3 Heat-related Swimming Injuries

1. Heat exhaustion/heatstroke

Heatstroke is the most deadly and seems counter-intuitive when in the water. However, the danger occurs when the water temperature goes above the mid-eighties. Combined with high air temperatures, the symptoms of heat exhaustion can progress rapidly, resulting in heatstroke, a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate medical attention. If you are in the water (especially warmer water) and notice the following symptoms, you need to exit the water and get out of the sun immediately. (Source).

• Cool, pale skin
• Headache and nausea
• Weakness and exhaustion.
• Dizziness, faintness, and mental confusion
• Rapid, weak pulse.
• Fast and shallow breathing

2. Dehydration

Dehydration is often one of the key factors in heat exhaustion, and can easily occur in the water, even though the body is submerged. You can still sweat while working out in the water. Here are a few basic rules to follow when thinking about hydration:

• As a general rule, you should be drinking at least half your body weight in fluid ounces BEFORE accounting for training. According to Swimming World, you should add in at least 32/ounces per hour of training on top of that.
• Don’t just chug those 32 ounces all at once though. Ensure a steady intake throughout the workout by drinking about 8 oz every 15-20 minutes.
• If you are planning to work out at a moderate to high intensity for over an hour, consider adding electrolytes, in the form of light-colored sports drinks or coconut water prior to and during the workout.

Sunburn

Sunburn is another heat-related injury that can sneak up on you, even if you applied a liberal dose prior to swimming. Most sunscreen applications last about two hours before it begins to break down in the light. You should reapply every two to four hours or after swimming. A lot of people think the higher the SPF, the better. WRONG. Actually, after SPF 50, additional protection is negligible. The real issue is that most people apply sunscreen incorrectly, only using 25-50% of the recommended amount, reducing the actual protective abilities. New York City dermatologist Doris Day, MD told Reader’s Digest, “If you use SPF 50, you really get the protection of an SPF 20 based on how people actually apply it.” Focus on SPF 30-50 and make sure you apply it correctly and often. (See above).

Use the following application recommendations provided by the American Dermatology Association:

• Apply enough sunscreen to cover all exposed skin. Most adults need about 1 ounce — or enough to fill a shot glass — to fully cover their body.
• Don’t forget to apply to the tops of your feet, your neck, your ears and the top of your head.
• Apply sunscreen to dry skin 15 minutes before going outdoors.
• Skin cancer also can form on the lips. To protect your lips, apply a lip balm or lipstick that contains sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

Remember, the water cannot protect your body from heat-related swimming injuries. You must be a proactive participant in protecting yourself from the heat-related dangers of swimming. Now, hydrate, apply sunscreen and go swimming!

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Three Heat-Related Swimming Injuries and How to Avoid Them appeared first on One with the Water.

Last week, I was honored to re-introduce Kenneth, our founder, and his heart for building confidence in children, fostering growth in his students, and expanding the reach of the Foundation. He champions the mission of creating miracles in the lives of children and adults, including those with special needs.

This week, I am excited to showcase Aviva Alvarez-Zakson, one of our LA swim coaches with an unbridled love of the water. She, too, is another passionate advocate for children with special needs and early swim training to reduce the risk of drowning.

Aviva has been in love with the water since age three when her aunt gave her swim lessons as a birthday present. In fact, that is her first memory of swimming, when she jumped off the wall convinced she was able to swim.

Aviva: “My instructor grabbed me and immediately began reassuring me that I was ok, but I was confused as to why he felt the need to save me.The rest is history.”

Like many others, Aviva began swimming competitively at a relatively young age but never lost sight of the joy of simply being in the water. Her career includes over 16 years of competitive swimming. These include club teams, four years as a varsity swimmer at Santa Monica High School, and four years of NCAA DIII varsity swimming at Occidental College. While she is currently not competing, she’ll never say no to a friendly race!

After a debilitating injury during her junior year of college, Aviva turned to teaching swim lessons to remain connected to the water during her recovery. Under the guidance of her own swim coach, she taught all levels of swimmers from ages 3 to 13, sharing her love of the water with them. She truly believes that swimming is far more than a means of sport or exercise. Swimming is a gift, and she loves sharing this gift with others.

For Aviva, just like Coach Kenneth, confidence is key.

