Florida Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Good’

One of the first things I noticed when I got back in the pool after my 7 year hiatus is that most aspects of my swimming technique were still in tact, but my endurance was just pitiful. I felt great for the first 200-300 yards, but then I just couldn’t move my arms. They were like bricks, fighting as hard as they could to abide by the law of gravity, and bring my out of shape ass to the bottom of the pool.

I fought through that initial stage and took baby steps, 100 yards at a time, eventually completing an actual workout. Once I got through those first few painful workouts, it was time to actually work on building my endurance to a manageable level.

In order to get myself over the 2,000 yd workout hurdle, I had to really focus on every aspect of my swimming workouts. When I did that, I found that there are really two keys to building your swimming endurance…

1. Good Swimming Technique

2. Swim Workout Consistency

The first thing that I noticed happen as I was getting tired in my workouts was that my technique would just fall apart. In freestyle, my strokes would get short and choppy. My head position would be all over the place. Just really sloppy and I’m kind of surprised the lifeguard didn’t jump in and try to save me. Kidding, but in all seriousness it was really having an adverse effect on my ability to complete my workouts.

I eventually caught on to what was going on and I focused 100% on my swimming technique. Long strokes, pulling all the way through, elbows bent on the recovery, and a solid head position. I started my workouts like that, and as I started to get tired I kept that focus. I guarantee if you do that, good swimming technique will become second nature and your endurance will naturally build.

The second aspect of this little endurance equation is really a no-brainer. You HAVE to be consistent to build any sort of stamina in the pool. Set a schedule for yourself, whether you swim 3x or 7x per week, and stick to it. If you are all over the place and missing a week or more at a time, you can’t realistically expect to build any sort of endurance. Also, make sure your workout distances are similar from workout to workout and that you build those distances as each week progresses.

Good Luck!

 

Creating effective swim workouts is really not that difficult, but there are a few pieces to the puzzle that must be included.

The first thing you need to do is establish how much time you have for each of your swim workouts. I feel like the average swimmer tends to swim between 45min and 75min in each workout. Anything less than 30min won’t be very effective, and with workouts over 90min, you need to have a lot of time on your hands AND be in phenomenal shape.

Once you establish your time range it should be relatively easy to gauge the distance. I used to swim competitively, and though I’ve been out of the water for some years now, I can still keep a pace of under 2:00 / 100 yards for the entire workout. So, if I have an hour to swim I can usually get in a little over 3,000 yards. Once I get back into really good shape, I’m capable of closer to 5,000 yards in an hour, but that’s REALLY cruising. What you need to do is figure out how much you can swim in an hour, then it’s pretty easy to structure a workout from there.

The Warm Up

I tend to keep my warm-ups between 20-25% of the total yardage for that swim workout. This usually consists of a longer swim to start, then some shorter kicking, drills, and short sprints to get my heart rate going. I’ll also base my warm-up on what I plan on doing for the main set. If I’m doing more distance freestyle, I’ll have more freestyle in the warm-up. If I’m going for a stroke based main set, I’ll put some stroke drills and maybe some IM sets in the warm-up.

The Pre-Set (optional especially for shorter workouts)

I use the pre-set especially in my longer workouts and also in workouts where the main set is very fast. Its perfect for a build up to that tough main set and you can really get your heart rate exactly where you want it if you do this right.

The Main Set

Yardage for the pre-set if I have one plus the main set usually equals 60-70% of the total yardage for that swim workout. Within this set I like to have descending sets or negative split long swims. I’ll also keep the intervals tight so that I’m not getting much rest in between each set. You can really build up your endurance by designing your main sets like this. Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable during your main sets. If you are “comfortable” throughout the entire workout, then you aren’t pushing yourself enough and you need to crank it up a notch or two. Also make sure you alternate between freestyle and stroke for your main sets BUT stay consistent with one overall theme throughout the entire workout.

The Warm-down

The warm-down should be the shortest part of your swim workout, and is really just there to help you get rid of some of that lactic acid build up. Just like if you went for a run, you would want to walk it off for a few minutes. Make sure you do at least 200 yards of freestyle/backstroke mix, or even just kicking on your back.

If you want to get some pre-made & professionally designed workouts that are ready to bring to the pool, check out the links below!

