Category: Training Tips

Rowing adalah sukan yang memerlukan gerakan bersepadu di antara atlet dan bot. Bagi mencapai tahap kemahiran yang sempurna dan juga melakukan gerak kerja mendayung dengan efektif, menjadi satu keutamaan untuk melakukan penyesuaian pada bot dan peralatannya serta sentiasa diselenggara dengan baik. Binaan bot masa kini membolehkan proses rigging dilakukan spesifik mengikut anatomi tubuh dan fisiologi seseorang atlit.

Oleh itu, di kem latihan akan datang para pendayung dan atlet UTM akan didedahkan dengan terminologi penyesuaian dan peralatan bot yang penting. Anda akan diperkenalkan dengan kaedah-kaedah asas penyesuaian bot dan perkakasan yang diperlukan untuk melakukan proses penyesuaian tersebut. Demikian juga berkenaan panduan dan tatacara yang betul bagi memelihara dan proses pembaikan akan dikongsi bersama. Ini bagi memulihara serta memanjangkan hayat bot dan peralatannya.

Jadual di atas akan diberi kepada bagi atlet. Ukuran yang diselaraskan mengikut individu akan direkodkan bagi rujukan mereka. Disiplin ini perlu dipraktikkan supaya dapat dimanfaatkan ketika mereka terlibat dengan acara antarabangsa kelak.

Di akhir sesi penerangan, anda akan mendapati penyesuaian bot yang asas adalah mudah dilaksanakan dengan ukuran yang perlu dibantu oleh beberapa perkakasan asas. Ilmu ini pasti nenambah manfaat kepada latihan atlet.

ALAT PENGUKUR DAN PERKAKASAN
Menjadi satu keperluan untuk anda mendapatkan dan memiliki sendiri alat pengukur dan perkakasan yang asas bagi melakukan penyesuaian pada bot seperti berikut:

1. Sekeping kayu nipis yang lurus, 1.5m panjang
2. measuring tape
3. pemutar skrew (screwdriver)
4. set spanar bulat (wrenches) bersaiz 10mm, 11mm, 13mm & 17mm.
5. spirit level
6. seutas tali sepanjang 1m

Selanjutnya akan dipraktikan ketika kem latihan minggu hadapan.

Simpan perkakasan di atas di dalam kotak atau beg yang sesuai bagi mengelakkan kehilangan atau tercicir.
Langkah-langkah penyediaan dan penyesuaian bot serta peralatannya

1. Letakkan boat di atas struktur penyokong (strecher) dan di tempat yang terbuka.
2. Bersihkan bot dan peralatannya
3. Periksa komponen yang aktif (moving parts)
4. Periksa dan ketatkan skrew dan nut pada rigger
5. Periksa dan selaraskan kedudukan landasan di bawah tempat duduk
6. Jika ketinggian dan sudut tempat letak kaki boleh diubah, lakukan penyesuaian
7. Ukur jarak dari pin ke pin atau dari pin ke tengah bot mengkut ukuran yg telah ditetapkan. Kemudian, tandakan kedudukan dengan marker atau tape.
8. Selaraskan ketinggian swivel mengikut keperluan individu
9. Seimbangkan kedudukan boat mengikut panjang dan sisi. Ukur menggunakan spirit level
10. Letakkan dayung atau oar dan pegang dengan stabil dan rapat pada swivel pada kedudukan sudut tepat 90darjah dengan bot. Pastikan bilah dayung berada pada ketinggian yang betul, selaraskan pitch bilah atau blade tersebut
11. Periksa semula ketinggian swivel.
12. Periksa kekunci atau gate pada swivel.
13. Periksa samada swivel boleh bebas berpusing.
14. Periksa semua nut, skrew dan kekunci pada rigger dalam keadaan baik dan tidak longgar.
15. Apabila bot diturunkan ke air, periksa semula tempat letak kaki (footstretchers) diselaraskan dengan sempurna bagi mendapatkan posisi akhir dayungan yang seragam dan betul

Keterangan lanjut akan diberikan ketika kem latihan nanti.

