Warm-up: 200 IM, 100 Kick, 100 pull, 100 sprint
Main Set: Sprints :20 Rest
16×25 (1 length) swim, IM order
1-4= Butterfly
5-8= Backstroke
6-12= Breaststroke
13-16= Freestyle
(All 100% effort, all out sprint!)
1×200 choice easy
8×50 freestyle
Odd Numbers= Sprint!
Even Numbers= Pull, focus on elongating strokes
Cool Down: 1×200 freestyle at easy pace
by Mike Locke, Fitness Director
1. Reduce overuse injuries. The repetitive stress of intense, specialized training contributes to overuse injuries. Depending on water depth, aquatic training can reduce impact up to 85%, resulting in less stress and reducing the likelihood of injury.
2. Supplement land training. Many land moves can be mimicked in water, and clients can practice movement patterns without worrying about impact. Shallow water is beneficial for vertical jump training, transitional depths are good for racquet sports training, and deep water is valuable for long-distance training.
3. Add variety or overcome training plateaus. Water provides resistance in multiple planes of movement, allowing for new types of overload. Working in a different environment reduces boredom and adds fresh challenges.
4. Increase muscle strength. Cardiovascular and muscle endurance training can occur concurrently in the water. Correct training techniques and equipment make it possible to build strength.
5. Supplement speed and sports training. Coaches can teach sport-specific moves in the water. Aquatic training improves core muscle recruitment to stabilize the body against the water’s forces.
6. Facilitate post-workout recovery. The hydrostatic pressure from immersion increases circulation, reduces swelling, and enhances recovery. Water training provides a comfortable environment for active-rest workouts.
I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day! We’ve been busy around the pool, and we’re excited to gear up for summer! We’ve switched over to our 3-week Summer Sessions, so this round will let out right around the same time school does. After school lets out, you’ll see a change in availability! Since morning lessons are more popular in the summer, we are aiming to offer a greater variety at that time.
We also want to encourage everyone to take advantage of our family swim passes! Non-members are eligible to receive a family swim pass that allows you to come play at BAC and practice your students’ skills outside of class! Family Swim runs on Mon/Wed/Fri afternoons (3:30-5) and evenings (7-8:30) and on the weekends from 3-5 and 6-8:30. With the weather getting warmer, it might be nice to splash around in the water anyways! There will be a Special, ‘School’s Out’ themed family swim on Saturday, June 15th from 3-5PM. We’ll play games and have the opportunity to navigate an obstacle course where students can test their agility in the water, so join us for this fun themed family swim.
June 4 – 20th (3 weeks/6 Lessons)
Call (360) 676-1800 to sign up!
Press here for current Swim Lessons Schedule details and pricing.
Press here to go to the Aquatic Page.
Aqua Zumba brings new meaning to the idea of an invigorating workout. It combines the South American Zumba rhythm and dance steps with a pool party! There is less impact on your joints during an Aqua Zumba® class so you can really let loose. Water creates natural resistance, which means every step is more challenging and helps tone your muscles. If you like to dance and have fun, come join us! Wednesdays @ 10:30.
Many of us use swimming as a supplement to our dry-land workouts. We hop in the pool to stretch out and work a little of that lactic acid out of our systems. Swim a few laps, call it good and go about our day. But did you realize that you can get a lot more out of your workout?
Swimming is a complex sport and one that most people think of as a ‘high-dedication’ sport. In order to improve, you must be in the pool 2+ hours a day. And to improve your speed and endurance at the point of a competitive swimmer, yes, that kind of effort is necessary. But it’s totally possible to improve your stroke technique and physical fitness without putting in that massive amount of work. Swimming should be fun!
That’s where Drills come in. Drills are a way to hone a specific skill in a stroke – you can do drills to improve kicking, breathing, body positioning, any number of factors that contribute to your efficiency in the water. A drill is simply a way to modify your stroke to focus on these skills, then see how they affect your stroke!