 

Snowboarding is basically surfing but on snow rather than on water. Snowboarding started around the 1960′s but really made itself known with its debut at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Japan. Since then it has become one of the fastest growing sports with over 7 million people participating in the United States alone.
Snowboarding is a winter sport and is therefore difficult to participate in at any other time due to lack of snow. There are many ski resorts that now have slopes that are for snowboarding only so for those interested in trying out snowboarding ski resorts are a good place to start.
The main equipment that you will need for snowboarding is the board itself, snowboard boots and snowboard bindings. Of course you should also wear a good quality helmet and gloves. You can rent this equipment at ski resorts if you want to try out the sport before purchasing any equipment. It is actually a good idea to rent the equipment first anyway to find out which brand and size is best suited for you. Look for my latest article about snowboard sizing.
The main styles of snowboarding are ‘freeride’ and ‘freestyle’ with ‘freecarve’ also being quite popular.
Freeride
This is the most common style of snowboard riding and probably the easiest. It is the style that you want to be doing if you are a beginner as it is simply just riding down a mountain. Whether it is the mildest of slopes or the steepest of slopes if you are just doing a straight ride down the slope then it is a freeride.
A rider however can use some tricks while riding freeride if he chooses by using any natural terrain that may be on the slope he is riding on.
When riding freeride riders will usually have a soft boot and the snowboard itself will often be longer with stiffer flex, this is to ride effectively on any type of snow condition you may encounter.
Freestyle
The freestyle style is when the rider uses man made obstacles such as boxes, jumps, half pipes, quarter pipes, rails and more. They will use these objects to perform tricks such as aerial or jib tricks.
The usual stance used in freestyle is the ‘duck foot’ stance which is when the back foot is facing the back end of the board. Freestyle riders usually use a shorter board that has additional flex.
Freecarve
Freecarve or race is the style of snowboarding is used mainly for racing and carving. There is very little jumping if any with freecarve style as it generally focuses on carving.
Whatever style you prefer to use many resorts will be offer the appropriate slopes for you. Many resorts now have parks with rails and halfpipes for those wishing to performs some tricks.
Snowboarding is becoming a very popular sport among men and women of any age so be careful if you are trying it out you may soon be hooked.
Let’s Move On To Tips In Taking Care Of Snowboarding Equipments
Frequent snowboarding can take its toll on your boards as well as other gears. In order to make them last and save you from further costs, it’s best that you take care of them well. Maintenance is always the key when you own valuable items.
Snowboards need regular tuning to enjoy them for many seasons and maximize your experience in this ultimate winter sport. You have to take care of your gear especially when the winter season comes to an end. Not being able to maintain it well may only result in poor performance or early deterioration of your board.
But before you try to do anything yourself, we share some tips that will give you helpful information on what parts of your board require special care and whether it’s time you should bring them to the shop and be professionally maintained. Of course, doing the basic maintenance yourself can save you money and you can do it without the use of many specialized tools. However, if you want to smoothen the snowboard’s base, never attempt to do it alone as a specialized grinder is the only tool that can do the work.
Clean is in
Cleaning the board is the first important step any snowboarder should take. Grime and dirt are most likely to build up on your board so make sure that you get rid of them at the end of the winter season. The best product to use is a citrus cleaner because it not only takes away dirt but also removes any dead wax from the base. All you have to do is just apply the cleaner and use a clean cloth or rag to get rid of dirt or any residue.
Check the edge
After cleaning, check your board to find out if there are certain portions that need fixing. Look carefully at the edges and the base. If the edges appear to be dull or burred, they need to be filed to keep them in good shape.
As for the base, if you see any minor damage, you can easily fix it with a tune-up kit that should include a p-tex candle. However, if you’re not certain about this, better bring your equipment to a snowboard shop and have it tuned up.
Wax to the max
Once you’ve seen that your board in is in good condition, it’s time to apply a new coat of wax. The things you will need at this stage are a scraper, iron and wax, preferably an all-temperature wax. Any iron will do but there are irons specially made for waxing a snowboard.
Now, while using the iron, apply a thick coat of wax on the base and make sure that it covers not only the base but the edges as well. Then scrape the wax from the base and the edges. The wax here serves to prevent the board from drying out and the edges from getting rusty while it is being stored.
Proper storing
Your snowboard together with your gear should be kept in a cool dry place during the hot summer months. As much as possible, don’t store them in the basement. Boots that are the soft type should be properly cleaned and should be applied with foot oil to maintain its softness.
Following these tips is a sure way to have durable and long lasting snow boards. So, keep them in mind and have a great experience with snowboarding.

