Butterfly - Dolphin/Breast Kick Combo - GoSwim!

Butterfly - Dolphin/Breast Kick Combo - GoSwim!

Here is an excellent drill to develop core stability, rhythm and strength in your dolphin kick.  See you in the pool! Dr. Brett

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Brett J. Lemire, DC CSCS, founder of Universal Chiropractic Spine & Sport in Elk Grove.  Dr. Brett is also a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, has been trained in Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) according to Kolar.  He has taken numerous post-graduate courses with some of the world’s leading authorities in Manual Medicine, Spine and Sports Rehabilitation techniques.  You can contract Dr. Lemire at 916-683-3900.

Dynamic Warm-up & Limbering for Swimmers - Brettzel 1.0 and 2.0

Dynamic Warm-up & Limbering for Swimmers

As I become more involved with the development of  swimmers, I realize that the majority of them don't know how to limber and warm-up their bodies correctly.  I highly recommend the Brettzel exercise, as it is effective for athletes of all ages in preparation for swimming in practice or competition.

The following video is by Gray Cook, PT CSCS, and demonstrates the correct set-up for the Brettzel 1.0,  and the progression onto the 2.0.  Each position of the Brettzel stretches the chain of muscles on the front and back portions of the torso, pelvis and extremities, and helps to improve mobility and stability necessary for optimal movement in both daily and sports related activity.  



If we were to evaluate the Brettzel from the developmental positions of a baby, you can see it mimics specific phases of turning, sitting and load transfer to crawl pattern.   Why is this important? Because developmental positions and the ability to transfer to other positions form the fundamental patterns of posture, mobility and stability that are used at higher levels of sports movements.

Sports activities such as throwing a baseball, hitting a tennis or golf ball and during certain phases of the swim stroke can all be traced back to the basic pattern of a Brettzel.

Summary:  Being limber, mobile and stable are important elements to both health and longevity in sport and daily activity.  They form a very important foundation to injury prevention. With that said, athletes both young and old often do not perform an adequate dynamic warm-up prior to training and competition, and their performances in both venues can often suffer.  The Brettzel is just one of many limbering exercises that make-up the foundation of movements seen in a variety of sports.

Brett J. Lemire, DC CSCS, founder of Universal Chiropractic Spine & Sport in Elk Grove.  Dr. Brett is also a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, has been trained in Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) according to Kolar.  He has taken numerous post-graduate courses with some of the world’s leading authorities in Manual Medicine, Spine and Sports Rehabilitation techniques.  You can contract Dr. Lemire at 916-683-3900.