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Terjemahan: How stretching Can Explode Your Muscle Growth

Regangan badan (strecthing) bukan sahaja penting untuk kelenturan badan (flexibility), ia juga sangat KRITIKAL untuk mempercepatkan pertumbuhan otot yang kuat dan besar.

Besar kemungkinan regangan badan adalah perkara terakhir yang anda fikirkan apabila anda memutuskan untuk meningkatkan kekuatan & tumbesaran otot anda. Namun begitu, adakah anda tahu bahawa regangan badan memainkan peranan yang sangat penting dalam membina otot?

Otot-otot di tubuh anda diselaputi oleh rangkaian tisu-tisu yang teguh seolah-olah disimpan di dalam beg yang dikenali sebagai fascia. Fascia berfungsi menyimpan otot dengan kemas bagi memastikan kedudukannya terletak dengan sempurna di dalam tubuh.

Namun demikian, fascia juga boleh membantutkan pertumbuhan otot. Berhenti sejenak dan fikirkan sebentar mengenai otot anda. Anda melatih dan memberi otot anda makan dengan sempurna. Otot anda mahu membesar dan akan terus membesar namun sesuatu menghalang mereka untuk tumbuh sempurna. Hakikatnya, otot anda tidak punya ruang untuk membesar!

Oleh kerana fascia sangat teguh, ianya tidak akan membenarkan ruangan otot mengembang. Ini seolah-olah menyumbat bantal yang besar ke dalam sarungnya yang kecil. Saiz otot tidak akan berubah walaupun anda berlatih dengan bersungguh-sungguh dan menjaga pemakanan. Ini kerana selaput tisu-tisu di sekeliling otot menjerut dan mengikat kemas otot di dalamnya.

Contoh terbaik untuk situasi ini adalah otot di betis anda. Bahagian bawah kaki padat dengan tisu fascia untuk menampung dan menggalas beban tubuh badan kita. Oleh kerana itu, membina otot betis adalah cabaran paling sukar bagi kebanyakan atlet dan jurulatih.

Penyelesaiannya adalah REGANGAN BADAN.

Regangan badan adalah teknik yang selalunya tidak ditekankan penggunaanya dalam meningkatkan prestasi atlet, mencegah kecederaan sukan dan pemulihan terbaik bagi kecederaan disebabkan oleh terseliuh atau ketegangan otot. Jangan sesekali beranggapan bahawa sesuatu yang mudah seperti regangan badan tidak efektif.

Gunakan kembali contoh bantal di atas. Bayangkan anda boleh mengembangkan saiz sarung bantal dengan meregangkannya. Sekarang, sarung bantal tersebut punya ruang lebih dan bantal yang besar akan memenuhi ruang-ruang kosong tersebut.

Dengan meregangkan otot anda dalam keadaan tertentu, anda sebenarnya telah meregangkan fascia dan memberi ruang untuk otot anda membesar.

Kunci rengangan fascia yang efektif adalah pam. Apabila anda melakukan aktiviti latihan beban bench press contohnya, anda mengepam darah beroksigen ke otot lengan atau bisep. Oleh itu, masa yang terbaik untuk melakukan regangan badan bagi mendapatkan ruang di dalam fascia tersebut adalah ketika otot anda dipenuhi oleh darah yang telah dipamkan daripada jantung.

Apabila otot anda telah dipamkan dengan darah secukupnya, otot akan menekan dinding fascia. Ketika ini, applikasikan proses regangan yang betul dan kuat supaya tekanan dipertingkatkan ke atas dinding fascia. Cara ini akan membuatkan tisu-tisu fascia tersebut mengembang dan memberikan cukup ruang bagi tumbesaran otot.

