The video preview is for Deep Buoy Endurance, posted on 12/27/16
Fitmotivation video subscribers have two consistent requests for video content; more deep water and more hand buoys. Therefore, video viewers will be thrilled with Deep Buoy Endurance, the latest video to post. USA Aqua Expert, Craig Yaniglos, shares a deep-water workout that features upper & lower body intervals and creative choreography. This workout was specifically designed to minimize shoulder and hand discomfort so that the buoys can be used throughout the entire class, including the cool down and final stretch.
Some instructors avoid using buoys in deep water because of safety concerns. (Check out the Fitmotivation Video Interview with Craig for more on this discussion) If you have ever taught a deep-water class with hand buoys you have probably witnessed some rather heinous flailing about. For starters, shoulders are often elevated up to the ears as students lacking kinesthetic awareness push and plunge the buoys in a haphazard manner.
And why is shoulder elevation a safety concern? The shoulder is a very complex structure with lots of muscles, tendons and nerves running through a very small opening in the bony structure of the Acromion. According to an article, Impingement Syndrome, posted on Eorthopod.com, “Impingement occurs to some degree in everyone’s shoulder. Day-to-day activities that involve using the arm above shoulder level cause some impingement. Usually it doesn’t lead to any prolonged pain. But continuously working with the arms raised overhead, repeated throwing activities, or other repetitive actions of the shoulder can cause impingement to become a problem. Impingement becomes a problem when it causes irritation or damage to the rotator cuff tendons.”
In Deep Buoy Endurance, Craig minimizes shoulder elevation with cueing, education and exercise selection. Alternating between lower and upper body exercises provides opportunities for scapular depression and stabilization when working with just lower body movement. Training students to depress the scapula builds strength that eventually crosses over to better form and alignment in the upper body exercises.
The other issue that is frequently addressed when using hand buoys is excessive gripping. AEA Standards and Guidelines recommend frequent hand breaks be incorporated when using hand held equipment. Why? Many participants suffer from arthritis, which impacts the joints of the fingers and wrists. Furthermore, excessive gripping causes hand discomfort in all populations and can lead to chronic hand and wrist conditions if done in repetitive fashion over time. In the video, Craig shares techniques for holding the buoys (without gripping) and for building in hand breaks as exercises transition from upper to lower body.
DEEP BUOY ENDURANCE: AT A GLANCE
WARM UP This workout begins with a warm up to acclimate the students with the use of a buoyant belt and two hand buoys, which are used throughout the entire class. According to Craig, this is the time to educate your students, check body alignment and get them acclimated to the use of a belt and hand buoys. “Because participants are already using a belt, I encourage students to go down a size when choosing the hand buoys to ensure they are not too buoyant,” says Craig.
INTERVALS WITH HAND BUOYS
As mentioned above, upper body exercises will be alternated with lower body exercises in this segment. “When working the lower body the upper body can recover and we can encourage the release of the hands and cue the scapular depression,” says Craig. As for the intervals, Craig says that instructors can choose the timing of the work and rest ratios that work best for their students. In this workout, a 1:1 work to rest ratio is utilized; the work and rest segments are both 30 seconds.
CREATIVE CHOREOGRAPHY & COOL DOWN/FINAL STRETCH
In the choreography segment, the instructional styles of add-on and pyramid are utilized. “I like this combination of styles because add-on uses lots of repetition and then pyramid allows for some performance aspect,” says Craig. He advises keeping the repetitions consistent until all the moves in a combination are added on and then you can begin reducing repetitions of the completed combination. According to Craig, the choreography in this routine is simple and flows nicely from one move to the next. “There are specific built in transitions to help move the hand bars from in the hands to under the armpits so that the hands get a break,” adds Craig. After the choreography, the workout seamlessly flows into a short gentle cool down utilizing the hand buoys. Video viewers will enjoy seeing a cool down and final stretch using the hand buoys.
On behalf of Fitmotivation, I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to Craig for sharing his aqua workouts with Fitmotivation video viewers. Last month, his shallow water workout, Aqua Hi-Lo Combat posted. Don’t forget to check out the Fitmotivation video interview with Craig. And be sure to look for Craig at the 30th anniversary of the International Aquatic Fitness Conference (IAFC) in Palm Harbor, FL, May 15-20, 2016.