Technique Technique Technique!
What an announcement earlier this year; a swimming champion comes out of retirement – Ian Thorpe to take on Phelps in the pool at the London Olympics 2012. At the moment Australian swimming comebacks seem to be growing in popularity. The most notable and successful in recent history is Geoff Huegill, a talented butterfly specialist who disappeared into the ether in 1996 after the Athens Olympics only to return with vengeance taking Gold at last year's Delhi Commonwealth Games. This year two more Australian Gold medallists have announced they will be getting their feet wet once again, 33 year old Michael Klim will be attempting to qualify for his fourth Olympics and the legendary Ian...
Consistency is the key!
Let me describe a scenario to you; Tuesday: An 11am 30 minute meeting turns into a 2 hour marathon. No time for the planned lunch time swim, but you manage a quick break for lunch. The afternoon is a nightmare catching up on the backlog of work from the morning. You get out of work at 7.30pm. You have had a tiring day you need to get home to try and say a quick hello to the kids before they go to bed. There will be no swimming today. Thursday: It has been a long week; the weekend is now in sight. You feel a bit sleepy as you travel to work. On arriving...
Health Club or Gym Membership – Is it right for you?
For many people the obvious and easy answer when they decide to start working out and setting exercise goals is to join a Health Club. The motivation to start working out may have come about because of a desire to lose weight, get in shape, reduce stress etc. Whatever the reason in this blog I would like to examine whether or not purchasing a membership is the right course of action for you. I have a long association with Health Clubs and gyms. I have used them as a competitive athlete and after retiring from competition have continued to utilise gyms for my exercise routine...
Learning to critique your swimming
Swimming can be one of the most beneficial and rewarding forms of exercise. It can also be one of the most challenging when it comes to learning the basics. One of the reasons it is so challenging to swim correctly is that it is particularly difficult to actually see what you are doing. So often the mental image of our arm recovery or breathing style varies greatly from the movement that is actually taking place. If you have the time and money to spend and have a coach that is willing to stand on pool side every time you swim then you will have access...
Personal Trainers pay for the park
This blog is more for the personal trainers out there, but I think everyone will find it interesting. In a recent move Hammersmith and Fulham Council in London has decided to introduce a ‘park licence’ which apparently will cost a £350 paid as an annual fee. I have only found this out online. There is plenty of discussion on the web, I have inserted a selected link below. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23944504-personal-trainers-dog-walkers-and-nannies-told-to-pay-for-using-parks.do Online articles indicate that the park licence has been introduced to ensure that trainers have the appropriate qualification and insurance and to ensure Trainers are not getting something for nothing (use of a public park for profit) . Fair enough, I run a professional business here in...
New to swim racing?
Nothing like taking advantage of the sunshine by swimming outside, yes it is only early May but the slight chill leaves you feeling so refreshed afterward and there are no crowds! I met a guy today who was training for his second ever triathlon. He had seen me swimming and had some questions which, by the way, I am more than happy to answer. If you do see me pool side feel free to approach me and ask away! I will share with you now the advice I gave to this chap. All three triathlon disciplines, swim, cycle and run have technical aspects that need to be...
Expert or not?
I was talking to a swim client last night. We are getting set for an intensive technique session. Time permitting, with all of my 1 to 1 swim technique sessions; we will first go over some fundamentals on dry land. I believe it is really important to go over the fundamentals before getting in the water. Once we have discussed the fundamentals we will begin with the swimming proper. This will involve me assessing from the poolside and providing the necessary feedback and drills. I will then either film and provide feedback or I will get in the water myself and demonstrate. As soon as...
Nutrition
I think you will like this blog! I have just been checking out some weight loss sites online. It is a popular topic, always has been and always will be! For me defining nutrition is easy – it is what we eat (I like to keep things simple). Statistics indicate that as are global population we are growing, upward but also, and more importantly, outward .There is absolutely no reason why we cannot remain the same weight from when we were 24 until 54 or 64 years of age. A large percentage of us struggle to maintain a weight range, this is due to two reasons;...
New toy comes out to play…
There are two distinct groups out there, those that love to work out and those that don't. Both groups actually fall under one easy umbrella - those that Need to workout! What do I say this? No matter what the marketing guru's of the world might tell you through television, magazines and the great world web there are no short cuts to good health, energy and mobility. The good news is maintaining or improving your current health status is not difficult. There will always be two prime categories you need to focus on to be successful, they are movement (read into this word fitness, cardio, mobility etc) and nutrition....
Worlds most amazing invention…
The human body! That is correct, what an ingenious design our bodies are. They have mobility, agility, temperature control, intelligence, etc. Disappointly we make little use of the vast array of attributes our bodies provide. The scary thing is the human body is so clever it can recognise that we no longer need a function. Your nervous system basically 'forgets' how to perform a task. This can be summarised by the term 'use it or lose it', and when it is applied to the human body it is oh so true. That is why consistent movement is so important to keep the nervous system in tip...