Post by Rob Lovett on Feb 8, 2003 8:57:44 GMT 10
FANG CLEATS.
Firstly, let me recommend a really good dentist - my brother Sandy McLean, of McLeans Dental, level 5, 300 Queen Street ph: 3221 5990 - he is very gentle, explains everything well, and can even show you the inside of your mouth on TV! His manner is excellent. He crews occasionally on yachts, so he can talk to you about sailing even when you can't talk to him ...
What are fang cleats? They are your teeth, of course! They are designed for eating, not for holding mainsheets, so to prevent you from damaging your teeth lets talk about a different way of holding the tiller and mainsheet.
The best way to hold the tiller extension is across the front of your body (see sketch) so that your hands are close to each other, and so you can use both hands to work the mainsheet. This is brilliant for leeward mark roundings, and also for long tight reaching legs like you had last Saturday from Bulimba to Colmslie - you need never complain again about having a tired left arm!
If you keep the boat upright there is very little load on the tiller extension, and so the hand holding the tiller extension will have not trouble steering the boat, once you have given this a little practice. If you are not sure what I mean, please ask.
GETTING FIT - SOME BASICS.
I am not a physio or health professional, so permit me to pass on what works for me, but if you have any doubts, please consult an expert.
Sailing a Laser can be pretty hard work at times - over the first four weeks or so that you sail, just sailing will build up most of the muscles that you use, however there are a few simple things you can do to prevent injury, and/or prepare your body for Laser sailing. When you are hiking out, your thigh muscles are under tension and among other things are trying to pull the top of your pelvis forward. This can cause lower back pain, which if severe enough can prevent you from sailing until your back recovers. Runners get this problem too. My physio gave me two tummy exercises and two back exercises to strengthen my trunk and help overcome this problem.
The exercises are:
1) Crunch - for upper abdominals - lie on your back with your knees raised and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your tummy muscles to raise your shoulders off the floor for three seconds, then ease your shoulders back to the floor and relax for three seconds. Your lower back stays on the floor all the time. Breathe out during the exertion phase, and in during the recovery phase. That's one repetition.
2) Lower Abdominals - this is a four phase exercise, and should be done slowly and smoothly over about three seconds for each phase. Begin lying on your back with your knees raised and your feet flat on the floor. Phase 1 - slowly raise your knees to your chest; Phase 2 - slowly extend your legs so that they are straight and 30-40 degrees above the floor; Phase 3 - slowly lower your legs so that your feet are just off the ground; Phase 4 - slowly bend your knees to return to the starting position - knees raised and feet flat, almost touching the floor. Phases 1 through 4 make up one repetition.
3) Lying on your tummy, take about three seconds to lift your shoulders off the ground while exhaling, then take about three seconds to lower your shoulders to the ground while inhaling. Your feet remain on the ground.
4) Lying on your tummy, lift your legs smoothly off the ground while exhaling, then lower them smoothly to the ground and relax.
I would suggest that you try to do maybe five repetitions of each exercise every second day to begin with. As your muscles strengthen, you can slowly increase the number of repetitions, for example maybe ten each on the second week, then fifteen on the third week and twenty on the fourth. For good back maintenance you don't need to do more than that.
Especially when you are beginning to exercise, if it hurts, back off, do less or stop. There is no point injuring yourself trying to get fit (tell that to a triathlete!).
Swimming is excellent for your arms and shoulders, while cycling is good for your legs and lower abdominals.
I don't think that running helps particularly, with one exception - psychological. I compete maybe once or twice a month in 6Km running races on Saturday mornings with a great bunch of people at Sherwood Arboretum. I'm not a good runner, but I do enjoy the activity and the company. Running teaches me to pace myself, that trying harder makes me stronger, and to never give up until I have crossed the finish line. Too often in sailing races, we try really hard until someone pases us, and then we ease up. Keep the pressure on so that when the next disaster descends upon your competitors (like a bad windshift or sailing the wrong course), you are there ready to capitalise on their misfortune.
STRETCHING.
It is surprising how stiff and tight our muscles become after a hard day's sailing - or worse still, a whole regatta. The best book I have come across for this is "Stretching" by Bob Anderson (Shelter Publications, Bolinas, California) - full of excellent stretch advice and routines for general fitness, sore necks or backs, specific routines for particular sports and general routines for overall body maintenance. I have found that his "Everyday Stretches" routine serves me well, and have attached a copy of it here for you. Some advice - start stretching gently - it should NEVER hurt. Each stretch should take about thirty seconds, and you begin by stretching gently to take up the tension in the muscle, and after about 10-15 seconds the tension should fade and you can stretch a little further, and again as the tension fades you can stretch a little further. If the tension doesn't fade, you are stretching too hard. Remember, it should NEVER hurt. You can injure yourself stretching, so be careful or your good intentions might sideline you. If you have any history of neck problems, skip over stretch #1.
