The POWERPLATE Trial!

I have to admit, I am a serious sceptic when it comes to the powerplate. My Sports masseuse Phil Croney (@Active_Group_UK on twitter, and here’s his web site http://www.active-uk.com/ ) also runs a women’s gym. He has recently bought two, and has asked me if I will be his guinea-pig. Well. There was nothing to lose, (apart from some of my valuable time!) so I thought why not. It’ll make a good few blogs, if nothing else!

Research

Unofficially, I asked a few people what they thought. The views seem to be very mixed. Athletes are very sceptical, whereas other people are more welcoming. A man I spoke to, whose wife runs a similar gym that has two, claims that people have dropped dress sizes by using it, and was very scathing of my sceptical views!

Further research I feel is warranted, and I will put this in a separate blog, or you will be sitting reading this all day!!

My 1st experiences

Wellingboro Multi terrain '06

I turned up, in gym gear, (but not really expecting to need it!) I had a face on me very much like this picture! He just laughed at me, but knew he had his hands full! I was asked did I want to give this a miss.. nope, I’m here now, I might as well go through with this! Each woman that came into the gym, he made a point of explaining how he was initiating me on this thing, and hoping to change my views! I was not sure who he was reassuring, myself or himself!!

The series of exercises he asked me to do seemed, quite frankly, a little odd. I felt very self conscious standing, for example, in a squat position on a vibrating plate pulling up on some very much non elastic straps / handles. All the movements were small, simple and seemingly easy, but it wasn’t long before, unexpectedly, I was beginning to sweat! How can this be, I am not doing anything other than striking a pose! They were all pretty standard movements that I had seen before, but somehow, doing them on a vibrating plate made them much harder (for me, at least!) Phil tells me that the reason for this is because the vibrations make your muscles fire many times a second. I’ll have to look up some research to substantiate that one.

One interesting thing that I did note though, Phil is NOT my trainer, in any way. He knows very little about my own personal strengths and weaknesses, other than what we chat about while I am on his massage bench, or what his thumbs might find! The routine that he started me on was, he tells me, a standard beginner one. He was able to point out to me through these movements and exercises that where my weaknesses lie, and told me some of the same things that David Sutton (@PerformTrain) told me a few weeks back in the gym.  

I do, at this stage, have a confession to make. When I took my new routing to my regular gym I attend, and saw how many people were around, I must confess I bottled out, for fear of looking like a complete loon! I think the way forward it to try it at quiet times of the day!

The next day, I was very surprised to discover that I had serious DOMS in my obliques! I have been doing some very regular strength and conditioning work, and my regular routine now does not usually cause DOMS like it did when I first started it. I do think the Powerplate helped in a small way to ease my aches, from a hard weeks training and some very tired muscles. What I cannot guarantee, is whether that same effect would have been reached on the foam roller too!

I promised Phil I would try this for a good while so that’s what I will do. I hope to get at least one session of it in per week. I do not intend to compromise my regular training in any way during this time.

So I guess it’s a case of ‘watch this space’!

The philosophy behind Strength and conditioning

This is based on a seminar I attended recently by David Sutton, UKSCA Accredited Strength Conditioning Coach and Sport Science consultant. This is my interpretation on the information I received. It’s certainly worth a read, I was surprised how interesting and engaging he was. He backed up all this theory with scientific research and practical demonstration. It’s kind of hard to get it all in, so I will summarise.

He started by explaining exactly how difficult it is to be an accredited strength and conditioning coach. He very cleverly applied all the theory across all sports, focussing particularly on triathlon.

Strength;

Is key, however research shows that there is no point at all in lifting weights for 12 or more reps. There is much more to be gained by way of performance by limiting reps and loading up the weight. His presentation quotes research papers to support this theory.

·        1-6 reps – 3-8 sets, (recovery 2-6 mins) effect is max strength.

·        8-12 reps, 2-4 sets, (recovery 30-90 secs)  effect is strength, hypertrophy, metabolic changes

·        12-15 reps, 1-3 sets, 9recovery 60 secs) effect – muscular endurance.

Therefore, heavier weights result in less reps, more strength, less fatigue, less time spent.

Running: Research states that runners who performed 3-5 reps of heavy weight significantly improved speed and V02. Resistance and endurance training in this way = significantly reduced 5k run time.

Cycling: effect of heavy strength work on thigh muscle size – similar Vo2 max improvements, 21% improvement on leg strength, no change in body weight, increased power output. 1 session of 2 x 6 heavy weights resulted in 14% performance gains in only 13 weeks.

Swimming: research shows that ankle flexibility significantly increases kick capability

Ankle flexion test was demonstrated - good flexion measured by how well you can bend your knee forward of your toe, while keeping your heel down on the floor. This was measured against at chair.

Drop in muscle mass = over training. It means you have a lack of calorie intake and a lack of recovery.