Salah satu punca utama Arnold Schwarzenegger mengalami tumbesaran otot dada yang menakjubkan adalah kerana beliau mengakhiri gerak kerja latihan beban untuk otot dada dengan melakukan regangan badan spesifik untuk otot dada tersebut. Regangan badan untuk otot dadanya dikenali sebagai dumbbell flyes di mana ianya menitikberatkan kedudukan otot dada atau pectoral. Beliau akan mengepam otot dadanya dengan darah dan kemudian disusuli dengan aktiviti regangan badan dengan menahan kedudukan regangan tersebut selama 20 – 30 saat. Kaedah ini memberikan ruang yang cukup besar untuk pengembangan otot dadanya.

Aktiviti regangan fascia lebih keras daripada proses regangan biasa namun hasilnya menakjubkan. Anda akan dapat merasai proses yang berlaku apabila regangan yang keras dibuat secukupnya. Anda sepatutnya dapat mengalami kehebatan tarikan yang kuat dan tekanan yang diberikan oleh otot menekan dinding fascia untuk berkembang.

Pastikan anda tidak melakukan regangan yang terlalu keras sehingga menyebabkan tisu otot koyak atau mendatangkan kecederaan kepada diri sendiri. Anda pasti akan dapat membezakan aktiviti regangan yang baik dan yang buruk dengan segera. Seharusnya anda merasakan tarikan kuat mengikut batas kemampuan dan bukannya rasa kesakitan yang tajam menusuk.

Bertahan pada setiap aktiviti regangan selama 20 hingga 30 saat. Ini kerana anda perlu memberikan tempoh masa yang cukup bagi aktitivi tersebut memberikan kesan pada fascia. Aktiviti regangan yang keras seperti ini hanya dilakukan ketika otot telah dipam dengan darah secukupnya. Dalam keadaan inilah fasciasepatutnya berkembang. Jika otot anda belum bersedia, sebaik-baiknya lakukan aktiviti regangan yang normal.

Lakukan regangan otot ini pada setiap set latihan ketika aktiviti latihan bebanan di gimnasium. Tumpukan pada kumpulan otot yang disasarkan. Selain dari mendapat manfaat yang jelas iaitu meningkatkan kelenturan tubuh, ianya mempunyai kesan yang menakjubkan ke atas saiz otot serta keupayaan otot untuk membesar.

Artkel bermaklumat ini ditulis oleh Nick Nilsson, Presiden Better U, Incorporated.
Diterjemah oleh Mus Dahlan untuk rujukan atlet mendayung.

Artikel asal boleh didapati di : The Stretching Institute

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This page contains a program to help you relax. Each session should begin with “Getting Loose” and then followed with “Breathing Easy”. It is best to use the relaxation program prior to commencing the warm up and then to use the warm up to achieve optimal level of arousal.

Getting Loose
Begin each session as follows

1. Loosen your clothing and remove your shoes
2. Lie down with a pillow under your head (on a bed or on the floor)
3. Lie flat on your back, feet about 12 to 18 inches apart and your arms at your sides
4. Go as limp as you can from head to foot
5. Let your shoulder blades go slightly flat
6. Waggle your feet
7. Settle in with your legs
8. Shake your arms gently, rolling the backs of your hands against the floor
9. Roll your head back and forth

Now begin the “Getting Loose” exercise for each part of your body, as follows
Legs

Flex the muscles of your left leg by raising it 6 to 10 inches above the floor Point your toes slightly back toward your head. Hold this position of tension for as long as you can, about 10 seconds or so, until you begin to feel the muscles start to tremble. Then, say to yourself ‘Leg, let go’. At this point, stop flexing it and let the leg drop. Let the leg rest for another 10 seconds or so, saying to yourself ‘I feel the tension flowing out of my leg…my leg feels relaxed, warm, heavy… completely relaxed’

Repeat the flex-let go-rest procedure for that leg.

Run through the entire procedure again for your right leg.

Buttocks and thighs

Tighten your buttock and thigh muscles, as tightly as you can. Hold them as long as you can – longer than 10 seconds – until you have to let go. Then release them, saying ‘Let go’, to yourself. Pause for 10 seconds or so and focus your attention on the relaxed feeling in those muscles, on the tension flowing out.

