March 01, 2006
Welcome to the second edition of The eZone.
In this issue
1. Sports personality of the month: Michael Johnson – the world fastest (and most consistent) man.
2. What is fitness?
3. This month’s fitness myth – Power-walking .
4. What’s on the web?
5. March’s special offer – 30% off our Fit for Life Program to all readers! (Offer lasts until next eZone edition.)
1. Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson was a phenomenal athlete. He became the only man to win Olympic double gold medals in the 200m and 400m (Atlanta 1996). In fact, he was such consistent performer that a number of runners have since owned up that they would race for silver in events against him. Many considered his races a foregone conclusion as we began to expect him to win every time.What made him such a reliable performer? Johnson is a modest man and is the first to admit that he is no superman and had no great secret to training. No great secret that is, except knowing exactly what sort of training suited him best; when to train and how long for. This I believe is where Johnson was streets ahead of most of the opposition. His knowledge of his body, strengths, limitations and his sport are immense. This is evident when he appears as a TV pundit, in short, he knows what he is talking about.
In his book Slaying the Dragon he describes how he planned his rise to near invincibility on the track and how he learned from mistakes along the way. I would recommend this to any sports person as his methods and philosophy are relevant to any sport.
US and UK readers can order by clicking on the amazon links below.
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2. What is fitness?
We hear about the 3s', that is, strength, stamina and suppleness as attributes that determine your level of fitness, I would like to add two more, the first is synchronisation (coordination as we know it but it does begin with S). You may have strength but if the appropriate muscles are not firing at the right time, their strength will work against you. This may be resistance to a movement adding to the effort required, or worse still injury. The other is judgement (okay I know this one doesn't begin with S!). Your 4s' are not worth much if you cannot make the right decision at the appropriate time.
One of the key elements to the quality of your performance is being able to make decisions and act upon them quickly. There is no point being the fittest player on the park if you cannot read the game. This raises the question of what is fitness? Are you fit for your purpose? A tri-athlete places very different physical demands on their body compared to a golfer or tennis player. Each has to be fit for their specific purpose but one essential skill for success in all sports is the ability to assess the situation quickly and act accordingly. Many athletes in The Zone describe having an age to think about what to do next and a sense of time slowing down.
So in addition to training your 4s'(your sport will dictate the requirements), you also need to practice your ability to stop and think. Athletes refer to this as being in the moment. You will not usually find techniques to train this ability in most fitness programs in spite of its relevance to your fitness. How do you train to get into the moment? Some use forms of meditation, others will focus on their breathing.
There are a number of ways to bring yourself into the present to remain focused and poised during your activities, for further information check out our article Can you train for The Zone?
3. Fitness myth - Is power-walking is safer than running
Power walking is the new jogging. It is seen as a safer alternative to running with similar health benefits but at a lower intensity. In thirty minutes you can burn up to 250 calories and give you a great cardio-vascular workout. It sounds too good to be true! In fact, I think it is. Its supporters claim it is less likely to lead to injury than running but I would argue that the advice given to power walkers can lead to long-term problems.
Walking is a natural activity that the majority of us can manage from an early age until the end of our days. But walking has been transformed into a proper exercise by creating a technique that increases the amount of effort required. Let's look at some of the advice.
1. Keep your head up, back straight and body aligned.
How would you follow this advice? I see people tightening their backs and fixing their posture.
2. Stride out, but don't lengthen your stride so much that your knees lock, which can lead to injury.
Any attempt to stride out will land your foot in front of your body increasing the stress on your knees. Whether running or walking your feet should land under your body and your head.
3. While walking with hand weights or weighted gloves…..
What does walking with weights added to your arms or legs do to your body dynamics? How does it changes your normal walking or other activities? You will build muscles to be used in a way that is not your natural movement.
4. Pump your arms.
This action is generally done with the shoulders raised adding tension to the neck.
Do you need to do any of these actions to walk? Are they going to aid free, natural movement? On the contrary, they are most likely to interfere with breathing, movement of the joints and the action of reflexes that would coordinate the activity for you. It wouldn’t be long before these habits begin to creep into normal walking and increase the risk of injury.
I admire these walkers commitment but I believe they would be far better off applying their efforts to running!
4. What's on the web?
Where would we be without the web? It’s one of those tools you didn’t realise you needed until you use it. Just like mobile phones it has become part of our everyday lives – I rarely go a day without using it.This month’s featured website is Peak Performance Sports a site dedicated to sports psychology. Not too long ago sports psychology was considered only as a tool for elite athletes. However, Dr Patrick Cohn’s excellent site has opened this approach to any sports person, amateur or professional, who take their sport and fitness seriously.
You probably already use sports psychology whether consciously or not. Perhaps you talk to yourself during a game to stay calm and in the moment. You may have specific routines before a big event to help you focus (but do be careful that these do not turn into superstitions!)
Dr Cohn has written a number of books about how to use your mental skills appropriately to keep you focused and on the right path to sporting success. His website has many free ebooks to download plus a paid membership scheme that gives you access to his team of experts and courses to help you think like a winner.
Find them at Peak Performance Sports
5. Special Offer!
As a valued subscriber to our new eZone ezine I am offering you 30 percent off the usual price of my Fitness for Life Program. That’s a special price of $17.50 and that includes the existing offer of online support and one free video analysis of your technique.Information about the program can be found at Fit for Life Program but do come back here to order to qualify for the offer.
To order at discount price visit Fitness For Life Program offer
I hope you enjoyed this second issue and found something that can help you take your sport and fitness to a higher level. Please feel free to email this ezine to your friends.
Regards
Roy Palmer
Next issue will be sent out early April 2006 - Play safe! See you then.