Loss of power = over training. (Strength – slower controlled load, power is more rapid a movement)

Transferrable exercises:

Transfer them all into a useful movement!! (add heavy load once the technique has been mastered)

Squats holding a pole above your head, strengthens core, and is directly transferrable into swim posture. I already did this exercise, however I didn’t know that it also had a core conditioning benefit also, but if you think about it logically, of course it would have, you are not using a machine to aid you!

Deadlift / squat – better core strength because it is the whole body approach

Straight arm pull down – relates directly to a swim movement

Split squat – make sure both feet are truly parallel and you are straight aligned throughout your body

Jump, hop and stick – on one leg – and hold. This is harder thatn you think without developing a wobble!

Single leg squats – we run one leg at a time!! – enhance ham string engagement by raising toes.

Seated row – you use arms in this action for running !!

Squats (incl triple extension, Olympic lifts)

Vertical and horizontal push / pull

Isometric stabalising – still important in cycling when you are aero for example!

Note: ageing results in muscle loss. There is no preventing it, all you can do is strengthen up so your high point before the drop off in your 40’s plus will be higher than your average peer. Nutrition is key, and so is rest.

Core strength myth:

We should not train muscles in isolation, and that goes for core training too. We use muscles dynamically in a whole body movement, so that is how we should train them.

Core x  Stability√

Power all comes from the hip; this is the best way for max power. Any other technique results in compensation and therefore loss of performance.

Core strength training should be done on stable ground; there will be no loss of performance. It should also encompass the whole body approach. Isolating muscles will not help and in fact may result in loss of performance.

I was told that 1 min plus timed planks were pointless. He made me do 6 x 10 sec side planks, the rest gap was merely touch the hip down between sets very briefly. He also added load weight.

To see the full presentation powerpoint too, go here:
http://www.melanieryding.co.uk/#/strength-and-conditioning/4546299698 

My thoughts:

·        I have recently moved away from machines in favour of free weights. I do a lot of the exercises he listed, however not for core strength. I did not realise that they had so many other benefits!

·        I have heard more than one source say that runners need a strong engine and that means heavy weights. I was always a bit wary. I am in the 10-12 reps area currently, but UK athletics tell their coaches in training that runners need to be lifting very heavy weights.  Wasn’t sure when I first read that. I have already seen performance gains from adding strength work. I guess this is logical... stronger engine = faster car? What I didn’t know is that to get truly great improvements I need to jack on EVEN more weight and cut the reps! Sounds good to me, might get less bored!

·        Stability theory also makes sense. I found out the importance of stability when I tore a cruciate ligament!

·        There is some good research to prove the points here. I will definitely be trying the lower reps very heavy weight approach. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain as far as I can see!

·        I never used machines to isolate muscles anyway, so I am glad I was right on that one!!

Resistance workout at home

Today I looked out of the window and thought eeeeeeuuugh!! I was due to cycle to the gym at 6am to do a strength workout. But the snow and icy weather put me right off! had I had the car this morning I would have gone no problem! Yes, even I have 'cant be bothered' moments!

I do have resistance workouts for home use on my web site http://www.melanieryding.co.uk/ with some downloadable ones in the members section. However, I didnt think that was enough for me any more. Those ones didnt involve weight and I am now getting quite strong.

So I constructed a plan B. Heres what I did instead. There is a reason that some exercises are missed out (for example, bicep curl) and that is becaus this set targets the strength areas needed for triathlon, and I dont need big or even strong biceps in particular, for triathlon! Feel free to add the other regulars, if triathlon is not your sole focus.

YOU WILL NEED: resistance bands, exercise ball

• Each set was 3 x 15 AT LEAST unless it says otherwise.

• On the most part I supersetted a lower and an upper body exercise, no rest break between the pairs of exercises.

1.      Resistance band squats  (stand on the band, and hold the other end at shoulder height, bent arms, so the resistance is applied when you straighten)        

                                                 

2.      Straight arm pull / single leg squats (for straight arm pull, I used a door handle to wrap the other end around. Bend over at 90 degrees, pull both arms straight down keeping palms facing towards the rear. single leg squats, stay standing tall, use a step to rest the other foot on if you are unsteady, hold something heavy if you are strong. keep knee over toe)

3.      Seated row / lunges (wrap the band around your feet, or use a banister or something for the seated row.) 

4.      Squats against the wall with a ball / tricep dips (use an exercise ball for the squats, start with feet out at an angle in front so that when you bend to 90 degrees, your knees are over your toes.Tricep dips, use the edge of a seat, stool, etc)

5.      Sit ups....

          3 x 50 crunch

          Plank: 1 min each (side-front-side no rest breaks) 3 mins total. x 3 repeats

          Flutter kick 70 – back flat on floor, feet close to floor, legs straight

6.      Good Morning (wrap the pand under your feet, and round the back of your neck. perform the dead lift standing action keeping back and legs straight)

Have fun and let me know what you think. If you have any ideas about what you would add, do let me know!!