Aviva: “Swimming is all about confidence. You can read up on everything and watch a bunch of instructional videos, but if you do not trust yourself, you will not let yourself be vulnerable with the water. Swimming gets you out of your most basic of comfort zones (we’re land creatures!). With time and practice, you soon find yourself one with the water.

I asked her a few more fun questions about her swimming life.

Describe your best day ever in the water.

There are too many! But some of my favorite days in the water were the days (actually, weeks) spent in winter training in college. It was about a month of almost nothing but swimming and pushing yourself to limits you didn’t know you had. Additionally, it was a month of being with my teammates. They are some of the best friends I have and the most inspirational and committed people I’ve ever met. Sure, there were days where it felt like we couldn’t possibly keep going, but making it through those days made them the best.

Describe your hardest day in the water?

My junior year in college, I had a horrible hip injury manifest itself that eventually needed surgery. I spent many practices angry at myself for not performing well. I was angry at my body for failing me. At my last practice before the surgery (the night before) I was nervous and very sad about the possibility of not being able to return to swimming. I was very lucky to be able to return to swimming, and that I had such a supportive team. They let me play cheerleader while I recovered and helped me keep my goals in perspective when I returned.

How has swimming made your life better?

Swimming has made my life better in every way. Through swimming, I found a constant support and some of my best friends. I learned time management and how to prioritize. I discovered the importance of collaboration and working with others with whom you may disagree. And, I learned a physical skill that my body literally refuses to forget.

At One with the Water, we employ coaches who love, on an elemental level, the experience of swimming. Their passion for the water translates to a love for teaching and sharing their skills. Aviva is one of those swim coaches. Her desire is to pass her knowledge onto others while employing different teaching strategies. For her, swimming is a necessary skill for everyone. The ability to swim is key to survival and enjoying everything life has to offer (especially in Southern California). Seeing a skill click for a student creates a rush of joy and accomplishment for them both!

Want to help us make a child’s life better? Partner with us today to teach economically disadvantaged children, special needs children, and Service-Disabled Veterans to become One with the Water! Be a hero today! When you donate now, you can help reduce the risk of drowning for children by up to 88%! Be a hero and help us save the life of a child.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Introducing Aviva Alvarez-Zakson – One of Our LA Swim Coaches With a Love for Swimming appeared first on One with the Water.

What better way to kick off our birthday celebration than to re-introduce you to our founder, visionary and head swim coach Kenneth Rippetoe. You can read all about his certifications and swimming accomplishments in Swim Coach Kenneth. I encourage you to do that!

But the medals don’t make a man. We want you to get to know the heart behind the photograph, and the commitment that comes from a lifetime of teaching people to become One with the Water. Just for fun, I asked Kenneth to tell us some fun memories of his swimming life:

Describe your best day in the water.

“My best day was at a collegiate conference championship swim meet. I was swimming the 100-yard backstroke, and it was incredible. I felt like I was watching myself swim, having an out-of-body experience. And, I qualified for US Nationals in this swim!”

Describe your worst day in the water.

“Worst day, probably had to be swimming backstroke, when I was six years old, and I hit the wall really hard with the top of my head. Even from a young age, I tend to “get into the zone” when I am swimming and sometimes I forget where I am and what I’m doing.”

Pick one-way swimming has made your life better and tell us about it.

Swimming is my meditation. It is my escape from everything and it is what I do best in the world. Having the time to escape ever so often, I can be more productive and accomplish anything I want.”

What do you love most about teaching swimming?

“I love most seeing the miracles that occur when the kids “get it” and become at One with the Water. No matter their abilities, no matter how long it might take, they all have a miracle. I teach everyone from A-List actors, their children, the Royal Family of Great Britain, the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia, to kids with special needs, inner-city kids, as well as adults with a lifetime fear of the water. It’s so much fun no matter who the student and the miracle always happens.”

As I am talking to Swim Coach Kenneth, there are three things that are impossible to miss. First, how much he loves his dogs. I’ve learned about his, and he’s learned about mine! Second, and slightly more relevant, is how much he loves teaching people to swim. And not just because early swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning accidents up to 88%, but because learning to swim has the power to make our whole person better. He teaches because he knows what it’s like to hate swimming lessons or to have a fear of the water. In fact, his first memory of a swimming lesson was terrifying! He hated lessons but was dragged to the pool kicking and screaming. His desire is to help kids to learn to love it as much as he does, and ultimately to become One with the Water!

