Ron Lugbill Whitewater Slalom Racing Blog

music improves athletic performance

Music Improves Athletic Performance

I read an interesting study about listening to different types of music versus no music and comparing the performances in a study of golf putting.  Previous studies have found music to be effective in sports such as running.  But golf putting is a fine motor skill requiring precision, not a large muscle action, so it's interesting that music was found to be helpful in golf putting.

All types of music were found to help performance over not listening to music, but the biggest difference was with jazz music.  Jazz is more improvisational, more irregular than most other forms of music.  It's neither too fast nor too slow.  It activates your brain without making you nervous.

I think music helps because it puts your brain in the right zone, where it is active and alert, but not afraid or worried.  You can get into this sort of zone yourself with psychological techniques, but music sort of guarantees that your mind will be properly activated. 

Here is a link to the article on music affecting golf putting:

http://scitechnol.com/the-influence-of-musical-genres-on-putting-accuracy-in-golf-an-exploratory-study-iO6f.php?article_id=2256

is your warm-up making you slower?

Is Your Warm-up Making You Slower?

You may be warming up too much or not doing the right kind of warm-up, making you slower.  Apparently too much warm-up can make you tired, and lower your performance, as can slow stretching.  Here is a link to article about this:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/11/training-center/sports-psychology/done-gun-warm-making-slower_352377

They compared two groups of cyclists, one who did a 15 minute warm-up and another that did a 50 minute warm-up.  The longer warm-up resulted in decreased performance, as the warm-up went beyond just warming up the athletes and made them tired.

Static stretching before a race can also lower your performance.  Apparently there is some benefit in having some muscle tension in athletic performance.  And stretching does not lower injury rates- it probably increases them.  So, slow stretching within 2 hours before a race is out.  It is appropriate after a workout or race though. 

And dynamic stretching, where you don't hold a stretch, but just reach and move does not harm performance when done prior to a competition.

Paddlers have the extra dimension of course study prior to their event.  If you spend a lot of time warming up, it may take away from time studying the course, watching other boaters, talking to others, coaches, videos, etc. or just getting into the proper frame of mind for the event.  This research about warming up should reassure you that you don't have to take time away from your course study in order to properly warm-up for the race.

So, people have different warm-up routines.  And sometimes the routine helps you get into the proper psychological state to race.  Just avoid excessively long warm-ups and static stretching.  Moderate exercise is probably best, enough to warm the body but not so long that you get tired prior to your event.  For example, some jogging in place, then some alternate toe touches, and then get in your boat and paddle around at moderate intensity prior to the start.  15-20 minutes maximum.

Here is the link to the article:  http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/11/training-center/sports-psychology/done-gun-warm-making-slower_352377

ultra short race pace training

Ultra-Short Race Pace Training

There is a movement in the competitive swimming world called Ultra-Short Race Pace Training.  A sports physiologist, Brent Rushall developed the program and wrote about it:

http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/RacePaceSwimming.html

Traditionally, swimmers have done lots of volume.  Many thousands of yards of low intensity work.  However, Rushall states that the technique is different for different paces.  If you are training for a 50 meter race, the technique is different than if you are training for 500 meters.  He says you need to train at the pace you race at in order to train the proper technique.

He says the best way to do this is to do ultra-short intervals of less than 15 seconds.  Not all-out, as in sprint training.  But race pace.  And also unlike sprint training, the rest periods are short- 20 seconds or so.  For example, 10 seconds at race pace, then 20 seconds rest.  Repeat many, many times.  40 or 60 or up to 100 times. 

With ultra-short intervals, you don't get so tired, so you can keep repeating them.  The idea is to get the maximum amount of training you can at race pace.  If the intervals are longer, such as 1 or 2 minutes, your body will get much more fatigued and you can't do as much work at race pace.

He also advises not to do dryland strength training, a staple among competitive swimmers.  But he is right in saying that while the research supports this for many other sports, such as running or ball sports, the research doesn't really support dryland resistance training for swimming. 

He says that the running research doesn't apply to swimming because the nature of swimming is different.  In running and ball sports, you have to deal with gravity and hard impacts on your body.  In swimming, your body is supported by the water.  Also, in running, there is no slippage when your foot strikes the ground.  In swimming, there is a great deal of slippage when you pull your arm through the water.  Also, in swimming, the upper body is paramount, whereas in running, it's the lower body that is more important.

He is not a coach, but an exercise physiologist who looked at what the research was saying and found a big disconnect between the research and what swimmers were doing in their training.  But some top swim programs, such as USC have adopted forms of Rushall's program with good results.  It's too early at this point for there to be much published research comparing performance with this technique, since Rushall just wrote his paper in 2013 and people are only starting to apply it.

