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Total Hydropower

Join Us at IAFC 2004 in Orlando, Florida
Greg will teach this class in Session 308 on May 20

Total Hydropower is a unique program that can easily be adapted for a variety of formats from group exercise classes to personal training and can be modified to fit every ability level in the aquatic environment. In general, the goal of an exercise program is to increase and maintain complete body fitness levels. Total Hydropower will help strengthen the body and encourage participants to have a good time while achieving this goal. So now it is time to hop in the water and achieve a Total Hydropower workout.

Total Hydropower will use drag equipment and aerobic interval training to create a unique and highly effective training module. Participants are taken through a series of intervals, each consisting of a specific exercise to train a pair of opposing muscle groups. The class begins with a general warm-up for the entire body that gradually increases in intensity. After the warm-up, progress to 3 interval cycles at a 1:3 ratio (light:hard intensity bouts) to train every major muscle group in the upper body. From here, move into a moderate cardio-respiratory segment to further warm the lower body before following the same interval pattern for the major muscle groups in the legs. Class ends with a light cool down.

Intervals for an Efficient Workout
The decision to use an interval format is simple in order to provide the most complete workout possible in an efficient time frame. The specified interval format utilizes light intensity bouts (15 seconds) alternated with high intensity bouts (45 seconds) of maximum effort. Because the interval cycles are for a duration of three minutes per muscle group, the body is going to go through it’s immediate and intermediate energy sources. This will allow the participant to work at an aerobic capacity. The 15 second low intensity segments are not adequate for the muscles to fully recover from an anaerobic activity. This will put most of the strain on the Lactic Acid System during the first 30 seconds of the high intensity segment. It is at this time that the participant should be able to break the aerobic threshold. This is also where the participants will get their gains and benefits in strength and power. Since the Lactic Acid system will not be able to fully recover during the 15 second low intensity segment, the length of time spent above the aerobic threshold will be decrease with each interval. This will put a greater demand on the Aerobic System as you go through the intervals and provide you with a complete aerobic workout.

Positive Gains for All Major Physical Components
From the format discussed above, Total Hydropower training can obviously provide gains in cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular endurance, and muscular strength. Flexibility can be accomplished through two factors, proper form and technique and utilizing drag with inertia of the water. An example would be during a fly movement, transverse ab/adduction of the arms at the shoulders, you would want to push your arms through a full range of motion. If for some reason you have a decreased range of motion during the abduction portion of the movement, the inertia of the water would catch the frontal surface area of the drag equipment and stretch the muscles a little further than you were able to go by yourself. This will over time start to create a greater range of motion while strengthening the joint through the new range of motion.Body composition can show improvements as these other areas are addressed, especially when exercise is accompanied by a proper diet. So this Total Hydropower workout can provide the participant everything needed to make positive gains in all five of the major components of physical fitness.

Core Muscles Challenged
The only thing not mentioned is the phenomenal core workout the participants will get. This program by design will challenge and strengthen the body’s core muscles throughout the workout session. With a concentrated focus on one or two areas of the body at any given time, the body will need to support and stabilize itself throughout the interval cycles to maintain the proper body alignment. By maintaining proper position, core muscles are trained almost continually through the exercise session.

In addition to being flexible to the individual’s fitness level, the class is set up for various levels of drag equipment as well. Utilizing drag equipment allows participants the ability to alter intensity during the workout and allows people of various fitness levels to participate in the workout. This makes drag the ideal equipment for the masses. Because of the variances in fitness levels and amount of resistance that different equipment choices provide, music may not be suited for the class. Music may become a distraction and affect the attention needed to focus on strengthening the body and achieving a Total Hydropower workout.

With these principles in mind, you are on your way to achieving total fitness goals. I look forward to meeting all of you in Orlando and seeing you in my workshop so we can attain a Total Hydropower workout. For registration information, please download the brochure.