For coach Kenneth, building confidence in children and continuous growth are important aspects of teaching kids how to swim.

“Now that I have become so proficient in swimming, I always feel the most confident when I am swimming. I’ve been told in the past that I need to carry myself out of the pool as I do in the pool. Swimming creates a natural way to further develop our capacity to accomplish goals and to grow. When we accomplish an impossible set in the water, it carries forward to us accomplishing anything on land! We feel like we can do anything.”

The third thing, and perhaps the most telling is how passionate Kenneth is about the Foundation. Kenneth started One with the Water with the mission of creating miracles in the lives of children and adults, including those with special needs. He believes in empowering them with confidence and accomplishment. We are proud to provide swimming lessons for children with special needs and families with limited financial needs.

Contribute

What better way to contribute than to give the lifesaving gift of swimming to others! Partner with us today to teach economically disadvantaged children, special needs children, and Service-Disabled Veterans to become One with the Water! Be a hero today, and when you donate now, you can help reduce the risk of drowning for children by up to 88%! Be a hero and help us save the life of a child.

Want more details? Visit our foundation page to be a hero.

Molly Huggins

Molly is a member of our creative team, mom of four water-loving babies, and a fierce advocate for CPR training and really early swim instruction.

The post Meet Our Founder Swim Coach Kenneth appeared first on One with the Water.

When I was a kid, my parents forced me to take swimming lessons, just like the ones I teach today. I despised going to lessons and had to be bribed to stay in the class. I despised even more having to be a part of the swim team at the age of 13. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I was being recruited for collegiate swimming that I actually started to think about becoming a semi-professional swimmer. I had been a lifeguard and lifeguard trainer since the age of 16. When I went to a college recruiting trip, I began to see the royal benefits of being a collegiate athlete! I was sold. My coach had me swimming and weight training 25 hours a week.

One summer, I taught kids with Autism and what I now refer to as ‘flawless imperfections.’ At the closing of the summer lessons, I realized that I wanted to do this full-time as a career. That night, I dreamt about having my own swim school. I knew I could do a great job and provide swim coaches like myself the opportunity to teach and create opportunities for others who had the same passion for teaching swimming as I have. The next morning, I started One with the Water®. I sketched out the logo and name that I had dreamt about, programmed the website, and filed with the IRS that same week. Within a week I was fully-insured, renting pool space, and teaching a hand-full of clients. Within the first month, I had another instructor and we were both busy expanding the company. I also completed numerous certification courses in working with kids with special needs and disabilities.

We offer swim programs that cater to a wide range of children and adult learners, including those with disabilities.

One with the Water® is not just about being another swim school. We are about sharing with others our passion of being in the water and living. The peacefulness we gain from swimming is something that has become greater than a life-or-death matter to us. Swimming is our passion. It is an escape from this world and its over-stimulation. Teaching people about our passion and helping them to achieve this peacefulness is our goal. We connect with people on the spiritual level, especially the kids with special needs. We build their confidence and teach them how to relax and become “One with the Water.”

Prior to starting One with the Water®, I volunteered for programs in developing countries that helped empower children and their families to become less reliant on sponsorship and more on their own abilities.

I worked in Bolivia, Venezuela, and Spain with “sponsor-a-child-programs” of Maryknoll (New York) and the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (Kansas City) that helped to provide an education to children, as well as vitamins, nutritional seminars, and shoes and clothing when necessary. It was an incredible experience where I made life-long friends. I think my experience as a volunteer has helped me to create an organization that is family-oriented and builds a community among all of our clients. I believe it is important for us to interact as positive role-models for each other, for our clients, and especially for the kids. I advertise that it takes a village to teach a child to swim. We seek out sponsors and we are very thankful for each of them! There’s a lot involved in running a non-profit swim school and I can’t and don’t do it by myself. By teaching kids to swim, and sometimes teaching their parents how to teach their kids to swim, we develop this empowerment among the families. We hold classes and social functions to create opportunities for clients to meet each other and share stories about their experiences, and to learn from each other. Presenting education about water safety and swimming–that’s how we empower children and their families.

What do I enjoy most about helping others learn to swim?

I can’t answer this without laughing. There are two things I enjoy most about helping others learn to swim: 1) The moment that my student understands and reaches that point of being “one with the water” is like witnessing an amazing miracle that brings tears to my eyes and is a state of astounding happiness, a breathtaking moment, and 2) well, my office is an outdoor swimming pool.

