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May 2014 / w o M e n ’ s h e a lt h 51 P h o t o g r a P h s b y a r t h u r b e l e b e a u

body

It’s not surprising to see women dominating the sports arena these days, but they’re not rising through the ranks on their own – behind every pro athlete is a team of support staff helping the stars perform at their best. And it’s their knowledge of physiology, diet, injury prevention and rehabilitation that keeps our national athletes performing at their peak. No matter what your fitness level, these unsung heroes’ secrets will make you a star performer.

Training for an event? Or just want to lose those last stubborn kilos? These pro tips will turbocharge your sweat sessions and send pain packing By Gotlhokwang Angoma

Raise Your Game!

Shelly Meltzer, dietician

Meltzer has over 25 years’

experience in clinical, sport and

community nutrition. She’s

worked with South Africa’s

national cricket, soccer,

surfing and Olympic athletes,

and the SA canoeing and

SA Sevens rugby teams.

Shona Hendricks, head of sports science, High Performance

Centre, University of Pretoria

Hendricks’ passion and

expertise lie in football and

physical testing for both men’s and women’s

football teams. She’s worked with individual players from the Banyana

Banyana squad and participants in the London

Olympic Games 2012.

Ceejae Miller,

biokineticist

A former SA world

championship dancer, Miller has worked with the top

cyclists at the Absa Cape

Epic cycle tour for the past two years,

and currently assists with trail running

and mountain bike stage

races in and around Cape Town.

Kirsty Querl,

strength and conditioning

sports scientist, Institute

for Sports Research, High Performance

Centre, University of Pretoria

Querl has worked with

both the International

Tennis Federation Centre and emerging

hockey teams.

Hannah Oguz,

exercise physiologist

Some of the well-known teams Oguz has worked with include the Proteas,

Kaiser Chiefs, British

triathletes, Waratahs,

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league and

various British Olympic athletes.

Jacques du Toit,

senior consultant,

Discovery High Performance

Centre, Sports Science

Institute of South Africa

Du Toit has a special

interest in football

and rugby performance enhancement

and final-phase

rehabilitation. He’s worked

with the SA national

women’s rugby team.

MEET THE EXPERTS

Get-Fit Tricks

> Kirsty Querl Start with a planPreparing your workout in advance by dividing it into four-week blocks will help you stick to your goals, as opposed to training according to how you feel at the time. Consistent training will aid you in becoming fitter and gaining your expected results faster. Set repetition targets in your schedule: begin with 30 reps per exercise and build up to 50 or 60. Choose five or six exercises from your programme to perform the high reps.

> Shona HendricksStick with itMy players and clients get better and quicker results by training consistently: making training a habit and training smart every day. Training hard for one week or a few days at a time, then not doing anything for a couple of days, is the least effective method and you’ll just get frustrated. Note: training consistently doesn’t mean training in the same manner – variation is vital to your programme!

Sleep it offFor good recovery, start with enough sleep and good nutrition, which relates to both your overall eating plan and food intake within the first 20 to 30 minutes after exercise. These are the two foundation factors of recovery. Anything else, such as compression garments and ice baths, will complement your strategy. In addition, try to work stretching, foam rolling and hydro into your weekly training plan.

> Ceejae Miller Stock up on chocolate milkWould you attempt to drive your car from Cape Town to Durban on empty? Probably not. Similarly, you can’t expect your body to run well if you don’t fuel it sufficiently. Food plays a major role in muscle regeneration. When you exercise, you tear muscle fibres, and muscle is made up of protein, so the best source of replenishment is readily available protein. The best scientifically

52 w o M e n ’ s h e a lt h / May 2014 / womenshealthsa.co.za

Form first: during lunges, drop down, not forward.

proven replenishment drink is a chocolate Steri Stumpie – the ratio of fats and protein is perfect.

Book a massageMassages and stretches rejuvenate muscles by assisting in realigning muscle fibres. If muscle fibres are not aligned correctly, your muscles will fail to contract and exert a powerful maximum force. At the height of training and competitions, weekly sports massages are a must. Remember, a sports massage is not a relaxing day at the spa – it can be a painful experience, but it’s necessary. These massages can be performed by sports massage therapists, as well as trained biokineticists and physiotherapists.

