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FRED LYNN
Major League Outfielder
"I've always been told that I
have this great potential-I just wasn't living up to it. I had to find out
what I could do, playing injury-free and strong for an entire season. It took me
awhile to realize what a physical grind a major league season is. After that, I
assessed my career and saw two problems: injuries and running out of gas in the
dog days of August. I figured a Nautilus program could help me with both. I
realized that the unlimited potential people were always telling me about was
just that-potential. It was up to me to transform that potential into
accomplishment."
When I found this quote today, I
was so pumped because it so perfectly helps me launch this article. I received a
request from someone asking how to get the season started safely without
injuring an already sensitive knee.
I believe injuries such as these
occur from one or a combination of three problems; bad form, poor workout decisions
and poor conditioning. It is easy to workout these problems once properly identified,
but that is the biggest problem. 99% of the people that I help here at the ski
school can solve the majority of their problems by correcting their form! And
do not think that you are an exception to this rule! I am not going to launch
into a Posture and Glide speech right now, but if you are interested in untapping
your potential, I have given you all the info that you need to pursue this path!
Then that leaves us with
pre-season training and "smart skiing"!
I love and believe the quote,
"Champions are made in the off-season!" The same process of identifying your
weaknesses and attacking them apples here. Let's take the knee problem. With
the understanding that I am not a doctor or a physical trainer, I will make some
recommendations that I believe are very helpful and well within the basic
guidelines set forth by professionals in this field.
The first is obvious. Seek
professional help in rehabilitating your knee. After that has been accomplished,
seek a trainer that will be able to put you on a strength training program that
fits your goals. I understand that my goals and your goals are probably quite
different, but I can honestly tell you that having the guidance of an AWESOME
strength training coach ( Keith Ledger, Cypress Gardens Health Club, Winter
Haven, FL) has turned around my skiing and my whole life tremendously.
Having said that, I will give some
simple ways to protect the knee. First and foremost, we will strengthen all the
muscles AROUND the knee (or what ever area is a problem). For the knee to be best
protected, we need to strengthen the quadriceps, the hamstrings, and maybe even the calves. I recommend staying away from
squats because the form must be
perfect and unless you have a personal trainer there with you, it is too easy to
make a huge mistake. You can do lunges, leaps, leg extensions, hamstring curls,
and sissy squats! If you do not know what these are, then get PROFESSIONAL HELP!
Use light or no weight while you perfect your form (sounds familiar!?). This is a
great way to condition before the season starts!
WARNING: If any of this hurts a
specific part of your knee, stop and seek help. By the way, if this doesn't
put you into a MAJOR sweat, then you are not doing it right. By the way, legs
are the most intense of all the body parts to work out as it is your biggest
group of muscles.
I will leave it there as far as
the strength conditioning. This will definitely build the muscles around the
knee and protect your injury prone areas.
The next area that I will only
touch briefly is "Smart Skiing". This is a concept I started pursuing after
I realized how little THE BEST skiers fall. It was not simply because they were
better, but because they learned to make the right decisions at that certain
time during their practices! Let me just say that for now, think about
organizing your practices, especially at the start of the season, so that your
goal is a "NFP" (No Fall Practice)! This is always the goal and the prize of
"Smart Skiing!"
I am sitting here getting pumped
about this topic to the point that I will not be able to make this short! So
with the above "teaser," I will leave you anxious for the next morsel of
inspiration that will be delivered in News from THE EDGE #9-
The Power of Smart Skiing
Also,
please do me a huge favor and refer someone to my newsletter. I work really
hard on these articles and I need your help to help the sport we love so much
grow! Just cut and paste the following into an email to your friends!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi (Insert their name here)
Do you subscribe to Lane
"Dawg" Bowers Free Barefoot Tips Newsletter?
I do, and I think it's
great because....(insert your own reasons here)
Subscriptions are FREE
and you get a copy of Lane's 159-page
"Be the Best Barefooter
on Your Lake" Ebook with 48 articles covering everything from The Easiest
Way to Learn to Barefoot Water Ski to Learning to Backwards Barefoot to Jumping
Inverted...
Just go to http://www.thefootersedge.com
and you can get all the details.
Talk to you soon!
(Your Name Here)
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Thanks for helping out!
I appreciate it...
I am available to personally
help you achieve your skiing goals by calling 1-877-685-6270 or visit our website
@ www.thefootersedge.com.
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