Repeat the exercise.

Stomach

Do the same procedure twice for your abdominal muscles

Back and Neck

Arch your spine, tightening all along it from your tailbone to your neck, and finish by telling it ‘Let go’.

Repeat the exercise

Arms and Shoulders

Imagine there is a bar suspended above you that you want to use to pull yourself up. Raise your hands, palms upward, above your chest. Grab the imaginary bar and clench your fists around it as hard as you can. Flex the muscles in your arms and shoulders. Hunch your shoulders up as tightly as you can. Hold as long as possible and then say ‘Let go. ‘ Rest for 10 seconds or so, soaking up the warm, relaxed feelings, letting the tension flow out.

Repeat the exercise

Jaw

I tighten your jaw muscles, clamping down on you back teeth. Say ‘Let go’ and relax.

Repeat the exercise.

Face

Tighten your facial muscles into a strong grimace. Say ‘Let go’. Rest and focus on the relaxing feeling.

Repeat the exercise.

Eyes

Focus on a point on the ceiling. Without moving your head slowly roll your eyes to the right as far as they will go, then to the centre, then to the left, then back to the centre.

Rub the palms of your hands together until you feel heat. Close your eyes and cover them with your hands. Let the heat warm them. Rest, and tell your eyes ‘Let go’ and feel the tension flow out as you feel the warmth.

Entire body

Clench your feet and fists. Pull your shoulders up. Tighten your jaw and face. Now simultaneously flex your entire body, arching yourself as much as you can from your heels to the back of your head. Hold it for as long as you can until you feel your body tremble. Then say ‘Let go’ – and just let yourself go… all the way, as much as you can.

Lie there and feel the tension drain away.

Get totally relaxed

Close your eyes. Let your attention wander slowly over each part of your body, from legs to face, as you did in the exercise. If any area seems to have some residual tension, tense it. Let you. Feel the tension draining out of you, but do not worry if there is still a little left. Keeping your eyes closed, stay in this relaxed state for the rest of the 10 minute session. Think of a very pleasant, peaceful place. Think of floating in a small boat on a peaceful lake with a soft breeze gently rocking you back and forth, back and forth. Alternatively think of floating in space, lighter than air, weightless. Observe the pleasant, calm feelings. Tell yourself ‘I am relaxed now… My legs feel relaxed… My buttocks, thighs, and abdomen feel relaxed… My back arms, shoulders, jaws, face and eyes feel relaxed… The tension has been let go. ‘

Focus your relaxed feelings
Now begin to focus this relaxation on your event. Tell yourself ‘When I am running and I begin to feel tension gripping some muscles, I will be able to tell those muscles “Let go”, saying “Let go” will recall the relaxed feelings I feel now and will release the tension from those muscles.’
Breathing Easy
Having completed the “Getting Loose” exercises remain lying on your back. Carry out the “Breathing Easy” exercise for 10 minutes, as follows
Inhale

Inhale slowly and deeply, filling your chest with air, counting four seconds to yourself ‘One and two and three and four’. The count is to give you a nice and easy, even pace. Try to breathe as fully as you can without discomfort. Imagine your chest slowly filling with air, from your diaphragm to your collar.

Hold breath

When you have inhaled fully, hold your breath for another four seconds, again counting to yourself ‘One and two and three and four’. This should be just a comfortable pause. Do not do it until you are blue in the face.

Exhale

Exhale – but do not blow. Just let the air out through your mouth slowly saying to yourself ‘Easy…easy… easy… easy.’ Let out as much air as you can, down to the lower part of the lungs. Feel yourself relaxing as you do. Feel your shoulders, chest and diaphragm letting go. As you exhale, think of the tension flowing out of you.

Do not worry if the sequence is not exact or the cadence perfect. It may seem a bit difficult to stay with at first, but just keep going. The important thing is to establish the slow relaxed breathing rate. After the ten cycles, your breathing rate will be automatically slower and you can dispense with the “one and two and three and four” cadence.

