A movement assessment allows health and fitness professionals to observe imbalances of muscle strength, muscle recruitment, and joint range of motion. The results from a movement screen are used to determine corrective strength and flexibility exercises individual to your needs. It is possible to conduct your own movement screen with a keen eye, mirror, and possibly a second set of eyes from a friend or coach. Use the exercises and steps below to determine your limitations.

It seems as if I fly with a bicycle at least 20 times a year! One thing I’ve come to realize: knowing the “ins and outs of flying with your bike” pays off over time, so I hope this helps those of you who are embarking on a bicycle adventure in a new, and far off land in the near future!

Outdated schools of thought would suggest that lactate is the culprit for fatigue and eventual muscle failure. However, lactate has an under-appreciated role in athletic performance. Many think of “lactate threshold” as the ability to tolerate lactate in the muscle. From a general chemistry perspective, the difference in “lactate” versus “lactic acid” requires a basic knowledge of acids and bases. 

Coaches and athletes alike can be guilty of being so intent on providing details from training sessions by providing feedback that sometimes the most important focus points get lost by spending too much energy explaining nonessential details. 

Imbalance is a natural part of life. Much of our lives are spent trying to help balance work, kids, pets, and exercise to help make each day easier and more enjoyable. The same goes with fitness and sport, especially when maximizing performance is your goal. In endurance sports, any overworked area (whether it be one activity or a particular muscle group), can result in big discrepancies and potential injuries when that imbalance takes place over hundreds of hours.

Training outdoors throughout the winter can be a challenge to our mental and physical capacity on many levels. The days are shorter. Our bodies crave the long sunny days of spring and summer. Finding the motivation to get outdoors on dark winter days is hard enough. Add in the temperature factor and many of us retreat to the indoor life of treadmills and trainers. Would you spend more time outside if you could prepare your body for the extremes of winter?

For many triathletes, fall and winter welcomes a transition period allowing extra time to focus on technical skills. Of the three disciplines in triathlon, swimming is the most technical. Small changes to the mechanics of your swim stroke and strategy can shave off valuable time during competition. One technical aspect that may have a positive effect on your swim is learning to breathe bi laterally.