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Think Downhill...

Monday, 10 April 2017 23:10

By Aaron Scheidies (teamusa.org)

When you are in your best form in the pool and run and best position on the bike you should  feel as though you are on a slight downhill....

The feeling of going downhill is achieved by activating the correct muscles and putting yourself in a position of optimal efficiency. In each discipline of swimming, biking and running there is a balancing point, like a teeter totter on a playground, and you want to be slightly to the downhill side of the fulcrum. The key to achieving this downhill feel is engagement of the lower abdominals and the pelvic floor muscles. Let's take a look at how to set yourself up to go downhill in each discipline of swimming, biking and running.

The Swim

Swimming is all about balance in the water. The lungs are buoyant and the legs are not so the goal in swimming is finding the balance point to keep your hips and lower body at the top of the water. Because the lungs create an upward force, they become the fulcrum from which we must teeter over.

You may have heard to “press your T,” which means to push your sternum down as you bring your arm around during the mid- to late-recovery phase of the freestyle stroke. When doing this you are offsetting the upward force of the buoyant lungs and getting yourself on the downhill side of the teeter-totter. What many coaches fail to emphasize is that keeping good lower abdominal and pelvic floor muscle engagement is crucial to keeping your hips up and for power production.

Here are a few cues and tips about feel in the swim. During freestyle, maintain a slight chin tuck and elongate your neck. Your lower abs and pelvic floor should be engaged, which should feel as though your belly button is pulling into your spine. To engage your pelvic floor, contract the same muscles that you would to stop the flow of urine. As you bring your arm around to enter the water, press your sternum down. The thrust of the arm coming around and entering the water will also help in getting over top and on the downhill side of the teeter-totter.  READ MORE

ED. Blind triathlete Aaron Scheidies is an awesome guy. Arguably the most accomplished physically challenged triathlete in the world, Aaron is a Level I coach and physical therapist.