Now do as follows

Inhale – Breathe in fully.

Exhale – Let the air out slowly (do not blow), saying mentally ‘Easy… easy… easy… easy ‘ with each exhalation.

Repeat this cycle ten times.

You will soon begin to feel a calm, thoroughly pleasurable feeling – some say a warmth radiating from your chest throughout your body

Now let yourself breathe normally and tell yourself relaxing phrases ‘I feel very relaxed… All the tension is going out of me as I exhale and good feelings are coming into me as I inhale… When I am playing my sport, I will be able to take a few deep breaths and by saying, “Easy ” will be able to tell myself to relax whenever I feel overly tense… When I am playing, I will recall the good feelings I am experiencing now and they will automatically return to me. Imagine all this happening as you say it to yourself.

Now do as follows

Inhale – Breathe in slowly

Hold breath – Hold it very briefly

Exhale – Let the air out slowly while mentally saying to yourself ‘Easy… easy… easy… easy.’

Repeat this cycle ten times.

Now let your breathing go naturally, and pay attention to the pleasant feelings in your body. Repeat the same encouraging phrases to yourself that you did earlier. Listen to the sound of your own breath coming in and out. You will notice that the breathing is slow and deep without you having to make it that way. The exhaling will last longer – as long as an eight-count, perhaps.
Continue to do the breathing exercises for the rest of the session, each time alternating the ten cycles of inhale-hold-exhale with the mental encouragement. After the last cycle of ten, just let yourself enjoy the feeling for a minute.

Easy
Tell yourself for the rest of the day I will recall these sensations every time I tell myself ‘Easy’

“Sports Coach – provides advice for coaches, athletes, sports science tutors and students studying sports related qualifications on topics relating to exercise physiology, successful coaching and athletic development.”

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Have you ever feeling pain in the buttocks or uncomfortable. Especially after rowing 2 laps (8km) and you have another 8km to complete the morning session of total 16km that day! Well, the article below will explain further what has cause it & how to prevent. A simple step as strecthing helps to prevent injuries & increase the strength of the affected muscles.

After you complete 8km laps, row back to pontoon & aplly below strechings on a flat surfaces. Once completed, jump back to the boat & continue your training program. You will suprise to find out that 3 minutes will benefits a lot. Not only you relief the pain but it will expand the fascia tissue & gives more room for the muscles to grow. Try it to experience the benefits of streching.

Piriformis Syndrome and Effective Piriformis Stretches

Detailed Treatment Strategies for the Prevention and Treatment of Piriformis Syndrome
Piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis muscle becomes tight or spasms, and irritates the sciatic nerve. This causes pain in the buttocks region and may even result in referred pain in the lower back and thigh. Patients often complain of pain deep within the hip and buttocks, and for this reason, piriformis syndrome has also been referred to as “Deep Buttock” syndrome.

What is the Piriformis?
The piriformis is a small muscle located deep within the hip and buttocks region. It connects the sacrum (lower region of the spine) to the top of the femur (thigh bone) and aids in external rotation (turning out) of the hip joint.

As you can see from the diagram to the right, there are many muscles and tendons that make up the hip and buttocks region. The diagram shows the posterior (rear) view of the buttock. The piriformis is the horizontal muscle in the center of the picture running over the top of the sciatic nerve.

What Causes Piriformis Syndrome?
Piriformis syndrome is predominantly caused by a shortening or tightening of the piriformis muscle, and while many things can be attributed to this, they can all be categorized into two main groups: Overload (or training errors); and Biomechanical Inefficiencies.

Overload (or training errors): Piriformis syndrome is commonly associated with sports that require a lot of running, change of direction or weight bearing activity. However, piriformis syndrome is not only found in athletes. In fact, a large proportion of reported cases occur in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Other overload causes include:

1. Exercising on hard surfaces, like concrete;
2. Exercising on uneven ground;
3. Beginning an exercise program after a long lay-off period;
4. Increasing exercise intensity or duration too quickly;
5. Exercising in worn out or ill fitting shoes; and
6. Sitting for long periods of time.