About One with the Water

One with the Water®, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization strives to be the best swim school in Los Angeles. Typical swim teams & instructors use a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t always work for children with unique physical, cognitive, or visual challenges. Our lessons focus on safety, fun, & improved abilities. We introduce all kids to a swim team atmosphere to prepare for more advanced team swimming.

We provide swimming lessons to children and adults, including those diagnosed on the autism spectrum, ADD, ADHD, sensory integration, anxiety, Down and CHARGE syndrome, auditory processing disorders and dyslexia. We provide lessons to Service-Disabled Veterans and athletes with physical disabilities or visual impairments including amputation, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, and other disabilities.

We offer swim lessons to those with a desire to improve their swim stroke technique, triathletes looking for the competitive edge in open-water swimming, to people who have never been in the water before and want to learn to swim, and to those of us wanting to take a healthy break from the stress and over-stimulation in the world today.

Join the best swim school in Los Angeles and become…

One with the Water®.

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post Inspiration behind One with the Water appeared first on One with the Water.

We wake up every day to do something we love: to inspire people to do the things that inspire them, to motivate people to achieve success, to create miracles in the lives of children and adults, including those with special needs. For all of the coaches here at One with the Water, being at one with the water is more than a life or death matter to us, it is much more important than that!

When we help our clients achieve this same relationship with the water as we have, it brings us astounding joy!

As we approach our 4th Anniversary, I want to offer all of our members my gratitude and the opportunity for free swimming lessons by helping us to serve even more kids!

If you know of any companies or individuals that have the same mission as we do: to challenge the status quo and inspire people to achieve greatness (like Apple and Kim Kardashian), then they might be a great candidate for the One with the Water Corporate Sponsor Program!

If it’s not too much trouble, please call the swim line 323-364-7946, and let’s keep inspiring others to achieve greatness!

Thank you for 4 wonderful years!

Sincerely,

~ Coach Kenneth Rippetoe
Executive Director
ASCA Certified Swim Coach:
Disability Level 3
Masters Level 2

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post How Kim Kardashian Could Win Special Olympics Swimming appeared first on One with the Water.

Press Release – Swim Lessons For Handicapped and Special Needs Kids in Los Angeles

Benny Sperber-Compean, who has autism, swims with Kenneth Rippetoe, founder of One with the Water®, in the Palisades High School Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center.

MAY 9, 2013 | BY SUE PASCOE, STAFF WRITER
PACIFIC PALISADES POST

The smile on 18-year-old Benny’s face lit up an already bright day in the teaching pool at the Palisades High aquatics center as his instructor held his arms and the two navigated the water.

Sperber-Compean, who is in his third year at Pali, has autism, a sensory processing disorder and a form of catatonia, which causes him to occasionally hold himself in a rigid position. He is non-verbal, meaning that he communicates with sounds and motions, not words. He is currently taking handicapped swimming lessons from Kenneth Rippetoe, who founded One with the Water®, a nonprofit that offers swimming lessons for the disabled.

Waiting for his handicapped student was a second One with the Water® instructor Ben Odell, who attended St. Matthew’s, Loyola High and Harvard University. While at Loyola, he was a CIF champion and All-American, and also swam in college.

“Some autistic children perform repetitive motions, which seems to sooth them,” said Odell, who met Rippetoe at a master’s swim practice in Los Angeles. “In swimming, there is a rhythm and repetitive movements and autistic children really seem to respond to the water.”

Odell said the other aspect of swim lessons for children with special needs is “there is a sense of play, freedom and independence.”

Benny Sperber-Compean, who has autism (non-verbal), swims with Kenneth Rippetoe, founder of One with the Water®, and Coach Ben Odell, in the Palisades High School Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center.

Benny’s mother, Rebecca Sperber, who has a general therapy practice, was at poolside. Although Benny had taken swimming lessons through another agency, she made a switch a month ago. “He had been at the same level for two years,” she said. “He trusted Kenneth right away and he’s trying different things-he even put his head under the water.”

Benny Sperber-Compean, who has autism (non-verbal), swims with Kenneth Rippetoe, founder of One with the Water®, and Coach Ben Odell, in the Palisades High School Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center.

