Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Mixing up your workouts for the Summer
Friday, April 17, 2009
Keeping in Swim-Shape on Vacation
- Drink Water- plenty of it! When you're not visiting the happy hour lounge you should be consuming H20 instead of high calorie beverages. Water doesn't have the added carbs and is great at keeping your metabolism boosted. It its chilled your body will burn an additional 60-70 calories that day in order to keep your body temperature where it needs to be. Drink water and your midsection will thank you later.
- Do sit ups, push ups, and body squats- if you are staying in a hotel or a guest bedroom, these exercises are excellent in keeping your muscles strong. Sit ups, push ups, and body squats are convenient because all you need is some clear space. They can be done anywhere, the beach or even in the depths of the amazon in a hut.
- Don't Super size it- Just because it is vacation time doesn't mean you should be overindulging every-single-meal. While going back for seconds is alright every now and them, stock to one portion of an evenly balanced meal.
Latex Caps vs. Silicon Caps
- Cheap- $2
- Many Variations- more designs, brands, and logos. (you can also customize your latex caps online.)
- Average Life- 3-6 months
- More Costly- $7-12
- More convenient- Easier to put on because it is more flexible
- Average life- 1-2 years
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
the Art of Long Distance Swimming
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Swimmer of the Day- Amanda Beard
Height: 5'8"
Born: October 29, 1981
Education: University of Arizona
Amanda Beard's achievements are numerous. Having gone to the Olympics four times, and winning seven medals, she certainly has caught the media's attention. Her swimming opened the doors for modeling and in 2007, Amanda Beard posed nude for Playboy. She has also modeled for various other magazines including Sports Illustrated and Maxim. When she is not seducing every man in the World by her piercing eyes she is a spokeswoman for 'Defenders of Wildlife'. Amanda also takes an active role in 'PETA' which is an anti-fur organization. In 2008 she joined the cast to become a correspondent for The Best Damn Sports Show Period. Talented, beautiful, and smart, she is the creme de la creme of female swimmers.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Swimming- the most demanding sport?
Swimmer of the Day- Gary Hall Jr.
Height: 6',6"
Weight: 218
Born: September 26, 1974
Gary Hall Jr. has won four Olympic medals in 2000, and was at one point the worlds fastest 50 meter freestyler. He is definitely one of the most talented American swimmers. Not only did he do what most people could never even dream of, but he did it after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. During his training season he would need 10-12 insulin injections while closely monitoring everything he ate. He truly is a hero to the swimming community.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Michael Phelps, Greatest Athlete of All Time?
(Laird Hamilton riding a paddle board in Hawaii)
Competitive Dives From Starting Blocks
Sunday, March 29, 2009
How to: Log Daily Exercise Entrees Effectively
Always log your water intake- Not only does drinking enough water keep you hydrated, it helps loose excess weight.
Make exercise logging a part of your daily routine- You usually take a shower at the same time every day, why not find a time to add entrees? I kept my current by adding my logs at night before I went to bed.
If you take a few days off of posting don't panic- Many people think that their exercise journals are ruined or compromised if they forget to keep it updated once or twice. As long as you are looking at the big picture and posting most of the days the little things or boo boo's will work out. Don't sweat it.
I highly recommend keeping an exercise journal. The benefits are endless and all it takes is 5 minutes of your time to post a daily log.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Pre-Meet Movies to Get your Blood Flowing
Pump Up songs to get you Swim-Ready
Here are my top 10 favorites:
1. Cake- Going the Distance
2. The Offspring- The Kids Aren't Alright
3. Papa Roach- To Be Loved
4. Eve 6- Inside Out
5. Harvey Danger- Flagpole Sitta
6. Papa Roach- Scars
7. Muse- Supermassive Black Hole
8. Matchbox 20- Lets See How Far We've Come
9. Kevin Rudolph- Let it Rock
10. Kanye West- Stronger
I have these loaded on my Ipod. Music is not only a great pre-race mind booster but I also use my 'get up and go' songs to run to, drive to, and most of all , live to.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Pros and Cons of Swimming on a Regular Basis
POSITIVES-
- You can eat whatever, whenver, all the time: swimming every hour only burn an average of 500-1000 calories but it revs up your metabo9lism all day leaving you hungry, even after 8 double cheeseburgers and 2 large fries.
- Your Muscles get toned/ shoulders get bigger: swimming is an excelletn aerobic exercise that burns fat leaving you to be all muscle and bones.
- YOu develop a strong work etiquette: than can be applied in other areas of your life to the grave.
NEGATIVES-
- Dry skin/fried hair: chlorine has hair damaging properties and dries the skin making it read and sensitive. The best prevention is to wear a swim cap and to apply lotion after taking a swim.
- Feeling Tired: on average during two-a-days I will go to bed at 9 and wake up at 6, an average of 9 hours sleep. Sleeping more at night as well as afternoon naps are common among swimmers who are consistent in their training.
