Preparations for Winter Sports

Preparations for Winter Sports

By Marc Trepanier

          The days are getting shorter and cooler. Leaves are just starting to turn colors. Yes, fall has started to creep in. This means, of course, that winter sports are around the next corner. Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and whatever else charges you up.

          Winter sports, in particular, place a heavy emphasis on our legs. Our legs rely on our ankles for stability: our ankles and knees, to be precise. We will go over some exercises that will have you ready for your winter sport. Some of the exercises I have chosen are also used in rehabilitating joints from injuries and being isolated and unused for extended periods.

STRETCHING

          Stretching and warming up is an important part of working out. I can’t make you do it, that is your choice. As for me, I stretch and get warmed up before jumping in these days. Time and again, specialists have proven that stretched, limber muscles are less prone to injury. What about strength? What about power? Yeah, I’ve asked those questions, too.

            Bruce Lee had no problems with lack of power, speed, strength or flexibility. From the bottom to the top, calves to neck. It’s too easy. Let’s go.

           Calf stretching is easy enough, as this image from Tribe Sports shows. I have no idea if you’ve ever tried walking on stiff calves before, but I can tell you that it is no fun. Ouch!

Hamstrings, the back of your thighs, you can stretch standing, sitting, one at a time, together, by yourself, with a partner. There are clearly several ways to stretch this muscle group. I will offer one way to stretch this group. If you want to find any of the other ways and work with those, then more power to you.

           

           When it comes to stretching hamstrings, I had always been admonished to keep my legs straight.  Why there is an example given with legs bent, I have no answer. I keep my legs straight.

          

           Of all the odd and the myriad ways of stretching the thigh muscles, the single and most effective stretch I have done is the one pictured to the right. In martial arts classes, I have been able to do this with a solid stretch while balancing on one foot. Yes, I impress myself. While in this position, you can increase the stretch by rolling your hips forward and pulling your foot back away from your hips as if you were the bow in an archery set. 

          The butterfly stretch is going to loosen up your hips and the muscles of your inner thighs. Believe me, if you have never done this, it feels great! It also touches on your lower back, which always helps.

As indicated, you put the bottoms of your feet together and pull your heels in toward your hips.

            You press down on your knees with your elbows as you lean forward and try to touch your forehead to the floor.

            As the stretch becomes easier, pull your feet in further.

          

 

             

           I have no clue what this stretch is called, but it’s the best one I have used for the core and back.

           Round about midterms, when I’m exhausted and among the walking dead, my sack of books feels like a ton, and my posture has gone the way of the Dodo, my back looks like Quasi Modo. It hurts! This is my go-to stretch to put things right. This is the stretch that will keep your trunk and back limber and loose for the slopes or for that class in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you've been considering. Do it, that's great stuff!

            Pectoralis stretches, pec stretching is so simple. All you need is a door frame. What could be easier than that?

           Stretching out your shoulders and upper back is a piece of cake. You’re at the door frame, so … as illustrated, you can pull your arm across your body to stretch it or you can grab hold of that door frame and lean the other direction to pull against it. This way, your body weight will stretch out your upper back and shoulder.

            For your neck, do slow, deliberate head rolls. Start by tilting your head toward your right shoulder. Let the weight of your head stretch the other side of your neck. Roll your head back slowly so that you’re looking up at the ceiling. Continue to your left shoulder. Then, around to the front so you are looking down at your feet. Roll your head around about five times and then reverse directions.

            Now, that you’re stretched, on to the workout.

 

            No. It’s not Burpees. Not this time. But, they sure wouldn’t hurt … much. The workout will be posted within the next two weeks.

2017 January Tabata Challenge Final Tally

       As this is now February 1st and I have finally pulled myself from the wreckage of the last week, and quite a bit of wreckage there was, it is time to go over the results of the 2017 January Tabata Challenge. This has not been a scientific study, mind you. My part in all this has been anecdotal. Yours has been anecdotal as well. Any input that you have to add is important in that it adds to the sum of knowledge as applied.

       When I set out on this challenge there were some questions that were in mind. Those included the primary interest in fat loss and strength gains. Did I lose fat?

       After three months of gorging myself, October to the end of December,  I had gone from 220 pounds to 240 pounds. My abs had faded so far into the background that they may as well have been Dr. Richard Kimble from the Fugitive.

       One month of body weight only Tabata style exercises did have some positive effects. The question of fat loss should be addressed first. Did the Tabata help in my losing fat? Since that was the only exercise I was doing for the month, we can say that I did lose body fat.

       The other question related to gaining muscle. Were there gains in muscle strength and endurance? The answer to that is a clear and unequivocal yes and no.
       Muscle groups where strength and endurance was already at a higher level saw the greatest gains while those that lagged the furthest saw the least gains in spite of being worked with the  same parameters of time and ... in retrospect, the amount of weight varied based on the exercise. Squats used only upper body as the weight. Push-ups get around 80% of the entire body's weight. Abdominal muscles will get varying loads based on the exercise and the strictness of the application. Wow ... tons of variables here. In fact, the only exercise chosen in this month's routine that saw use of the entire body's weight was the pull-up/chin-up. Ironically, this was also the area that saw the least amount of improvement.
       The best improvements were in Squats then push-ups. Abs came next. The pull-ups/push-ups came in dead last as I already said.
       For the month of February I will put myself through another physical challenge to see what changes will occur. Hopefully, some of you will be as curious and join me.