Try out a few of these Drills, and add them to your repertoire!
Freestyle
• Zipper Drill: Pretend that there is a zipper running from your hip to your shoulder. As you are doing your pull and bringing your hand out of the water, use your thumb to ‘zip up’ the zipper. The intent of this drill is to correct arm positioning during a freestyle stroke! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBWEwihZeg4
• Clenched Fist Drill: This is a simple one. Just do regular freestyle, with a closed fist instead of an open palm! You’ll notice that it is harder to pull effectively. This drill is to teach you how to correctly pull water when you cannot rely on your ‘paddling’ hands. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwBk_8UDCgQ
Backstroke
• 6-Kick Switch: To perform this drill, do one stroke. When you bring your hand above your head, instead of pulling underneath your body, rotate to the side and hold your positioning for 6 kicks. Then complete your pull and repeat with the other arm. Alternate this pattern, making sure to ‘over-rotate’. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTCrC9frLQs
• Kickboard Positioning: This drill uses a kickboard to improve your body positioning and balance in the water. Hold our kickboard at hip-height, then do a stroke with one arm, the other holding the kickboard in place. Switch hands, and repeat. Then bring your kickboard above your head, and repeat again. In a third, optional position, hold the kickboard out of the water, pointed at the ceiling, and repeat again. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn9SP2ucA8Y
Come experience all the benefits the water can provide in this guided 45-minute music filled balance, cardiovascular, and muscle strength building class. Low impact so it’s easy on the joints but provides resistance to the working muscle for an overall body benefit. Because it’s water, you can work as hard or as easy as you are able so it is appropriate for people of all physical abilities and levels. Check Pool Schedule for days/times.
There are a variety of exercise modalities that can have a pronounced impact on your level of physical activity. Using a Water environment is one such modality due to its’ scientific properties. The specific properties that lend themselves to increased performance are:
• Buoyancy (body’s ability to float in water)
• Hydrostatic Pressure (pressure of water on the body)
• Viscosity (density of the water)
• Thermodynamics (temperature of the water)
How do these properties enhance physical activity performance?
• Upward lift of the water on the body or “buoyancy” reduces the effect of gravity on your body. Being submerged in chest-deep water decreases the effect of gravity by 60% whereas being submerged in neck-deep water reduces the effects by 90%. So what’s the benefit? Buoyancy means less impact on your joints which is especially important if you have joint issues or just would like to recover from gravity-based training.
• The pressure of the water, “Hydrostatic Pressure”, is exerted on all the surfaces on the body. This multi-directional pressure compresses the chest making breathing more difficult but with training, the muscular mechanisms of breathing do improve. Water pressure “massages” the body assisting with circulation so the heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood throughout the working body. The Lymphatic system also benefits from the “massaging” pressure assisting the bodies “garbage carriers”!
• Waters density or “Viscosity is approximately 800 times denser than air! Why is that a benefit? Because of its’ density, any movement in the water provides resistance in a multitude of directions. Increasing the speed of movement and/or the surface area of the movement can exponentially increase the resistance to the movement!
• Water transfers heat, “Thermodynamics”, away from the body 25 times faster than air! This affects the heart rate and oxygen consumption rate during activity. Cooler temperatures, 64.4-77 F degrees Fahrenheit, result in lower heart rates than do warmer temperatures, 86-95.9 F degrees Fahrenheit. For that reason, it is advisable to use Ratings of Perceived Effort (either 1-10 scale or 6-25 scale) instead of Heart Rate.
The contribution of these scientific properties of water allow us an exercise medium we can safely use to improve our Aerobic Endurance, Muscle Strength, Muscle Mobility and Flexibility, allow for graded progressive exercise as well as lessen the daily impact of gravity, giving the body some needed recovery!
Make a splash in your physical activity by giving Water Fitness a try!!
Bellingham Athletic Club offers a wide range of exercise and aquatics classes. During the month of May, we will be highlighting specific exercise and aquatic classes designed for adults who want to continue enjoying an active and spirited lifestyle. Join us and experience the difference!!!