Biomechanical Inefficiencies: The major biomechanical inefficiencies contributing to piriformis syndrome are faulty foot and body mechanics, gait disturbances and poor posture or sitting habits. Other causes can include spinal problems like herniated discs and spinal stenosis. Other biomechanical causes include:

Poor running or walking mechanics;
Tight, stiff muscles in the lower back, hips and buttocks;
Running or walking with your toes pointed out.
Symptoms!
Pain (or a dull ache) is the most common and obvious symptom associated with piriformis syndrome. This is most often experienced deep within the hip and buttocks region, but can also be experienced anywhere from the lower back to the lower leg.

Weakness, stiffness and a general restriction of movement are also quite common in sufferers of piriformis syndrome. Even tingling and numbness in the legs can be experienced.

Treatment!
Piriformis syndrome is a soft tissue injury of the piriformis muscle and therefore should be treated like any other soft tissue injury. Immediately following an injury, or at the onset of pain, the R.I.C.E.R. regime should be employed. This involves Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, and Referral to an appropriate professional for an accurate diagnosis.

It is critical that the R.I.C.E.R. regime be implemented for at least the first 48 to 72 hours. Doing this will give you the best possible chance of a complete and full recovery.

The next phase of treatment (after the first 48 to 72 hours) involves a number of physiotherapy techniques. The application of heat and massage is one of the most effective treatments for removing scar tissue and speeding up the healing process of the muscles and tendons.

Once most of the pain has been reduced, it is time to move onto the rehabilitation phase of your treatment. The main aim of this phase is to regain the strength, power, endurance and flexibility of the muscles and tendons that have been injured. Click on the following link for a complete and comprehensive article on the treatment of soft tissue injuries.

Prevention!
Prevention is the key when it comes to piriformis syndrome. The more you can do to prevent it, the better off you’ll be. There are a number of preventative techniques that will help to prevent piriformis syndrome, including modifying equipment or sitting positions, taking extended rests and even learning new routines for repetitive activities. However, there are four preventative measures that I feel are far more important and effective.

Firstly, a thorough and correct warm up will help to prepare the muscles and tendons for any activity to come. Without a proper warm up the muscles and tendons will be tight and stiff. There will be limited blood flow to the hip area, which will result in a lack of oxygen and nutrients for the muscles. This is a sure-fire recipe for a muscle or tendon injury.

Before any activity be sure to thoroughly warm up all the muscles and tendons that will be used during your sport or activity. Click here for a detailed explanation of how, why and when to perform your warm up.

Secondly, rest and recovery are extremely important; especially for athletes or individuals whose lifestyle involves strenuous physical activity. Be sure to let your muscles rest and recover after heavy physical activity.

Thirdly, strengthening and conditioning the muscles of the hips, buttocks and lower back will also help to prevent piriformis syndrome.

And fourthly, (and most importantly) flexible muscles and tendons are extremely important in the prevention of most strain or sprain injuries. When muscles and tendons are flexible and supple, they are able to move and perform without being over stretched. If however, your muscles and tendons are tight and stiff, it is quite easy for those muscles and tendons to be pushed beyond their natural range of movement. When this happens, strains, sprains, and pulled muscles occur.

To keep your muscles and tendons flexible and supple, it is important to undertake a structured stretching routine. I’ve included two effective piriformis stretches below.

1. Sit with one leg straight out in front. Hold onto the ankle of your other leg and pull it directly towards your chest. click here to see picture



2. Lie face down and bend one leg under your stomach, then lean towards the ground.Click here to see picture

Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance, preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won’t be effective.

Improve Your Athletic Performance
& Reduce Your Potential for Injuries!

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Not only is stretching important for flexibility, it is CRITICAL for massive, rapid muscle growth!

When you think about gaining muscle, stretching is probably not the first thing that pops into your head.

But did you know that stretching plays a critical role in building muscle?

