The demands of competitive swimming require robust shoulder mobility, endurance, and power. The repetitive motions of the competitive strokes can stress the shoulder complex, emphasizing the need for well-rounded strength training outside the pool. Here, we discuss three crucial shoulder exercises that every swimmer should incorporate into their regimen.
Read MoreMobility first! Before you can stabilize, load, and perform you must have the freedom to move. Learn the keys to assessing what needs to be addressed, how to improve, and enhance your trining. “The Big Three”, ankles, hips, and shoulders, are the most mobile joints in the body. Identify any deficits, and move on from areas that meet a functional standard. Remember, mobility and stretching do not make you fit, but can inhibit your ability to get fit and perform if they do not have their functional range of motion. Test, intervene, rest. Once you move well, go train!
Read MoreEnter Animal Flow, a modality I have been programming for over a decade. Its the perfect blend of total body, ground-based, bodyweight conditioning, blending elements of mobility, stability, endurance, and power.
Read MoreExtension faults can be shortsighted stability strategies used to guard the body, or help to produce force, but at the expense of closing joint angles, poor position, prefatigue, and submaximal force.
Read MoreThe kettlebell has long been regarded as the gym in your hand. The cast-iron device packs a big punch in a small heavy footprint, suitable for dozen of exercises from mobility to power. In fact, they’re so practical, they’re sold out everywhere these days. See why the majority of my own and client strength and conditioning is done with a kettlebell
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What is the best way to warm up for your activity? A specific warm up would be best. Specific movements to prepare your body for the activity ahead. Traditionally, coaches, teams, and fitness enthusiasts use a general warm up, typically a light jog, followed by some static stretching. This defeats the purpose of a warm up, however. Running may not be specific to the activity you plan to do, its also a limited range of motion on the joints, and does little for the upper extremities. Furthermore, static stretching has been shown to fatigue muscle and decrease strength output for up to two hours. Static stretching also drops core body temperature, negating the purpose of a warm up. This type of warm up has perpetuated because it is so ingrained in coaches and exercisers, and has gone unquestioned until recently. The growing field of professional strength and conditioning specialists continue to seek ways to enhance performance and prevent injuries in athletes and amateur fitness clients. Most professional and collegiate teams use dynamic warm up routines for peak performance. It works for them and the average exerciser could benefit from it too.
The key points and advantages of a dynamic warm up include:
1. Warming the body's core temperature to increase elasticity in joint and muscle tissues
2. Increased heart rate, circulation, and breathing
3. Working the muscles and joints through activity specific ranges of motions
4. Enhanced coordination and motor ability through CNS stimulation
5. Mentally active preparation through dynamic movements - save the static movements for post activity.
Check out my demos page for specific examples and explanations on dynamic warm up routines. The New York Times wrote a nice article on warm up routines recently. Here.