Don’t push through painAthletes push physical boundaries with their bodies all the time. They’re always wanting to jump higher, run faster, stretch further and, in doing so, they’re putting themselves under extreme pressure. If you start to feel any discomfort during your regular training sessions, get checked out immediately. Make an appointment with your biokineticist or physio and fix the “niggle” before it becomes a full-blown injury. Therapists can assist you in modifying your training to rest the overworked areas and push the areas that are underworked.

> Jacques du ToitRest for strengthWhen you want to up the ante, try high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but make sure you rest between moves. HIIT coupled with rest periods leads to improved fitness levels and torches fat fast. During short high-intensity exercises, your body’s main source of fuel is phosphocreatine (the stuff that gives you strength and energy), and your rest period allows for its replenishment. The ability to perform HIIT is based on the ability to use and replenish phosphocreatine in a short period of time, leading to improved performance and fitness levels.

> Hannah OguzGo crazy now and thenThe quickest way to get fitter is to develop what strength and conditioning specialist Alwyn Cosgrove refers to as “training schizophrenia”. Basically, when something new comes along, try it! It may seem intimidating to someone who has just started “discovering themselves” in their training, but by supplementing your core set of exercises with new and exciting moves, you can improve your fitness radically and reap the associated benefits.

> Shelly MeltzerDon’t try anything new on the big dayIf you’re prepping for a big event, like your first half marathon, it’s important to test your dietary strategy during training, rather than in competition. Don’t try anything new on or near race day in case your body reacts badly to it. This pertains to food and drink combinations, concentrations and timing of pre- and post-exercise meals on game day. If you’re using supplements, make sure they’re necessary and safe (that they don’t contain substances that are banned for use in sport). If you’re unsure, ask a sports physician or dietician with sports nutrition experience. >

May 2014 / w o M e n ’ s h e a lt h 53

A sports massage

is not a relaxing day at the spa – it can be a painful experience,

but it’s necessary

54 w o M e n ’ s h e a lt h / april 2014 / womenshealthsa.co.za

Get-Fit TricksKilOJOulE-BuRninG WORKOuT

This high-intensity workout from Du Toit will burn fat and increase your fitness levels. “The aim is to perform the exercises straight after each other with good technique and rest,” he says. So when you’ve finished the circuit, rest for three minutes, then repeat the circuit for a total of three rounds. Intensity should be

65 percent of your one-rep max, or an effort level of 7/10.

1/ Dumbbell squatsHold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in (A). Brace your abs and lower your body as far as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees (B). Pause, then slowly push yourself back to the starting position. Do 12 reps.

2/ Barbell bent-over rowsGrab a barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Hold the bar at arm’s length, then bend at your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Your knees should be slightly bent and your lower back naturally arched (A). Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the bar up to your upper abs (B). Pause, then return to the starting position. Do 12 reps.

3/ Push-ups Get into the top of a push-up position. Your body should form a straight line from ankles to shoulders (A). Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, making sure you tuck your elbows close to the sides of your torso (B). Pause, then push yourself back to the starting position. Do 12 reps.

4/ Dips Hold onto the seat of a chair, hands on either side of your hips, and inch your butt off the seat. Extend your legs straight in front of you (A). Bend your elbows straight back and lower your hips towards the floor until your shoulders are in line with your elbows (B). Press back to the starting position and repeat. Do 12 reps.

5/ Medicine ball slams Grab a medicine ball and hold it above your head. Your arms should be slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart (A). Forcefully slam the ball to the floor in front of you as hard as you can (B). Do 12 reps.

6/ 350m rowing When you row, start the movement by pulling your shoulders back and down. Why? Because otherwise you’ll tend to keep your shoulders elevated, which stresses both the front for your shoulder and rotator cuff muscle. Over time this can cause your shoulder joint to become unstable, which often leads to injuries.

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SHOPGo to www.Fitshop.

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Workouts.

Keep your weight on your heels,

not your toes, for

the entire movement.

Keep your torso as

upright as you can for the entire

movement, with your lower back naturally

arched.

Stick your chest out.

The tops of your thighs should be

parallel to the floor or lower.

Squeeze your abs as tight as possible and keep them contracted for the entire

exercise.

You’ll feel this working your triceps.

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A

B B

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