Swimmers and Parents,
We’re seeing great progress and getting stronger in the weight room already! Below are a few topics I wanted to touch on to get us ready for more success in our next phase of strength training.
Gym shoes! It’s important that we are wearing proper sneakers any time we are in a weight room. Crocs or shoes that aren’t laced up, are not acceptable in the weight room for safety issues. I’ve seen a bunch of our athletes with high tops on which I’m ok with as long as they are fully laced and tied. Otherwise, we run the risk of injury to our feet and ankles. Parents, please note, lifting in bare feet has its benefits and I still train this way personally, but in a school environment and with this many people in the room, we want to make sure that our feet are protected as much as possible.
Water Bottles! Bring them with you to the weight room! Have them filled up before you head in so there is no interruption to your training.
Soreness! Expect to be a little sore. This is normal, especially when you are learning new movements, increasing weight, reps or intervals. Soreness means your body is learning to adapt and ultimately is getting stronger.
Pain! If you’re in pain in the weight room (not to be confused with soreness), let me know right away! We can make adjustments. If you’re experiencing pain or extreme soreness when you get home, before you reach for an ice pack, consider doing some light stretching, CARS and/or heating the area. Blood flow is important, especially for areas that are inflamed and icing restricts blood flow. For more on this, please see this article from the Doctor who originally coined the term RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate) and has since recanted his position after tons of newer research.