Enjoy your Christmas, and see you soon.
Martin and Sally McLean.
Firstly, let me recommend a really good dentist - my brother Sandy McLean, of McLeans Dental, level 5, 300 Queen Street ph: 3221 5990 - he is very gentle, explains everything well, and can even show you the inside of your mouth on TV! His manner is excellent. He crews occasionally on yachts, so he can talk to you about sailing even when you can't talk to him ...
What are fang cleats? They are your teeth, of course! They are designed for eating, not for holding mainsheets, so to prevent you from damaging your teeth lets talk about a different way of holding the tiller and mainsheet.
The best way to hold the tiller extension is across the front of your body (see sketch) so that your hands are close to each other, and so you can use both hands to work the mainsheet. This is brilliant for leeward mark roundings, and also for long tight reaching legs like you had last Saturday from Bulimba to Colmslie - you need never complain again about having a tired left arm!
If you keep the boat upright there is very little load on the tiller extension, and so the hand holding the tiller extension will have not trouble steering the boat, once you have given this a little practice. If you are not sure what I mean, please ask.
GETTING FIT - SOME BASICS.
I am not a physio or health professional, so permit me to pass on what works for me, but if you have any doubts, please consult an expert.
Sailing a Laser can be pretty hard work at times - over the first four weeks or so that you sail, just sailing will build up most of the muscles that you use, however there are a few simple things you can do to prevent injury, and/or prepare your body for Laser sailing. When you are hiking out, your thigh muscles are under tension and among other things are trying to pull the top of your pelvis forward. This can cause lower back pain, which if severe enough can prevent you from sailing until your back recovers. Runners get this problem too. My physio gave me two tummy exercises and two back exercises to strengthen my trunk and help overcome this problem.
The exercises are:
1) Crunch - for upper abdominals - lie on your back with your knees raised and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your tummy muscles to raise your shoulders off the floor for three seconds, then ease your shoulders back to the floor and relax for three seconds. Your lower back stays on the floor all the time. Breathe out during the exertion phase, and in during the recovery phase. That's one repetition.
2) Lower Abdominals - this is a four phase exercise, and should be done slowly and smoothly over about three seconds for each phase. Begin lying on your back with your knees raised and your feet flat on the floor. Phase 1 - slowly raise your knees to your chest; Phase 2 - slowly extend your legs so that they are straight and 30-40 degrees above the floor; Phase 3 - slowly lower your legs so that your feet are just off the ground; Phase 4 - slowly bend your knees to return to the starting position - knees raised and feet flat, almost touching the floor. Phases 1 through 4 make up one repetition.
3) Lying on your tummy, take about three seconds to lift your shoulders off the ground while exhaling, then take about three seconds to lower your shoulders to the ground while inhaling. Your feet remain on the ground.
4) Lying on your tummy, lift your legs smoothly off the ground while exhaling, then lower them smoothly to the ground and relax.
I would suggest that you try to do maybe five repetitions of each exercise every second day to begin with. As your muscles strengthen, you can slowly increase the number of repetitions, for example maybe ten each on the second week, then fifteen on the third week and twenty on the fourth. For good back maintenance you don't need to do more than that.
Especially when you are beginning to exercise, if it hurts, back off, do less or stop. There is no point injuring yourself trying to get fit (tell that to a triathlete!).
Swimming is excellent for your arms and shoulders, while cycling is good for your legs and lower abdominals.
I don't think that running helps particularly, with one exception - psychological. I compete maybe once or twice a month in 6Km running races on Saturday mornings with a great bunch of people at Sherwood Arboretum. I'm not a good runner, but I do enjoy the activity and the company. Running teaches me to pace myself, that trying harder makes me stronger, and to never give up until I have crossed the finish line. Too often in sailing races, we try really hard until someone pases us, and then we ease up. Keep the pressure on so that when the next disaster descends upon your competitors (like a bad windshift or sailing the wrong course), you are there ready to capitalise on their misfortune.
STRETCHING.
It is surprising how stiff and tight our muscles become after a hard day's sailing - or worse still, a whole regatta. The best book I have come across for this is "Stretching" by Bob Anderson (Shelter Publications, Bolinas, California) - full of excellent stretch advice and routines for general fitness, sore necks or backs, specific routines for particular sports and general routines for overall body maintenance. I have found that his "Everyday Stretches" routine serves me well, and have attached a copy of it here for you. Some advice - start stretching gently - it should NEVER hurt. Each stretch should take about thirty seconds, and you begin by stretching gently to take up the tension in the muscle, and after about 10-15 seconds the tension should fade and you can stretch a little further, and again as the tension fades you can stretch a little further. If the tension doesn't fade, you are stretching too hard. Remember, it should NEVER hurt. You can injure yourself stretching, so be careful or your good intentions might sideline you. If you have any history of neck problems, skip over stretch #1.
Enjoy your Christmas, and see you soon.
Martin and Sally McLean.