May 5-11
Zumba Gold…Cordata with Celine
This class takes the popular Latin dance-inspired workout of Zumba and makes it accessible for seniors, beginners or others needing modifications in their exercise routine. Zumba Gold builds cardiovascular health by challenging the heart and working the muscles of the hips, legs, and arms with dance moves. Wednesdays @ 8:30 am in the Cordata Gym.
RetroFit…Cordata with Theresa/Lesley
A moderate-paced, low-impact class designed for people who are comfortable with basic choreography. Focus is on simple movements. This is a great starting class for all ages, beginners, and members coming back from rehab injuries. Mondays @ 8:30 in the Cordata Gym.
May 12-18
Strong & Stable…Downtown and Cordata with Lesley
Every class features exercises that increase balance, mobility, and strength in order for you to continue enjoying an active and fulfilling lifestyle. Mondays & Wednesdays @ 8:30 am Downtown. Fridays @ 8:30 in the Cordata Gym.
Strength & Stretch…Downtown with Lesley
This class is for any fitness level. The focus is on a combination of body weight exercises, bands, and other tools to challenge your strength and full body stretching to complement your training program. Tuesdays @ 8:30 am Downtown.
May 19-25
Aqua Aerobics / Aqua Zumba…Cordata with Jill/Toni/Carrie/Cindy/Myra/Lynn/Gayle
Get a great cardio low-impact workout in the water! Great for all abilities and fitness levels. Looking for a water aerobics class with a twist? Try out Aqua Zumba! It is a fast-paced, body-toning water workout that combines the rhythm of a traditional Zumba class with the increased resistance in the pool. Check Pool Schedule for days/times.
May 26-31
Pilates/Yoga…Cordata with Jen/Michal/Freddie/Elena/Lesley
This class is designed to work your powerhouse muscles – abs, lower back, thighs, and buttocks. The discipline emphasizes correct form to help develop strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, coordination, balance, & good posture. Designed for all levels. Check Group Exercise Schedule for days/times
We are getting into the busy season for Swim Lessons, so make sure you take a look at the schedule and secure your spot for May early! We are offering a bigger variety of classes at different times – we are still running the Angelfish II class in the mornings, so if you have a confident 2-year old, this is the class for you! You’ll also see more Starfish classes offered in the afternoon, for students who are ages 7+ and just starting out in lessons.
Wondering what to bring to lessons? We don’t have too many requirements: If not potty trained, we do require a swim diaper in the water, as well as any kind of swim suit or swimming clothes and a towel to dry off and stay warm! Goggles are not required, but they are encouraged (especially for older levels where kids are swimming all the way across the pool). We do have a few pairs for general use, however we cannot guarantee goggle availability with so many lessons. So if you’ve got a picky swimmer, it might be a good idea to pick up some of your own. Also, students with hair at or longer than shoulder length should have their hair pulled back with a hair tie or swim cap. If you have any more questions about lessons, please reach out to me, I am happy to give advice and recommendations.
Swim Team can be a great opportunity for those swimmers who would like to spend more time in the water developing their skills and learning to think about swimming as a sport, rather than a leisure activity. If your student is interested, feel free to pop in and watch a practice to get an idea of the kinds of skills we develop! Swim Team runs from 5:30-6:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
May 7 – 30th (4 weeks/8 Lessons)
Days: Tuesdays & Thursdays
Times: 10am–12pm, 3:30pm–5:30pm, & 6:00pm-8:00pm
We offer adult groups lessons from 7:30 pm-8:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as private lessons to meet your personal fitness goals.
Call (360) 676-1800 to sign up!
Press here for current Swim Lessons Schedule details and pricing.
Press here to go to the Aquatic Page.
The pool will be rented out from 1:00 – 2:00 pm on May 21 & 28. Sorry, no lanes will be available during that time.