Calling all USMS members. Your response to this post will be used to create an article in Swimmer magazine about cross training. What types of training do you most commonly do outside of the pool? How often? What cross training works the best, and what types are the least helpful for swimming? :bliss:
What was not debunked, and which is supported by scientific evidence, is that stretching can increase flexibility. For many sports (e.g., running), this is not important. But for swimming, it seems fairly important. A lack of back, scapular, and ankle flexibility will cause you to be slower. Scapular and neck tightness can also cause shoulder pain.
I just happened to read an article about Detroit Tigers pitcher Phil Coke who credits Adrian Crook with helping improve his pitching back when he was struggling in the minor leagues:
His career at a crossroads, Coke sought the help of a training guru named Adrian Crook. Self-billed as a "flexibility and movement consultant," Crook had helped train athletes ranging from Olympic volleyball player Karch Kiraly to hockey stars Teemu Selanne, Joe Sakic, and Paul Kariya to MLB standouts like former Giants closer Robb Nen. Crook's teaching was grounded in Shaolin kung fu. For Crook, the goal of Shaolin was to develop flexibility, balance, and core strength as the pillars for training athletes in any sport. By becoming more flexible, Crook believed athletes could recover from even the most intense workouts and dramatically lower their injury risk. In training baseball pitchers, the focus would be on dissecting every element of throwing mechanics, right down to what the fingers and the wrists do. Crook's pitcher pupils would use weighted balls to exercise each part of the arm and hand, via what he called "ridiculously high reps." Coke loved these ideas and was eager to start training with Crook immediately.
www.grantland.com/.../phil-coke-road-majors-was-far-short-glamorous
My wife is always trying to convince me that improving my flexibility would help my swimming. I figure she's probably right, but so far haven't actually done anything about it! :bolt:
What was not debunked, and which is supported by scientific evidence, is that stretching can increase flexibility. For many sports (e.g., running), this is not important. But for swimming, it seems fairly important. A lack of back, scapular, and ankle flexibility will cause you to be slower. Scapular and neck tightness can also cause shoulder pain.
I just happened to read an article about Detroit Tigers pitcher Phil Coke who credits Adrian Crook with helping improve his pitching back when he was struggling in the minor leagues:
His career at a crossroads, Coke sought the help of a training guru named Adrian Crook. Self-billed as a "flexibility and movement consultant," Crook had helped train athletes ranging from Olympic volleyball player Karch Kiraly to hockey stars Teemu Selanne, Joe Sakic, and Paul Kariya to MLB standouts like former Giants closer Robb Nen. Crook's teaching was grounded in Shaolin kung fu. For Crook, the goal of Shaolin was to develop flexibility, balance, and core strength as the pillars for training athletes in any sport. By becoming more flexible, Crook believed athletes could recover from even the most intense workouts and dramatically lower their injury risk. In training baseball pitchers, the focus would be on dissecting every element of throwing mechanics, right down to what the fingers and the wrists do. Crook's pitcher pupils would use weighted balls to exercise each part of the arm and hand, via what he called "ridiculously high reps." Coke loved these ideas and was eager to start training with Crook immediately.
www.grantland.com/.../phil-coke-road-majors-was-far-short-glamorous
My wife is always trying to convince me that improving my flexibility would help my swimming. I figure she's probably right, but so far haven't actually done anything about it! :bolt:
