CEC ARTILE
BY C. D. HOLCOMB
A. Philosophy
1. What is it and why would we do it?
THIS IS NOT CHOREOGRAPHED IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM. This is a class designed to give lap swimmers, swim teams, lifeguards, and advanced aqua aerobics participants with swimming skills a challenge, cross training, and anaerobic/ interval training in a fun group setting. The key with this class in not going to far and have active rest activities between the strenuous ones and progressions to allow different skill levels to perform the exercises safely.
Because of the Swimming, Treading, Climbing and Underwater Exercises this type of workout is inherently and interval/anaerobic type workout. A quick review the basics of interval training.
Interval training uses segments of high intensity work with segments of moderate to light intensity recovery periods. This is effective for training both the aerobic and the anaerobic systems. You must balance the available oxygen, and the intensity of the work being done. The more intense the exercise and the less the available oxygen, the greater the demand on the anaerobic energy system to help meet the demand.
The work/recovery ratio for aerobic interval training varies depending on the length of time and intensity of the anaerobic section. The higher the intensity in the anerobic segment the longer the recovery.
Work Level Time____________ _recovery Time at 60%
85% or higher 30 seconds 2 minutes
80% 60 seconds 1 minutes
75% 2-3 minutes 30 sec - 1 min
*This workout involves holding your breath and high intensity. IT IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS. When first starting this program stay in the lower two brackets until you are sure of the participants fitness and swimming levels.
USE THE TALK TEST OFTEN and RPE tests to keep monitoring throughout the class. If will give you feedback on the intensity level of the exercises, and this will vary from participant to participant.
2. Instructor Qualifications
A primary aqua certification with swim coaching or advanced swimming skills
A swim coach with education in anaerobic training and energy systems, or
A navy seal or ex military personnel with WSI and with education in anaerobic training and energy systems.
Basically, it has to be someone educated/certified/licensed in dealing with different fitness levels and how to safely run a more advanced swimming skills class.
B. Group Fitness Goals
1. More Interval-Very Advanced
2. Anaerobic Training
3. Breath Control
C. Water Reconnaissance Exercises
1. Swimming Skills
You do need to be able to swim freestyle, backstroke, and breast stroke for at least 200 yards. Underwater swimming skills are also recommended. Participants should feel comfortable in all depths of water without any flotation devices. The instructor should either also be a lifeguard, have rescue skills, or wear a whistle to summon trained assistance if necessary. As usual people will try this course without the necessary skills and try to fake it through it. BE PREPARED.
2. Equipment Needed (Goggles for everyone, possibly nose plugs)
Stuff that sinks
Some exercises are recovery from the bottom or running through shallow water carrying a weighted object. You should have a variety of sizes and weights at a variety of depths so participants can find their appropriate level.
Options for equipment.
10 lb lifesaving brick, Children's diving rings, A variety of medicine ball of different weights, Platistic coated hand weights, Colored poker chips or coins
Stuff that floats
Some exercises require climbing on top of floating object or conveying them through an obstacle course. Again size and shape variety allow for different levels and challenges.
Options for equipment
Inner tubes, Fitballs, Beach balls, Noodles, Rafts, Small balls, Kickboards or Wooble boards, Pull Buoys
Stuff that is neutral
Some exercises can be recovery or passing games that are not necessarily submerged. Again size and shape variety are important
Options for equipment
Nerf footballs, Sponges, Fribees, Paddles, Fins, Net bags for collecting stuff, Leashes, Tethers
3. Exercises and Drills
a. Swimming Exercises
Tandems - As pairs holding hands swimming together each with one arm
Trains - As Pairs one is the legs and holds on to the others feet who does the arms
Leashed to Wall Swims
Leashed to Each Other Swimming away as in a tug of war
Killer Freestyles - 25 yards without breathing hit the wall breathe but flutter kick hard for 30 sec. Jump out, dive in and do it again.
Underwater lengths
Underwater with Kickboard
Treading water with weighted objects passing them
Water Polo
Treading and traveling, no flotation belts, possible carrying an object.
