Wednesday, February 29, 2012

TRANSITION AREA: Training Calculators and Workouts

Happy Leap Day!  I'm a bit pressed for time today, so I thought I'd actually send around one of the pages on my blog that you may not have seen called Workouts and Training Calculators.  From time to time I update this with new stretches, yoga routines, and training calculators that I've found.  Now's the time to be doing strength training and stretching, and calculating your nutrition and pace goals for the year.  So here are my recommendations, and make sure to periodically check the Workouts and Training Calendars tab above for updates:


Workouts/Instructional Resources:
  • 15-minute Pilates workout:  Winter is the perfect time to bone up on your strength training and this is a quick workout that you can tailor to meet your schedule (the dog in this video cracks me up).  
  • Yoga for Athletes by Body Wisdom:  I've had this DVD for years and actually love it.  I don't do as much yoga as I should and I'm sure there are other great DVDs out there, but this one I like because it provides yoga programs for 16 different sports - for everything from basketball to triathlons to rock climbing to martial arts.  Each sport-specific yoga program is then broken down into 12 different customized workouts to target muscle groups used most frequently in those sports.  Great for when you can't get to the gym or just want to throw in a quick yoga workout.  Also, I'm a beginner yogi, so this is great for beginners on up.  
  • Dave Scott (6-time Ironman world champion) shows his 6 favorite stretches for triathletes: http://bcove.me/v3fbjq1c  
  • Swim Smooth:  Having trouble with your swim stroke?  Check out Mr. Swim Smooth.  This animated, multi-directional video is amazing for showing you what your freestyle stroke should look like.  You can also figure out which of six swim types you fall under, and learn specific tips uniquely designed to help your type. For example, are you an Armie (plenty of power but needs more control), or a Bambino (more confidence and rhythm required. That's me).  Sign up for their email updates for additional tips.  My coach from Dominion Cycling and Triathlon Club recently signed on to use their swim workouts for the team. Although I just started getting back into swimming, so haven't really had a chance to use these, other folks on the team are reporting great results and faster swim times.  
Training Calculators:
Nutrition Calculators:
  • Food Scanner/Nutrition Counter:  The best apps I've found for keeping track of my nutrition is Daily Burn.  You can download the app on your phone and if you have a camera, there's a built-in scanner that lets you scan UPC codes that will automatically upload all the nutrition info.  You can also manually enter nutrition information.  
Do you have any recommendations for workouts or training calculators?  Is there anything you'd like me to review? 

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