Remember, this is not specialized speed training.  It's not done at top speed.  It's done at race pace.  And the rest intervals are short.  It's not intended to be a small part of the program or only done at certain times of the year.  It's meant to be the main part of the program year-round.

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/RacePaceSwimming.html  

strength and conditioning workout

Strength and Conditioning Workout

Here is a sample strength and conditioning workout you can do to work on speed and power.

3 sets.   Repetitions = 5.    1- 2 minutes rest.  Don't do more than 5 repetitions.  I am aware that you can do more, but this plan is for speed and power, not endurance.  So, you should go fast and only 5 repetitions. 

These exercises work 4 movements- pushing, pulling, jumping and abs.

Do these exercises with perfect technique- without technical flaws, but fast.

1. Warm-up. 3- 4 minutes.  Here is a link with a couple of warm-up exercises.  Choose which exercises you want to do.  http://www.xlathlete.com/xl/export/drill_sheet_Dynamic%20Warm%20Up%20For%20Sport%201_1395277235956.pdf

 

       2. Push-ups.   Repetitions = 5 very fast.  3 sets.  1 minute rest between sets.

 

       3. Inverted rows. fast.  repetitions = 5.  1 minute rest.  3 sets.

       4. Alternate scissors hops.  5 repetitions.  Very high.  3 sets.  1 minute rest. http://xlathlete.com/view_exercise2.jsp?exercise_id=1430

       5. Clap push-ups.  5 repetitions.  3 sets.  1 minute rest.  http://xlathlete.com/view_exercise2.jsp?exercise_id=1430

       6. Abs.  Do each exercise once.   Just 1 set.  Repetitions= ?.   1 minute rest.  Here are the links: 

 

       Alternating push-up bridge.  http://xlathlete.com/view_exercise2.jsp?exercise_id=390

 

       Cobra http://xlathlete.com/view_exercise2.jsp?exercise_id=349

 

       Cross-over crunch.  http://xlathlete.com/view_exercise2.jsp?exercise_id=348

 

       Forward walking plank.  http://xlathlete.com/view_exercise2.jsp?exercise_id=3583

 

       7. Sprints.  Run very fast.  5 sets. 40 yards.  2 minutes rest.

 

        8. Stretching- slow.  yoga-type exercises.  Example:

 

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxsQr7YOq7o 

sample speed training plan

Sample Speed Training Plan

Here is a sample training plan for a month working on speed.  This may or may not fit with your particular situation.  I designed it for an athlete who has good technique and experience, but was lacking in speed. 

This plan is for working on short courses (twice per week), high speed (twice per week), and strength-conditioning (twice per week).  All training is done fast.  If you can't do a run fast, it's better to just stop than to practice with poor form or slowly.

Monday- morning- active rest (slow jogging, hot shower, yoga)

Monday- afternoon- courses from 10 to 20 seconds long.  40 repetitions.   1 minute rest.    Very fast.

Tuesday- morning-   active rest

Tuesday afternoon- courses from 20 to 30 seconds long.  20 repetitions.  1- 2 minutes rest.  Fast.

Wednesday- morning- active rest

Wednesday- afternoon- strength and conditioning training

Thursday- morning- active rest

Thursday- afternoon- courses from 10 to 20 seconds long.  40 repetitions.  1 minute rest.  Very fast.

Friday- morning- active rest.

Friday- afternoon- rest.

Saturday- morning- active rest.

Saturday- afternoon-  20 to 30 second courses.  1- 2 minutes rest.   Very fast.  20 repetitions.

Sunday- morning- active rest.

Sunday- afternoon- strength and conditioning training.

bulgarian weight lifting training

Bulgarian Weight Lifting Training

In the Olympic weightlifting world, the Bulgarians are famous for their innovative training methods.  A very small country came to dominate the world of Olympic weight lifting through new and different training techniques.  Here is an article about their approach:

http://www.theironsamurai.com/2010/05/23/the-secret-to-bulgarian-training-in-olympic-weightlifting/

The Bulgarians just concentrated on a few lifts in their training, the snatch, the clean and jerk and the front squat.  And they lifted heavy, frequently maxing out, and usually going over 90% of their max.  Yes, they were on steroids, but so were most Olympic lifters of the era.  And they lifted a lot- many workouts per day and they trained 6 days per week. 

But they only did one or two reps per set.  High intensity training.  And they competed frequently.  And they did a lot of recovery techniques- massage, ice baths, supplements, etc. 

I do not recommend that you lift weights like this.  It will wear you out quickly.  It is meant for someone who has years of training and has built up to this type of training and is training full-time and does not work. 