Every muscle in your body is enclosed in a bag of tough connective tissue known as fascia. Fascia is important for holding your muscles in their proper place in your body. But your fascia may also be holding back your muscle growth. Think for a moment about your muscles.

You train them and feed them properly. They want to grow and will grow but something is holding them back. They have no room to grow! Because fascia is so tough, it doesn’t allow the muscle room to expand. It is like stuffing a large pillow into a small pillowcase. The size of the muscle won’t change regardless of how hard you train or how well you eat because the connective tissue around your muscles is constricting the muscles within. The best example of this is the calf muscle. The lower leg is riddled with fascia because of its tremendous weight-bearing duties in the body. It is because of this fascia that many trainers have great difficulty developing their calves.

The solution: stretching.

Stretching is one of the most under-utilized techniques for improving athletic performance, preventing sports injury and properly rehabilitating sprain and strain injury. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that something as simple as stretching won’t be effective.

Using the pillowcase example from above, imagine you can expand the size of the pillowcase by stretching it. Suddenly, the pillow within has more room and will expand to fill that new space.
By stretching your muscles under specific conditions, you can actually stretch your fascia and give your muscles more room to grow.
The key to effective fascia stretching is the pump. The best time to stretch to expand the bags that are holding in your muscles is when your muscles are pumped up full of blood. When your muscles are fully pumped up, they are pressing against the fascia. By stretching hard at that time, you increase that pressure on the fascia greatly, which can lead to expansion of the fascia.

One of the major reasons Arnold Schwarzenegger had such incredible chest development was that he finished his chest workouts with dumbbell flyes, an exercise that emphasizes the stretched position of the pectoral muscles. He would pump his chest up full of blood during the workout then do flyes, holding the stretch at the bottom of the flye. This gave his chest room to grow to amazing proportions.
Fascia stretching is more rigorous than regular stretching but the results can be amazing. When you stretch hard enough to cause the fascia to expand, you will really feel it! When you are stretching the fascia, you should feel a powerful pulling sensation and pressure as the muscle works against the fascia to expand it.

Be sure you do not stretch so hard that you cause the muscle to tear or cause injury to yourself. You will rapidly learn to distinguish the difference between a good stretch and a bad stretch. You should not feel any sharp pain, just a steady pull. Hold each stretch for at least 20 to 30 seconds as you must give your fascia time to be affected by the stretch. Stretch hard like this only when you have a fully pumped muscle as you must give your fascia a reason to expand. If your muscles aren’t pumped, just stretch normally. One set of hard stretching after each set you do for a muscle group, besides the obvious benefits of increased flexibility, can have an incredible effect on the size of your muscles and their further ability to grow.

This informative article was written by Nick Nilsson, president of Better U, Inc.
Stretching & Sports Injury Solutions

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1. everything you do is “in 2…”
2. you need to have a small pushy person around telling you what to do all the time
3. you can get up, get dressed and get out of the dorm before your eyes are fully open
4. the phrase “cox box” doesn’t make you giggle
5. you believe the world wouldn’t exist without spandex
6. you only recognize your friends from behind
7. when you need to go anywhere, you have a sudden urge to throw your car over your shoulder
8. before you go anywhere, you are at Main 20 minutes early
9. you stick water bottles in your shorts for no reason at all
10. you believe all authority figures carry a megaphone
11. you sit in class leaning to your rigger
12. half your body is bigger than the other
13. you blame bad moods on “the set”
14. your friends need a rowing translator to decipher your language
15. you can wear the same thing every morning for a week and not think twice
16. you think sleeping late is waking up at 8:30.
17. everything’s a race: you walk quickly to class, just so you can pass people
18. when someone mentions being awake, you turn parallel and set up for it.
19. when you sit down in class, you look for the tie-in shoes.
20. you constantly check the tightness of nuts in handrails, chairs, door handles, etc.
21. you think gloves are for sissies, but a nice pair of poogies is really stylin’
22. you bring up the beauty of the dawn, and people give you blank stares
23. overhearing people talk about how little sleep they got causes you to smirk, and maybe get medieval on their ass
24. your vision of going away for the weekend is other people’s vision of Hell
25. You admire the man who wears boxers under his spandex much more than a woman wearing a g-string under hers
26. You watch videos together, and it’s ok to say “She’s looking really long.”
27. …you’re giving directions to a friend and you wonder why she’s looking at you funny, until you realize you just said “turn to port” instead of “take a left.”
28. …you dress and undress one-handed so you don’t have to take your hand off the oar.
29. …every time you sit in a chair you are mildly surprised to discover that it doesn’t slide back and forth.

