Swim Faster Easier

Hip rotation is very important with freestyle swimming. When it is in sync with shoulder rotation, it ensures a long stroke that will maximize your efficiency. Initiate the rotation from your hips and this will help your core and lats power the stroke. 

Try a couple of drills that can help you get started. The 636 drill (my favorite) starts by pushing off the wall on one side with the bottom arm out stretched in front of your head.  The other arm is resting on top of the hip along the leg. Perform 6 kicks on your side and then take 3 strokes to get to the other side. I prefer to take a breath during my 3 strokes and then hold my breath during the 6 kicks. Another quick drill to help you add awareness to your hip rotation is kick board pulling. Place a kick board vertically between your upper legs in place of a pull buoy. Begin swimming using good hip rotation and try to feel the top end of the kick board touch the water at full rotation. Incorporate these drills into your warm up and cool down and soon you'll be swimming more efficiently and faster!!

Neuromuscular Massage: Ready Your Body, Set Your Mind, Go for Gold

In your time with TRiYON you’ve probably become accustomed to a few things. The first is the high level of training that keeps our team members in tip-top shape. The second refers to the aches and pains that nag you due to this training.

Recently I posted about Zen Massage South Park, the company I’ve partnered with offering exclusive deals for TRiYON members. Now if that wasn’t enough to get you motivated about the best way to recover as a high-level athlete, then this should.

Due to the high level of triathlon training, most athletes are highly susceptible to factors that cause “trigger points” for our pain. These can be caused by the stress of a hard competition, the constant worry of training, the strenuous movements, or even poor posture towards the end of a workout.

From my experience, neuromuscular massage is by far the most effective and relaxing therapy to utilize in order to relieve this trigger point pain.

During a neuromuscular massage, the therapist will alleviate specific areas that are causing the most pain by correcting postural and muscular imbalances using advanced concepts in pressure therapy.

After a session your body will feel as light and loose as it ever has, thanks to the compressed nerves and muscles in your tightest areas being meticulously massaged. This will increase circulation and restore muscular balance throughout your body.

The benefits of a neuromuscular massage are boundless but some of the most immediate and beneficial impacts it has include alleviating specific areas of pain, creating better posture, and releasing tension throughout your body. These will not only impact you as an athlete by allowing you to move better, but your everyday life allowing you to live healthier and pain free.

Being an athlete of any kind is one of the best things you can do, but don’t let the pain you are experiencing hold back your passion.

Go try a neuromuscular massage and rejuvenate your entire body.

Remember: Members of the TRiYON team get 20% OFF at Zen Massage SouthPark and 10% OFF thereafter.

Do yourself a favor and check them out, your body will thank you.

Help with Electrolyte Loss

Welcome the hot Summer months! Maintaining proper fluid balance is imperative for your success as the temperatures rise. Endurance athletes continue to run into problems due to forms of dehydration in this heat. Training in the hot conditions takes special hydration planning in order to avoid muscle strains, fatigue, and cramping.  

Sweat is not just water loss. It's electrolyte loss also! Electrolytes keep your body running smoothly and at peak performance. I like to compare electrolytes in the body to the motor oil in your car. It does not fuel the car but it's necessary to keep it from breaking down. Pay attention to the simple signs of electrolyte imbalance like early fatigue, cramping, and in some cases, swelling. Start to experiment with different amounts of electrolyte replacements and find out what works best for you. Running or cycling in July/August throughout Charlotte can make you lose 1000 plus mg of sodium/hour!

I’ve recently teamed up with Gatorade Endurance to maximize the replacement of my electrolyte levels, and the results have been awesome! Check them out here!

Sports Massage: Key to Maximized Athletic Performance

Want to increase your flexibility? Reduce fatigue? AND improve your endurance?

No, you don’t need a magical pill to do all of these things. All you need is an hour and the need to get relaxed and rejuvenated. I’m talking about sports massages.

Sports massages are designed specifically for athletes, but can be used for all individuals regardless of your fitness level. The specific sports massage technique, however, depends on the athlete at hand. It allows the masseuse to customize their process and focus on different areas of the body that are utilized more often in certain sports.

Sports massages are often fast-paced and can even be used as a pre-workout stretch to warm up athletes’ muscles. They are specifically designed for athletes to have their muscles warmed up while also getting the opportunity to relax.

Athletes also benefit from deep tissue massages. These massages are often suggested for areas that may have specific issues because heavier pressure is applied on certain muscles. It is designed to get rid of knots and other problem areas that athletes may have from overworking certain muscles.

While massages can help an athlete relax after a vigorous session of training, they can also help prevent future injury and even improve performance according to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).

Sports massages have many other physical and mental benefits including:

• Dilating blood vessels in the cardiovascular system in order to help them work more efficiently to promote circulation.
• Getting athletes into a more relaxed, low-tension state in order to encourage focus.
• Increasing range of motion for athletes.
• Decrease muscle stiffness and soreness after exercise.
• Reduces stress and anxiety by activating your parasympathetic nervous system so athletes can get an increase in dopamine levels and a reduction in cortisol levels, all reducing stress.

Want to start enhancing your athletic performance while preventing injuries along the way? I have recently partnered up with Zen Massage SouthPark, offering 20% OFF for TRiYON members, and 10% OFF thereafter. Make sure to go check them out and reap the benefits that your body needs!

Stop Stress and Inflammation

Do you want to stop stress and inflammation? The TRIYON answer might surprise you! As an athlete you want to train hard and stress your muscles and skeletal system to their limit. This stress is challenging but good. Your body naturally responds to the stress with acute inflammation to help you recover and grow stronger. This inflammation is good and will go away within a day or two. This stress and recovery process is called the hard easy principle. Your body needs both stress and inflammation to function optimally, and to PR!

The problem arises when you have too much stress and inflammation; too much of a good thing. Stressing your body beyond its limit is risky, especially on consecutive days. Overuse of the same muscle groups day after day can send you down the injury path. Good, acute inflammation then becomes chronic and bad. Injury results, and performance and health are compromised. This is a big reason I love triathlon training. Even if you're a runner or a cyclist training for a particular event, you can benefit greatly. Your body gets relief and recovery from one sport while you train the supporting muscles in another sport!

Proper Running Technique

Running research has shown the optimal running cadence to be around 180 steps per minute. Regardless of your cadence, take shorter, faster strides and increase your number by 3-5 steps/minute. Try this for 1 week, and you will recruit dormant gluteal muscles and naturally increase your hip extension. Teaching yourself to "run shorter" will boost your speed and keep you running healthy for a lifetime! TRIYON tips to make you stronger, faster, and fitter!