But, you might be able to use some of the principles of Bulgarian training in your whitewater paddling.  First, specificity.  The Bulgarians used the Olympic lifts, rather than various other types of lifts because that was what their competition was about.  And they lifted heavy because their competition was about lifting heavy.  And they did one or sometimes two reps, but not more, because their sport was not about who could do it ten times, but who can lift the most weight.

Second, they concentrated on recovery techniques.  Because of the high intensity, it is very easy to burn out on this type of training, so they used recovery techniques, such as massage, ice baths and herbs and supplements to enhance their recovery. 

Third, they did frequent competitions and frequent competition simulation.  Thus, they were ready for the real thing.  It wasn't something new or different when they competed.  They did it all the time.  So, when it came time for the Olympics, they just did the same thing they always did.

Fourth, they dedicated their lives to the sport.  You can do pretty well in Olympic lifting by only lifting 3 times per week.  But they weren't looking to do pretty well.  They wanted to win at the Olympics.  They were looking for every advantage.  So, they lived and breathed their sport and had no distractions.  Except for their training, they had little stress in their lives and could concentrate on their sport.

The Bulgarian method is a different approach than many are used to.  It may not work for all people.  It was developed when they were using steroids, which helped in recovery, so they could do a larger workload.  But it is an approach that some top athletes can learn something from.  Paddle hard on race-like conditions and do it often and use recovery techniques in between workouts.  Here is the link to the article:

http://www.theironsamurai.com/2010/05/23/the-secret-to-bulgarian-training-in-olympic-weightlifting/ 

ultra short interval training

Ultra Short Interval Training

Here is an article about ultra-short interval training, using intervals of less than 10-15 seconds for swimming sprint training:  http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/swim/bullets/ultra28.htm

Many people think of short intervals as producing lactic acid and see longer training as producing less lactate in the muscles.  However, if the intervals are very short- less than 10 or 15 seconds, the body doesn't produce much lactate.  It's longer intervals of 1-3 minutes where the body produces a great deal of lactate.

So, you can train fast, at or faster than race pace for 10-15 seconds with little lactate production.   If you do a short rest and repeat many times, you can get in a lot of specific training without being exhausted, as you would if you were doing longer intervals of 1-3 minutes length.

Specificity is an important training principle.  Your training should be at or near race pace most of the time for it to be effective. 

However, in our sport, doing very short training is sometimes difficult because you want to do gate sequences, and anything less than 10-15 seconds is about 2 or 3 gates.  We often do this type of work in the winter in the pool, or on easy whitewater gate sequences.

You can do this as an entire workout, doing lots and lots of short courses, or just do 10 or 12 intervals at the beginning of a workout.  Speed training should not be done at the end of a workout when you are exhausted, but at the beginning of a workout when you are fresh.   Here is the link to the article:

http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/swim/bullets/ultra28.htm

is your training effective?

Is Your Training Effective?

I generally try to have some research basis for my blog posts.  However, often the research just doesn't exist or is not exactly on point.  Here is an article that will help you evaluate whether the type of training you are doing is effective or not:

http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/training-activities-for-athletes-the-logical-steps-to-determine-their-value-pa

The author of the article states that there are basically 3 functions to training: 1. strength development. 2. conditioning. and 3. skill development.  The author is frequently critical of unproven and unstudied types of training.  Examples might include general balance or vision drills, some supplements, and the latest gizmo or training apparatus that is touted by some company or personal trainer.

You could be wasting your time or money doing some of these things, rather than doing things that we know work.  Actually practicing your sport under race-like conditions is one example of something we know works.  Perfecting your technique is something we know that works. 

He brings up the point that sometimes, doing something that we think would make sense, such as throwing a weighted ball to improve strength in throwing, actually doesn't work and may harm technique.  Something very similar to your sport, but just a little different may require different technique or timing or speed, and training for this very similar activity may actually hurt your technique.  It's counter-intuitive, but general strength training is probably better than strength training that tries to mimick paddling, but is actually a little different.

Some of the gizmos or sports paraphernalia that are promoted may be useful for athletes who have been injured and are recovering and trying to regain their strenth or general physical abilities.  However, for a healthy athlete who is simply trying to get better at his sport, these activities may not make sense and could be simply a waste of time.  The time might be better spent practicing your sport than throwing a medicine ball on top of a swiss ball, for example.

I am all for innovation.  And any new technique is not going to have research support for it.  The researchers are usually behind the athletes.  But I think there is a distinction between fads and innovation.  If everyone else is doing it but it is new and doesn't have research supporting it, it's not an innovation, it's a fad.  If it has research support behind it, it's not a fad.

There are actually 5 parts to the article and this should help you better evaluate your own training to see if it is the most effective.  That's what this blog is about- making your training more effective.  Read and enjoy:

http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/training-activities-for-athletes-the-logical-steps-to-determine-their-value-pa