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Latihan di air mesti di mulakan dengan latihan pemanasan badan (warm-up drill). Coxen boleh membimbing crew dengan aktiviti berikut :

1. Hands only – pastikan crew dalam kedudukan normal (kaki lurus, tangan lurus). Beri arahan “All crew….. are you ready?…… hands only ….. GO!” mula mendayung dengan pergerakan tangan sahaja. Dayungan (catch) pendek dan rating (stroke rate) yang cepat.
2. Hands & Body – dengan arahan “next stroke …… hands & body …… go”. Pastikan setiap arahan yang dikeluarkan mempunyai sela masa yang cukup / setiap dayungan (stroke). Tujuan: untuk memastikan crew bersedia untuk menukar rentak dayungan.
3. Half Slide – dengan arahan “next stroke … half slide … ready …. GO!”. Pastikan crew mendayung mengikut rentak facer (crew#4), jarak catch & sliding yang sama dalam masa yang sama, bot berada dalam keadaan seimbang.
4. Full Slide – dengan arahan ” next stroke …. full slide … ready … GO!”. sama seperti drill untuk half slide, coxen perlu memerhatikan keseragaman pergerakan, tahap oars/blade tenggelam setiap dayungan dan menegur segala kesalahan teknik.

Setiap satu warm-up drill perlu dilakukan dalam jarak 1/4 dari 2000m contohnya. Atau, 2 minit setiap satu. Kadangkala bergantung kepada coxen, jika coxen ingin membaiki kelemahan teknik dan fokus lebih lama pada satu-satu pergerakan. Di sinilah kita melihat peranan coxen juga sebagai pembantu jurulatih.

Sesuai diaplikasikan untuk beginners crew bagi membantu membiasakan diri dengan pergerakan & teknik yang betul. Objektif adalah supaya teknik yang betul dapat diautomasikan sebagai tindakan separa sedar (sub-concious movement). Jika teknik asas tidak dikuasai dengan betul, maka rowers akan terbawa-bawa keadaan ini sehingga ke peringkat intermediate & advance. Berdasarkan pengalaman, lebih susah membetulkan teknik setelah setahun atau jika sudah terlibat dengan pasukan kebangsaan. Ketika itu, pendekatan lain diperlukan. Kesannya, ketika masa diperlukan untuk meningkatkan kekuatan dan strategi perlawanan, sebahagiannya digunakan untuk membetulkan teknik-teknik asas.

Namun begitu, jangan lupa seseorang coxen perlu juga mempertimbangkan perkara2 berikut:

1. Pemikiran positif – sentiasa berikan komen-komen yang positif & kritikan membina
2. Arahan yang kuat & jelas – yakin dan pastikan crew faham setiap arahan
3. Daya pemerhatian yang tajam – coxen perlu mengenalpasti bentuk kesilapan teknik dan membimbing crew untuk membetulkannya. Deria coxen perlu berfungsi bagi mengesan ketidak seimbangan dalam bot dan keseragaman pergerakan.
4. Jangan menggunakan perkataan yang kasar/marah sehingga menimbulkan ketegangan.

Coxen yang bagus perlu tahu cara menaikkan semangat crew, sensitif terhadap pergerakan/teknik, peka dengan persekitaran dan perubahan sikap crew serta mampu memberikan maklum balas yang tepat jika diminta samada oleh crew mahupun jurulatih.

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