Friday, December 30, 2016

KAATSU Aqua Bands - How To Use In Pool

For who? water athletes, Baby Boomers, retirees, student-athletes
For what? Strength, stamina, functional movement, mobility, flexibility, recovery




















































Depending if you are a competitive swimmer (healthy or injured), a masters swimmer (healthy or injured) or a water polo player or a land-based athlete interested in working out in the pool, there are a number of kicking sets you can do in the pool:

1. Pool Kicking Sets

To develop speed
• 1 x 25 easy + 1 x 25 fast
• 1 x 25 easy + 1 x 50 fast
• 1 x 25 easy + 1 x 75 fast
• 1 x 25 easy + 1 x 100 fast

To develop stamina:
• 1 x 25 easy + 30 seconds vertical kicking (hands in water)
• 1 x 25 easy + 30 seconds vertical kicking (hands out of water)
• 1 x 25 easy + 30 seconds vertical kicking (wrists out of water)
• 1 x 25 easy + 30 seconds vertical kicking (elbows out of water)

To develop strength:
• 10 x 25 kicking with KAATSU Aqua Bands (2 butterfly, 2 backstroke, 2 breaststroke and 4 freestyle)
• 3 sets of vertical kicking with KAATSU Aqua Bands until mouth goes below surface of water
• Aqua-walking, aqua-jogging or aqua-running with KAATSU Aqua Bands in waist-deep water
• 3 x 60 seconds of treading water (eggbeater) with KAATSU Aqua Bands

2. Open Water Kicking Sets

To develop stamina:
• 500m kick in open water with a kickboard
• 500m kick in open water with a kickboard and short-blade fins
• 500m kick in open water with a kickboard and long-blade fins
• 500m kick in open water without a kickboard, hands sculling in front
• 500m kick in open water without a kickboard or fins, hands sculling at sides

To develop navigational IQ:
• 500m backstroke kick in open water with arms stretched out in front
• 500m backstroke kick in open water with hands sculling at sides

To develop strength and stamina:
• 100m backstroke kick with arms stretched up above the chest in the air
• 100m easy freestyle back to start
• 75m backstroke kick with arms stretched up above the chest in the air
• 75m easy freestyle back to start
• 50m backstroke kick with arms stretched up above the chest in the air
• 50m easy freestyle back to start
• 25m backstroke kick with arms stretched up above the chest in the air
• 25m easy freestyle back to start

To develop speed and kinetic awareness of the power of the ocean:
• 30 minutes of bodysurfing with a regular kickboard
• 30 minutes of bodysurfing with a regular kickboard and fins
• 30 minutes of bodysurfing with fins

3. Pool or Open Water Kicking Sets

Just for fun and challenge
• Swim with shoes in open water trying to keep a streamlined body position
• Vertical kicking with shoes in the pool
• Vertical kicking holding liter bottles filled with water
• Push off wall underwater and try to go as far as possible underwater while holding a kickboard in outstretched arms
• Two people face each other and hold one kickboard between them in the vertical position. Each kick vigorously against each other, in the opposite direction, until they have moved 5 meters

Copyright © 2014-2016 by KAATSU Global

Saturday, December 10, 2016

KAATSU User Michael Andrew Wins First World Title




























Photo courtesy of Peter H. Bick for Swimming World Magazine.

Michael Andrew, a phenomenal 17-year-old from Kansas won his first world swimming title yesterday in Canada in the 100m individual medley at the 2016 FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships.

Coached by his father, Peter Andrew, Michael uses blood flow moderation training with KAATSU Cycles and KAATSU Training on his KAATSU Master unit.

The Andrew's use of KAATSU is illustrative to what is recommended to aquatic athletes and their counterparts on dryland, using either a portable KAATSU Nano or a larger KAATSU Master.

1. Strength building
(a) warm-up with KAATSU Cycle with an appropriate Base SKU and Optimal SKU levels 2-3 times on both arms and legs.
(b) a wide variety of body-weight exercises and resistance band exercises, along with use of ergometers with the KAATSU Arm Bands (and separately with KAATSU Leg Bands), always going to either muscular or technical failure generally in sets of 3-4.

2. Stamina building
(a) swim short sets of sprints (8-12) of 25-50 yards or meters with 20 seconds rest between, ideally performed at the end of practice.
(b) after the KAATSU swim sprints are completed, remove bands and loosen down a bit (100-300 meters) and then do one last all-out sprint. The athletes usually feel strong and swim outstandingly fast.

3. Speed building
(a) swim short sprints (15-25 meters) and agility drills that should be performed with a strong kick.
(b) practice race starts (3-5).
(c) practice race-pace breakouts and turns.

4. Skill improvement
(a) Use KAATSU Arm Bands or KAATSU Leg Bands (on alternate days) during shooting drills for water polo players.
(b) Use KAATSU Arm Bands or KAATSU Leg Bands during swimming technique drill sets (on butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke or freestyle). The athletes usually feel an enhanced tactile feel in the water as a result.
(b) Use KAATSU Leg Bands during kicking sets for swimmers, especially intense when using fins, or during eggbeatering drills that are especially important for goalies.

5. Warm-up
(a) Conduct warm-up on dryland with "light" KAATSU Cycles before a game/swim meet or between games/swims on multi-game tournaments or multiple swims during one day.
(b) Do KAATSU Cycles (Cycle 20) between prelims and finals at the hotel or home.

6. Recovery
(a) Warm-down with "light" KAATSU Cycles after a practice/game/swim meet in order to recover well for the next day.
(b) Do KAATSU Cycles (Cycle 20) after finals in the evenings in the hotel/home in order to recover well for the next day of competition.

7. Flexibility
(a) Stretch on dryland with KAATSU Cycles in order to increase range of motion.
(b) Stretch in the water with KAATSU Arm Bands or KAATSU Leg Bands on in order to increase range of motion.

8. Rehabilitation
(a) Perform KAATSU based on the advice of a physician, physical therapist or trainer.

To research Frequently Asked Questions about KAATSU, visit here.

Copyright © 2014-2016 by KAATSU Global, Inc.