Alternate breathing 3, 5, 7 strokes on sets of 100 yards freestyle.
b. Recovery Exercises
Recovery single heavy object from deep
Recovery and swim of moderate weight objects from bottom
Recovery multiple light weight objects quickly with mesh bags
Search and find small objects under Frisbees or water STEPs
c. Obstacle courses
Recovery, Swim, Go Over, Core Balance, Run through shallow.
d. Floating obstacles - Core stability
Getting on tubes, rafts, or fitballs in the deep
Standing on noodles or kickboards in deep traveling
Collecting as many noodles as possible
e. Very Shallow or Current (Lazy River) Drills
Shallow Water run
Run with tubes or noodles or weights
Broad jumps
Moguls
Moguls over steps
Up and off stairs
D. Class Format
1. Group Formats
Warm ups should include active stretches, swimming laps, water jogging, full body movements, and breathing exercises.
For groups, the class is doing stuff together or in teams.
The class will be interval and will require the instructor to exchange equipment quickly or have things set up to move from one exercise to another. Remember recovery of swimming, jogging, easy treading between difficult exercises. The cooldown should be recovery laps, water walking, and static stretches.
2. Obstacle Formats
This is like taking a circuit to a new level. After a normal warm-up, the class starts at the beginning with a timed distance between each participant. The last obstacle is a swim and recovery before they start again. Plan the obstacles to allow for muscle balance, and anaerobic recovery. A hard anaerobic obstacle should be followed by one or two aerobic recovery obstacles.
E. Examples
Group Format - Warm up including 200 yard mixed breastroke and freestyle. Shallow water running. 4xShallow water recovery and swim a lap. 4x treading holding kickboard overhead for 2 min. followed by Core Stability travel standing on suspended kickboard for 1 min. Deep water recovery of heavy object 100 yard swim. Get out of pool 4 lengths of killer freestyle. 200 yards easy backstroke.
Pair up alternate tandem/train for 8 laps. Leased shallow water running for 3 min. Dips on Gutters. Water Polo Cool Down
Obstacle Format-Warm up including 200 yard mixed breastroke and freestyle. Course 1 length Killer freestyle, gutter dips for 30 sec. Noodle walk back to shallow, swim holding noodles up back to deep. 100 yard backstroke, mesh bag recovery of mutiple objects, treading throw objects back for next in line.Swim to shallow for leashed run, pick up inner tube and run it and tread in to deep. Climb on top of inner tube. Paddle it back to shallow. 100 yard backstroke . Repeat
Cool Down.
Safety Tips - The instructor will have to be on deck to adequately monitor all the participants and keep track of them. Wearing a whistle and knowing the signals for the lifeguards at that pool are very important especially if you do not have your current lifeguard certification. Remember if someone gets tired or fatigued, tell them to sit on out or grab a kick board for some easy laps. Have backup exercises in mind and the dipolamcy to suggest alternative in an encouraging manner. Remember, if you have flotation equipment for the class it can be used in an emergency if needed.
CEC ARTICLE TEST QUSTIONS
VOL 4, 2002
1. Why is this type of workout different than normal interval training?
2. T or F Any certified water aerobics instructor can teach this class?
3. T or F Participants with poor swimming skills can still modify and take this class.
4. T or F The instructor must spend time planning the sequence in order to allow adequate recovery periods between difficult exercises.
5. T or F Participants must be able to swim butterfly to take this class.
6. List 4 swimming exercises
7. List 4 recovery exercises
8. List 4 shallow water exercises
9. Which type of exercises are consider CORE stability exercises?
10. List the 3 levels for anerobic/aerobic recovery segments and the intensities and times in each.
11. T or F you can use all 3 levels whenever you teach this class.
12. T or F you only need to do a talk test once at peak intensity and once before the cooldown in this type of workout.
13. What participants might come to this type of a class?
14. T or F the instructor can easily get in the water and participate with the class.
Member Option: Mail this test with a coupon and $13.50 to
A-PAI , 1601 Great Western Dr. M3. Longmont, CO 80501
A passing score of 80% is required and a CEC certificate worth 2 CEC will be mailed back to you to count toward recertication.
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