cuff, and more importantly for your scapular (shoulder blade) stabilizers.

One of the most common shoulder injuries in a swimmer is called Swimmer’s Shoulder. This “catch all” term actually refers to any one of several impingement type injuries that can occur in the shoulder joint such as bicep tendonitis, subacromial bursitis, or rotator cuff tendonitis. The commonality between the above injuries is the lack of space, or the pinching that can occur between the ball-and-socket joint during overhead motion.

In a healthy, and muscularly balanced person, the ball of the arm is pulled downward by the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizer muscles as the arm is elevated allowing increased room under the cup, or acetabulum, of the shoulder joint. If the rotator cuff, and stabilizer muscle don’t adequately pull the “ball” down, then it causes a jamming, or impingement at the shoulder leading to pain and loss of function. By appropriately strengthening the muscles responsible for that downward force on the ball of the arm, you can improve the overhead mechanics and avoid injury.

The exercises below focus on the stabilizers and rotator cuff muscles. These are not large muscles, and therefore heavy weights or resistance are not necessary for proper strengthening of them. The deltoid, and larger surface muscles handle the brawn of shoulder motions, whereas the rotator cuff handles the delicate more subtle motions within the joint.

Rotator Cuff External Rotation

-it’s important to roll up a towel to place between you and your body to start

-you should start with a very light weight (1-3 pounds) and do one set of 10 reps

-your goal is to be able to do 30 reps in a row, when that is achieved you can raise the weight

Blackburn Exercises: Scapular Stabilizers

-lying face down, and beginning with no weights in your hands you perform 10 reps of each exercise below (A-F)

-the focus of these exercises is on squeezing the shoulder blades together and downward, without straining your neck muscles.

-if you are feeling a lot of fatigue in your neck, don’t raise your arms as high off the table and focus more on the squeeze of the shoulder blades than the motion of the arms

-you should eventually be able to do 10 reps of each exercise straight through for improved endurance