As she watched, Rippetoe held Sperber-Compean under the armpits and then positioned him on his back. The teen stopped smiling, but once Rippetoe began towing him backwards, his happy face returned.

Sperber explained that one problem encountered by parents who have children who were diagnosed with autism in the early 1990s is lack of opportunities. “When they get this big and have severe autism, teachers have low expectations.”

Rippetoe, who has a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering, is certified by the American Swimming Coach Association for Disability Level 3, gently helped Sperber-Compean roll over in the water and then showed him how to put his hands on the side of the pool and straighten his arms to help him push up.

When his hour lesson ended, Sperber-Compean started to exit the pool, but then turned around and went back into the water. After several minutes, he allowed Rippetoe to steer him back to the steps and he eventually exited the water.

Jerry Huang, a 15 year old Palisades High student, who has muscular dystrophy, swims with Coach Ben Odell.

Jerry Huang, 15, who prior to his lesson sped around in his wheelchair, was next. He has muscular dystrophy and, in the pool, he was working on pulling his left arm out of the water while swimming the freestyle.

“This program is really awesome for kids with disabilities,” said mom Tina. “It’s hard for people in a wheelchair to get cardio, so swimming is a great exercise.”

Jerry Huang, a 15 year old Palisades High student, who has muscular dystrophy, swims with Coach Ben Odell.

One with the Water® offers individualized instruction for children and adults who have ADD and ADHD; anxiety; auditory processing disorders; autism; Down and CHARGE syndromes; amputation; cerebral palsy; spina bifida; spinal cord injuries and obesity.

“We rely on donations to provide financial assistance to families who need lessons but can’t afford them,” said Rippetoe, who grew up in Texas and moved to Los Angeles in 2006. He worked as an English/Spanish translator for Manatt Phelps & Phillips for two years before becoming a mechanical engineer at the VA in Brentwood. He started One with the Water® in 2011. “I love it,” Rippetoe said. “When Benny looks in my eyes, I can tell he’s there-they look right into my soul-it’s a spiritual level. He’s super smart and in the moment.”

Jerry Huang, a 15 year old Palisades High student, who has muscular dystrophy, swims with Coach Ben Odell.

© 2013 Pacific Palisades Post “Palisadian Post”, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Visit: OneWithTheWater.org

Swim Lessons at The Santa Monica Swim Center

Call us to get updated on our schedule for swim lessons for handicapped kids in LA and reserve your spot today!

323-364-7946

The Santa Monica Swim Center is located at:

Santa Monica Swim Center
2225 16th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405

[tb_google_map address=”2225 16th Street, Santa Monica, California”]

Visit this page for more information about our special needs swim lessons.

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post Swim Lessons for Handicapped Kids in Los Angeles appeared first on One with the Water.

After completing the article I felt compelled to immediately offer another option to the Swimmer readers and all USMS members. Offering a supplement to the current Physical Therapy education, Coach Mark Rippetoe has developed a method for training ordinary people helping them to gain extraordinary strength – what he has named Starting Strength. Coach Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength program “makes use of the body’s most basic movement patterns – barbell exercises that involve all the body’s muscle mass – utilized over the longest effective range of motion and loaded progressively, to force the adaptations necessary for increased strength. Unlike other popular exercise protocols, Starting Strength is a training system – a long-term process designed for getting stronger over time, not a random collection of exercises that just make you hot, sweaty, sore, confused, and tired today.”

Should you Lift Weights Before or After Swimming?

As most young swimmers do multiple workouts in a day, I think this would be considered a luxury for Masters swimmers. But if you do have the time, and you have not allowed yourself sufficient  recovery time, then your “second workout will be negatively affected by the first, assuming the first workout is more than a light warm-up.” Given enough recovery time, that typically is not the case with the proper coaching and strength training program.

It has been my experience, since 1982, decades as a competitive swimmer, coach and swim instructor, as well as a current candidate for the Starting Strength Coaching Certification, and of course a practitioner of the Starting Strength method, that lifting before a workout, with about an hour break before swimming, is enough time to recover and still have a very high quality swimming workout. Several swimmers here at One with the Water are doing the same program as I am, and we all feel refreshed and empowered after a Starting Strength barbell training workout. And if you’re like we are, then you will most likely swim faster than you did the previous swimming workout.

