Pre-hab video specific preparation phase

Pre-hab for the specific prep phase (SPP)

The pre-hab program is built around 3x primary areas;
1. Soft tissue quality (flexibility) 
2. Mobility 
3. Stability 
...with a primary focus on the pillar (hips (including hamstrings & quads) - trunk - shoulder), as well as other areas as necessary.  
Click here for an overview of pre-hab from an earlier blog post

Here is the video which briefly goes through some basic movements to guide you through October - November.  This framework is intended to be simple with minimal moving parts to make it easily repeated, and done in a quality manner at home, where little to no supervision is available.

Here is the program (JPG format, save it to your phone - ipad - laptop, or print it)

Thank you for reading, the next blog post will be coming your way later in the month, in the meantime please get in touch with questions, or for information on any of our programs.  

Jeff Books 

Director of Athletics & Partner 

Mobile (Australia) +61 4 31 071 121 

Mobile (Canada) +1 778 549 4313 

Skype 'jeff.books' 
E mail - jeff.books@internationalracer.com

NISSAN GT-R Ski slope "OFFICIAL VERSION"

Pre-hab

Pre-hab 

by Jeff Books 

The arc is becoming shorter all the time.  This results in increased injury risk for the athlete, & the resultant need to develop the durability required to withstand the impacts of training and racing day in - day out.  This isn't a new story by any means, but one that requires specific attention as we attempt to keep athletes on the hill and skiing fast. 

For our purposes in this post, we will focus briefly on our ‘Pre-hab’ program, one of the tools that we use to assist athletes in developing the requisite flexibility, mobility and strength – stability that ski racing demands.  

What is Pre-hab?  

Pre-hab, (what we often refer to as ‘pillar prep’) is a system based preventative program designed to minimize injury risk. The pre-hab session not only provides us with a consistent daily session to work on key physical capacities, we've found that this session provides the coaches with a good overall sense of motivation levels, fatigue, tightness, soreness etc. before starting the day (generally before breakfast).  This allows for necessary adjustments in an individual's volume, intensity and activity if required.  

The ‘Pre-Hab’ or ‘Pillar prep’ program will focus primarily on these key areas;

1.Tissue quality – flexibility

2.Mobility (making joints move nice)

3.Pillar (core) strength 

• Pre-hab is performed proactively before injury occurs; otherwise you are in re-hab territory... 
• The concept of pre-hab has been around for a long time, and is widely used in many sporting contexts. Good programs (across all sports) have been using this structure for years. We certainly aren’t reinventing the wheel. This is a simple concept, that when done consistently well has a big impact on an athlete's durability - their ability to train at their best throughout a long & very demanding season. It is that session that allows for continued incremental gains over time. "Little hinges swing big doors", as coaching guru John Wooden would often say 
• the #'s add up...based on a 15 minute session done 5 times per week, your annual #'s would look like this...

Pre-hab Benefits

• Target soft tissue & flexibility limitations
• Target mobility restrictions
• Focus on individual dysfunctions
• Activate isolated patterns of weakness
• Should be specific to session focus
• Increase durability
• Increase quality of movement
• Maximize on snow time 

As an athlete's body matures within a sport, their body adapts to the physical demands of training. This may cause tightness, strength imbalances, as well as inter and intra muscular coordination issues. These imbalances occur naturally with activity and are reinforced with each session. These imbalances are often the root of many training injuries and may predispose athletes to greater risk of injury during training and competition. 

Here are 3 short video clips, outlining a few of the staples that we use 
(demonstrations by Harrison Coull (97 born) and Iain McFie (94 born))

1. Here is a bit of foam roller work on the hamstrings (tissue quality focus) 

2. Here is a glute bridge with shoulder reach, blending stability and mobility

3. This is a front bridge (or plank if you prefer) with a twist in the form of a lateral roll.  

Here is a peak at what a daily pre-hab program would like for one of our athletes. 

Getting it done at home...

- Gear : foam roller + a decent mini band(s) are helpful 

- choose a consistent time 

- Build into the daily schedule, find a consistent time to get it done (before breakfast generally works well)  

- Keep it simple ...simple things done savagely well every day pay off big time in the end. Remember that "...little hinges swing big doors."

Pre-hab should be the backbone of the physical training program.  

Referenced material:

1.BOYLE, Mike (2009) Functional Strength Coach 2 p. 76-94

2.SWAIN et al (1994) Target HR for the development of CV fitness. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 26 (1), p. 112-116

3.WILMORE, J.H. and COSTILL, D.L. (2005) Physiology of Sport and Exercise. 3rd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

4.POLIQUIN, C (2011) Theory Manual

5.ROBERTSON, M (2012) 21st Century Core Training

6.VERSTEGAN, M (2008) Core Perforjmance

On behalf of the IR team, thank you for reading.  

Booker