Sunday, June 28, 2009
Triathilates by Coach Kelly
Aside from adding more swimming, biking and running, how can you improve your triathlon performance? Perhaps your missing link is strengthening and lengthening your core body. As a triathlete, we often spend hours in the pool, perpetually turning our cranks on the bike and running endless miles on the road. However, we often neglect a very important aspect that could improve our speed in the swim, our power output on the bike and our strength on the run all while lessening our chance for injury. It’s simply stretching, strengthening and lengthening the right muscles through Pilates exercises and core conditioning specifically for triathletes. Triathilates™ is just that!
Triathilates™ is “Pilates for Triathletes”;. Pilates was founded by Josef Pilates back in the early 1900s and continues today because it’s benefits are numerous from increasing flexibility and core strength to improving physical fitness and declining stress. Pilates also increases energy, relives pain due to tight muscles and stress, enhances posture and biomechanical function and enhances a sense of well-being. All of these benefits are achieved because Pilates combines deep, coordinated breathing with stretching and strengthens muscles without putting stress on joints and ligaments. Pilates is designed to strengthen the deep abdominal and back muscles while increasing overall physical strength. These benefits are all assets to triathletes.
Triathilates™, founded by Coach Kelly of Energy Fitness Coaching, LLC. utilizes several basic mat Pilates exercises and various other core conditioning and balance movements to create a workout specifically to improve muscular imbalances of triathletes and sharpen mental focus. Triathilates™ positions stretch and strengthen the muscles of the body that often become imbalanced by triathletes. Swimming, biking and running motions mostly occur in the Saggital plane of motion. In turn, triathletes often overdevelop certain muscles such as quadriceps, and under develop other muscle groups like abductors and adductors. Together, the over and under developed muscles create imbalances that may lead to injury, biomechanical inefficiencies and wasted effort. Doing Triathilates™ just one to two times a week for 30 to 60 minutes will greatly reduce the risk of injury and make athletes muscularly balanced, strong and flexible.
In Triathilates™ the focus is on strengthening the core stabilizing muscles including the pelvic floor, deep abdominals, buttocks as well as the muscles that support the shoulder girdle and the rotator cuff. While strengthening these muscles, flexibility will also be increased in the larger muscle groups. The stronger and more stable the core is, the more efficient an athlete can swim, bike and run. Power is transferred from a strong core to every aspect of sport specific strength. In Triathilates™, the three abdominal muscles are targeted enabling the body to transfer more efficient power into sport specific needs. First, the rectus abdominus, also know as the “six pack” is strengthened in isometric, concentric and eccentric concentrations to help flex the spine effectively. Second, the oblique muscles are also targeted and this increased strength improves core rotation and spinal stabilization. Third, the transverse abdominus is strengthened, working in conjunction with the pelvic floor muscles to provide stability to the pelvis and the spine. Along with the three abdominal muscles the buttock, particularly gluteus maximus and medius, aid in stabilizing the pelvis which assist in improving running and cycling. The gluteus maximus are large powerful muscles strengthened in the Pilates Hundred, Roll Over and various other Triathilates™ moves which all aid in creating faster propulsion in running and cycling. The gluteus medius are smaller muscles strengthened in the Pilates Single Leg Stretch and the Shoulder Bridge and various other Triathilates™ moves which all aid in creating a stable pelvis and core while running and cycling.
Because swimming, biking and running require athletes to use large muscle groups in the Saggital Plane of motion repeatedly, triathletes generally become very strong in the larger muscle groups. Quads, hamstrings, shoulders and sometimes the upper back muscles have a tendency to become over developed while smaller stabilizing muscles are actually rather weak. The good news is that with Triathilates™ just one to two times a week, athletes can work out these differences. Athletes will quickly be able to use the body’s entire core strength to generate real power! Power from the core will enable an athlete to snap the hips and pull through the water much more powerfully in the swim and turn the pedal cranks with a fluid, complete circle consistently around the entire pedal stroke on the bike. A strong powerful core will aid in achieving a more aerodynamic position on the bike and still allow the athlete to run effectively with a forward lean.
Triathilates™ will lengthen the body increasing flexibility and alleviating tight muscles that can be a detriment to top performance. Triathilates™ works to elongate the quadriceps as well as the hamstrings and calves. These major muscle groups in the lower body are often tight and lead to low back pain, decreased stride length, hip extension and will increase the risk of injuries in triathletes if not properly stretched and addressed. Triathilates™ also opens the shoulder and the chest muscles. Being hunched over on the bike and the repetitious free-style swim stroke causes the chest and shoulders to become tight and rounded leading to poor posture, neck pain, shortened reach and increased risk of injury. Again, Triathilates™ can help eliminate these common issues.
Pilates is based on the belief that the body and the breath are connected with the mind. Mind-body connections can be influenced by everything an athlete does from training, rest and foods that fuel the body. It’s important to be able to center focus in hectic, everyday lives. The Triathilates™ workout is designed to help relax, elongate, lengthen and gently stretch the muscles enabling an athlete to focus and feel a sense of calming that will carry over into training and racing. This focus and calming becomes confidence and sharpness connecting the mind and body required for successful workouts and races.
Triathilates™ will strengthen the core, thereby enabling an athlete to transfer that core energy to improvements in swim, bike and run performance. Triathilates™ will lengthen the body ensuring that proper stretching becomes an integral part of the training program. Triathilates™ will improve the mind and body connection enhancing mental focus and giving the athlete that competitive edge of a laser focus on race day! Triathilates™ is more than just Pilates. It is likely to be the missing link in the triathlete’s training!
Posted by Coach Kelly on 06/28/09 at 04:29 PM
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