With the training regime of lifting and then swimming in the same day, but lifting with the Starting Strength Program, and then spending the next day building your muscle which you can only do by recovering, you will most certainly be refreshed to swim faster in your next workout. Ideally you would lift a minimum of two to three times per week (45 minutes to an hour per session) and swim at least three times per week. Allan offers a suggestion of swimming in the morning and then lifting during your lunch break or after work. That should be sufficient time to recover, however, I imagine that if your job is anything like my former j-o-b-s, then you might be too fatigued to hit your reps after swimming that day. But give it a try and let me know how it goes.

You will feel as though you are planting your hand and pulling yourself through the water as if it were a stationary object in space and you are in zero gravity.

If you do separate your workouts by more than an hour, I suggest that you digest something with high protein content, or if you’re waiting more than an hour, then you should ‘protein-up’ with a smoothie or large chunk of something, like a gallon of 2% milk. If you feel like your performance is impaired after lifting, then my guess is that you are doing the wrong kind of lifting. If you follow the Starting Strength method, then your feel for the water is going to improve immensely! You will feel as though you are planting your hand and pulling yourself through the water as if it were a stationary object in space and you are in zero gravity.

Intensity and Challenging Workouts

There is not much to say on this because if you are not adding weight progressively, because you are participating in a class such as yoga, pilates, crossfit, or something similar, then you most likely are wasting your time and energy. I know that the yoga fans are going to say something about flexibility, but strength training increases flexibility even better. If you are not able to add weight progressively in your current strength training program, and therefore not getting any stronger, then you are not doing the right program or you are not following the program. This same paragraph touches on striking a balance by having a “moderate session in the gym” so that your arms don’t feel like jelly. Frankly, a moderate-session-in-the-gym is an oxy-moron. If you are following the best strength training program, you will not be isolating your arms or body regions, and so your arms will never feel like jelly. If you are not adding weight progressively, then why are you even at the gym in the first place? You probably should have stayed home and spent an extra day recovering.

The last paragraph, I can live with and so I leave it to you. Go figure out what your seasonal body-type is and the best time for you to workout and get after it! After all, isn’t the goal of any dryland workout to help us to swim faster and more efficient?

About the Author: Coach Kenneth Rippetoe is a certified USMS Coach Level II, and Disability Coach Level III. He has been coaching and teaching swimming since 1993. He is a Texas-born and bred swimmer. He holds 14 USMS Top-Ten national swims and broke a FINA Masters World Record in 2009.

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post Should you Lift Weights Before or After Swimming? appeared first on One with the Water.

The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. At One with the Water our Los Angeles swim coaches reverse that law and apply that to all of our workouts and lessons! How?

Our swim coaches create a personalized swimming lesson that is concentrated on 1) achieving your goals, 2) technique and 3) making you a stronger, more efficient, and faster swimmer. We have incorporated the principles of the Ultra-Short Race-Pace Training (USRPT) into our workouts to assist swimmers in completing their goals and efforts with more than 80% of the workout, not the 20% as is the norm for most swim teams throughout the world.

As one swimmer, Chris B., stated in a message to me, “I was reminded this morning in my workout how much sprinting rocks. It is just too easy to get in a grind doing longer sets. It’s such a ‘no-brainer’ that I can’t believe other swimming coaches don’t do it more.”

Sprinting keeps energy way up, and means much better technique and flow. – Chris B., USMS Swimmer

I have dedicated this post to Chris and as he stated to me, “Spread the gospel of USRPT – No Grinding, No Routine.”

As a USMS Certified Masters Swim Coach Level II, and a member of the American Swimming Coaches Association, it’s not only my pleasure but also my duty and a requirement to continuously further my education as a swimming coach. For the last six months I have been coaching every workout in the USRPT format, even distance workouts for the triathletes and IronMan competitors. Workouts consist predominantly of race-pace swims, whether it be pacing a 50 meter race or a 2.4 mile race, the USRPT method is used to concentrate all swims on technique at the desired race pace. It makes sense to be at One with the Water whether you are racing or swimming for leisure – just ask our Olympian Ambassadors.

By incorporating USRPT into every swimming workout, we have successfully reversed the 80-20 Rule to create swim workouts that have swimmers gaining from 80% plus meters swum in the workout. Additionally, we have found that the recovery time for each swimmer is decreased exponentially.