- Chlorine Smell: Hmm Hmm that smell of chlorine will stay with you no matter what if you swim daily. Like it, maybe even learn to love it because its stuck with you as long as you're stuck with swimming.
In the end however, the benefits definitely outweigh the downsides.
Preparing for an Open Water Swim
Proper Hydration- Drink water! A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight and divide by 2. That number is how many ounces you should drink within 8 hours of the swim. Becoming dehydrated is dangerous in the swimming realm because most of us do not realize how much we sweat while swimming.
Ditch the Swim Cap- Male or even female, swimming caps are a terrible instrument to use while swimming open waters. i remembered ripping off my cap 10 minutes into the ocean race because I was burning up. Half of your body heat leaves through your scalp so wearing a swim cap will only increase your body temperature leaving you lightheaded and dizzy.
Bring Power Gels- Before the race, I was surprised to see other swimmers stuffing power gels down their swimsuits. My coach Chris Anderson (Comets Swim Club in Pembroke Pines FL), told me that power gels area good source of energy and are easy to shoot down in the ocean in the middle of a long race. Who would of thought?
Additional things to remember include wearing dark goggles (to keep from being blinded by the sun), and lifting your head every once in a while to make sure you're not straying from the course. Good Luck!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Checklist Chart for Going to the Pool
1. Fins ($20.00-40.00)- Find a size that fits pretty snug. If you're feet are still growing buy one size larger and wear socks when you wear them. Not only will finds make you faster, but also force you to utilize your core muscles.
2. Pull Buoy ($10.00)- This foam based buoyant device is placed between your legs just about the knee. It allows you to swim with only your arms. The pull buoy's primarily responsible for allowing you to feel or "catch" the water with your hands while building your shoulders and triceps muscles.
3. Snorkel ($45.00)- The competitive swimmers snorkel straps to your forehead and allows you to swim quickly without it budging. The snorkel builds lung strength as is great for your swim stroke. With the competitive snorkel your head is placed in line with your spine and shoulders- the perfect swimming posture.
Not only with these apparatus' help you swim faster and more efficiently, they'll make time spent swimming much more enjoyable as well!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
LZR- the Fastest Racing Suit ever made
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
How to hold your breath longer
- Go under water for as long as possible. As your coming up for air, make sure your lungs are free of oxygen (blow out as you rise). Take a deep breath and re-submerge. Repeat this process three times. After the third time take a couple minutes and relax. Then repeat the first steps three more times.
- Try to swim from one side of the pool to the other with as little of breaths as possible. One you reach the other side take a minute rest and repeat 5-8 times.
- Hold your breath wherever you are and with whatever you're doing. Its a great way get your blood pumping!
Try these exercises and you'll be in underwater city. BOOYAKASHA
Friday, February 27, 2009
Crosstraining on land to be faster in the water
- Rest at least 48 hours before reworking muscle groups
- Take at least one-two days off for recovery
- Drink approximately one gram of protein for every pound of weight to increase muscle mass
- 10 minute warm up (easy jogging)
- 1 minute sprint ( I hold about 6 minute/mile pace)
- 1-2 minutes recovery easy jog (about 10-12 minute/mile pace)
- Repeat 5-8 times
- 5 minuets cool down-steady decrease speed to power walk
3. Bicycling- Many road bikes (the types with thin tires that riders use special to clamp into the pedals) can be well over 1000 dollars. I went to Walmart and bought a generic brand of road bike for 90 dollars and it works great. Biking is not only fun but is easy to do. Benefits include:
- Increase in endurance
- Increase in VO2 max
- Stronger legs and core
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Michael Phelps- Hitting the bong after 8 gold medals
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Overtraining Is A Risk in Competitive Swimming
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
I shave my legs on a regular basis and I am a real man.
1. Begin by shaving along the direction of hair growth (typically down) to help avoid razor burn.
2. Buy disposable razors because it is easier to clean up the mess. It is typical to use one disposable razor per limb shaven on your body.
3. If you have a hairy body, try to use an electric shaver on your body first before shaving with the disposable razors. Using the electric shaver makes the process go faster in the long run.
4. Be careful shaving the backs of your knees. TAKE YOUR TIME! This is the part of the bodies that people usually cut because there are a lot of veins and usually has more wrinkles than any other part of the body.
5. If you are a beginner, do not shave your armpits. It gives you terrible razor burn.
6. Shaving the insides of your palms is important. Although there is hopefully no hair on the insides of your palms, it has been scientifically proven that shaving the insides of your palms helps you go faster in the water.
7. Wear warm clothes after shaving because it keeps the hair from growing back as fast. When you get cold, goosebumps appear and make the hair grow back faster.
8. It's easier to shave in a bathtub to keep from making a big mess.
9. Don't put lotion on your legs after shaving. It ruins the feeling of the shave in the water by clogging the hair follicles. Also, it makes people question your sexuality if you are a male.
When thinking of competitive swimming, most people usually think of the water and the person, but shaving is an imperative aspect of swimming. Sometimes, it can even determine whether or not you win a race.