Most people claim that fashion concerns only ladies, although these last years it has been seen that men and women are equally fascinated by fashion. Knowing what to wear and when to wear it is essential both for men and women, so you should always wear what looks good on you, not just what is trendy. It’s important to feel comfortable with what you are wearing and sticking to items that suit your personality and lifestyle while keeping in mind the occasion and the setting. Polo shirts such as the Nautica polo shirt and Ben Sherman polo shirt remain the some of the most classic and popular brands.Nowadays, the Nautica polo shirt comes in a variety of colors and fabrics, being a frequent choice of stylish men all over the world. This collection is the most elegant among classic designs, offering an ideal fit, comfort and shape retention. These polo shirts are of various styles, always fresh, innovative and remarkable, being a perfect choice for men who know to appreciate such designs. You can wear Nautica polo shirts for gatherings with friends and co-workers as well as around the house. You will definitely feel comfortable in such a shirt and you will experience the joy of wearing something that suits you. Semi casual meetings are the perfect occasion for wearing polo shirts, but you can never ever go wrong wearing a polo.There are some stores that offer the Nautica polo shirt even at discount prices, but in order to find these polos a little bit of research is necessary. However, before purchasing a polo shirt we advise you to first of all decide what the use of the Nautica polo shirt will be. For example, if you are going to wear the shirt for a golf game you should select something breathable, with a special texture for outdoor occasions. For a regular day, cotton polo shirts are ideal. Next decide whether you want a short sleeve or long sleeve shirt; the first type is recommended for warmer days or under sweaters while the second ones are great for fall days. If you choose a quality shirt such as the Ben Sherman polo shirt, you will definitely be satisfied with your purchase. At present you can find cheaper shirts at discount stores but we don’t recommend them for their quality. Usually, cheap polo shirts fade and they become less acceptable with each wash while high quality Ben Sherman polo shirts will last you twice as long and will preserve its quality through time. Once you buy a shirt from a reputable store you will know what to expect and if you have any problems, they will replace the product you purchased. It is always better to buy Ben Sherman polo shirts from a company which has a hassle-free exchange/return policy in case after a wash it gets stretched and loses its shape. If you keep these tips in mind for your next purchase, you will be happy to wear a quality Ben Sherman polo shirt that will last longer than you expected. Although most people are happy when buying something at a cheaper price, their enthusiasm fades away quickly once they notice the quality of the product.

The NHL hockey jersey, apart from being witness to the colorful unfolding of our favorite hockey league’s history, is also one of the most popular pieces of sports merchandise being sold today. Almost every sporting and sport memorabilia and collectibles store worth its salt carries a variety of NHL memorabilia, especially NHL hockey jerseys. However, at times it happens that in spite of the huge glut of NHL hockey jerseys in the market, you might not be able to find the exact jersey that you are looking for.

This might be because you are in search for an antique jersey that is no longer very popular amongst NHL fans today. Another reason could be that you do not like the detailing on the jerseys being sold, because one or more small, yet crucial details are missing from the jerseys. One more reason why buying NHL hockey jerseys might become a problem could be because of the prohibitively high prices that some jerseys come with, especially if they carry brand names and logos of any major sporting brand in the world.

One great idea that comes to everyone’s rescue when it comes to situations like those presented above is that of getting custom made NHL hockey jerseys. All the problems mentioned above can easily solve themselves when you start getting your jerseys custom made. There are a large number of professional jersey makers, who can create the perfect NHL jersey for you, complete with all the large and small details and that too for a lesser price than what you would have to pay for a model with a brand icon and lesser details.

Going to a custom jersey maker is also a good idea if you have given up on finding the jersey you are looking for because of its unavailability in all kinds of stores. A good custom jersey maker will be able to create a jersey for you even if it is what your favorite team was wearing thirty years before or if it belongs to a team that is not playing league hockey anymore. On top of this, most jersey makers should be able to put in all the little details that you want on your favorite jersey.

Another good thing that a custom jersey maker might be able to do is put your name on your NHL jersey, so that you actually feel like you are a part of your favorite hockey team when you wear it. So if you are really serious about your NHL hockey jerseys, then locating a good jersey maker who can create all kinds of NHL hockey jerseys is a good idea. In case you can’t find one in your town or city, then do not despair, because there are a number of good online jersey making companies that let you customize and design your jersey on their web pages and later on make and ship that jersey to you. Wearing a jersey that you have designed yourself will increase the pleasure that you get from sporting your favorite team’s colors, so why not go and locate a good jersey maker asap?