One with the Water recommends that every swimmer try our swim workouts for 15 – 30 days and see how you feel. We believe you’ll notice the following changes:

• Decreased recovery time
• Increased energy for the day
• Lower resting heart rate
• Little to no muscle or joint soreness
• More time to enjoy everything else in life

Please contact our swim coaches for information and request workouts designed specifically for you in the USRPT format. We’ll decrease your workout time per week, and get you into better shape. As always, from One with the Water, happy swimming!

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post Our Swim Coaches Use The Pareto Principle Applied to Swimming appeared first on One with the Water.

The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. At One with the Water we reverse that law and apply that to all of our workouts and lessons! How?

Each personalized swimming lesson is concentrated on 1) achieving your goals, 2) technique and 3) making you a stronger, more efficient, and faster swimmer. We have incorporated the principles of the Ultra-Short Race-Pace Training (USRPT) into our workouts to assist swimmers in completing their goals and efforts with more than 80% of the workout, not the 20% as is the norm for most swim teams throughout the world.

As one swimmer, Chris B., stated in a message to me, “I was reminded this morning in my workout how much sprinting rocks. It is just too easy to get in a grind doing longer sets. It’s such a ‘no-brainer’ that I can’t believe other coaches don’t do it more.”

Sprinting keeps energy way up, and means much better technique and flow. – Chris B., USMS Swimmer

I have dedicated this post to Chris and as he stated to me, “Spread the gospel of USRPT – No Grinding, No Routine.”

As a USMS Certified Masters Coach Level II, and a member of the American Swimming Coaches Association, it’s not only my pleasure but also my duty and a requirement to continuously further my education as a swimming coach. For the last six months I have been coaching every workout in the USRPT format, even distance workouts for the triathletes and IronMan competitors. Workouts consist predominantly of race-pace swims, whether it be pacing a 50 meter race or a 2.4 mile race, the USRPT method is used to concentrate all swims on technique at the desired race pace. It makes sense to be at One with the Water whether you are racing or swimming for leisure – just ask our Olympian Ambassadors.

By incorporating USRPT into every workout, we have successfully reversed the 80-20 Rule to create workouts that have swimmers gaining from 80% plus meters swam in the workout. Additionally, we have found that the recovery time for each swimmer is decreased exponentially.

One with the Water recommends that every swimmer try our workouts for 15 – 30 days, and see how you feel. We believe you’ll notice the following changes:

• Decreased recovery time
• Increased energy for the day
• Lower resting heart rate
• Little to no muscle or joint soreness
• More time to enjoy everything else in life

Please contact us for information and request workouts designed specifically for you in the USRPT format. We’ll decrease your workout time per week, and get you into better shape. As always, from One with the Water, happy swimming!

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post The Pareto Principle Applied to Swimming appeared first on One with the Water.

During the lesson, she continued to tell me that she wasn’t ready, although her body physically was not only ready, but the perfect combination of strength, flexibility and buoyancy to make her comparable (to scale) to Michael Phelps’ dimensions – she was built to swim!

As she was laying on her back, floating better (she was UNSINKABLE) than any other client I’ve ever encountered, she yelled, “I HATE MYSELF!”

It was at that moment that I realized I wouldn’t be able to teach her to swim until we worked on that aspect of her mental processing. Thankfully, I completed my SoulBlazing Life Coaching certification several months ago and have decades of experience coaching individuals no matter their age or abilities. At that moment I picked her up and hugged her, just held her in my arms in the water like the small ten-year old she is.

After working through the mental block, we spent 5 hours in 3 days, developing her swimming techniques. I was honoured to have had the opportunity to work with her and when I left her at the pool, she was swimming breaststroke, backstroke – both elementary and competitive backstroke, and was working on her freestyle, with no assistance.

This little Push-Girl was the perfect example of our mission and vision – helping others to become One with the Water. Sometimes, as coaches, we are required to patiently help you work through your fears in order to help you achieve your swimming goals.

And as my coaches always told me, it’s 90% mental, 10% physical, plus a lot of hard work! But never give up, our coaches will help you in getting past your fears in order to swim.

Kenny

Kenny is a baby Bottlenose dolphin, of the genus Tursiops, one of the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. He is very playful and friendly and loves to frequently leap above the water surface. Kenny plays with water toys, enjoys making bubble rings, and plays well with other dolphins or other animals.

The post Getting Past Your Fears in Order to Swim appeared first on One with the Water.