Slalom Warm Up

[John Gilmour]

Calgon take me away!







Actually- hot water isn't a bad way to stretch and warm up if you are a stocky guy over 170lbs.

It takes a lot to get in an warm up through all the bulk/beer fat. Big roasts take longer to cook than small ones. You certainly don't want to get a muscle pull at the attachment site near the bone. Nothing pentrates deep like heat from water.

If you are the course setter- the amount of bending while setting cones is almost enough to stretch your calves and ham strings. Just a few stretches are needed say 5 per leg.

One other thing to consider stretching is the deep back part of your ankle- such stretches are done to reduce plantar fascitus (spelling?) Basically it is a lunging stretch with you driving your knee a little further after you do the regular lunge type stretch- you'll feel it go right down through your heel. A really good stretch if you ride "Euro style" (rasised heel). Also do not "run off' to stop- taht will give you heel spurs...if you do....then do this stretch to help reduce inflammation.

You should also do quad stretch and anterior tib stretch- first grab your ankle and pull it up behind your back while straight to stretch the quad and then grab your toes arch your ankle to the max and repeat to stretch the tib.

For your ankles. Take your hand and while seated rotate your ankle in a circle with your leg stationary. Add resistance (Push) with your hand. Do clockwise first for 20 rotations (3 sets) then counter clockwise for 20 rotations (3 sets) then add opposing resitance (Pull)with your hand. Do clockwise first for 20 rotations (3 sets) then counter clockwise for 20 rotations (3 sets) . Do as large a circle as you can without your ankle "crunching" as you stengthen your ankles make the circle bigger. You can also do this to rehad sprained ankles. This is more of a stability and strength exercise than a warmup. (I do this in the car while driving to slalom- thanks to cruise control)

Roll up your back to stretch your back. While seated clasp your hands behind the chair and lean forward- hold for 10 seconds. Slide your arms up the back of the chair for a deeper stretch.

Arch backwards lightly to stretch your chest.

Do side stretches to stretch your obilques (used for offsets- especially if you ride any parallel stance or offset parallel). Put your arm over your head sideways and lean stretching out the side of your waist. Grab your other wrist and pull.

Most importantly. Lean over and using about 25 cones let your arm droop over while bent at the waist. Support your back by placing your other arm on a chair or bench. Now holding the cones in one hand let your arm droop down and slowly rotate the cones in a clockwise direction for 20 rotations...going as wide as you can to get a stretch in your back and under the "chicken wing" then reverse direction for 20 more roations.

Then do the other arm.

This exercise will bring blood to the rotator cuff and make it less susceptible to a tear if you were to fall. Also it will help work out any impingment that you might be experiencing from practice.

Also grab your shoulder with your hand now with the other hand grab the elbow and pull gently across your chest- this will also help warm up the rotator cuff.

Wrists are already warmed up from carrying all the gear.

Don't forget your neck.

Olson has a simplified stretching method. Sleeps under his pickup at La Costa in driving rains. This helps to straighten his back. Warm up is the morning hunt for coffee. Rotator stetch is unneeded as getting into leather racing gear does that and protects against rotator pulls. Neck stretch is done while giving nods of greeting to other racers. Calf and quad stretching is done during his high speed toe touching toeside turns - note: his double pumping is actually just more stretching, (Olson actually doesn't bother to stretch until he is in the race- saves time for meeting chicks). His shoulder stretch is done after the race when he raises his arms in victory. Wrist stretch is done while carrying trophy home. No need to stretch obliques because Olson rides surf stance.

[Jani Soderhall]

Great topic VinzZz!

I never used to warm up before practising, but before we always used to skate or bicycle to the place, then get started, so I guess that counts as warm up. Also I was young at the time and didn't think I needed such embarrassing actions. Now it's different, the body is telling me I'd better do some warmups, but still I don't do it much. I wish I could change that.

Would be cool if somebody develops a slalom oriented warm up program!

/Jani

[Vincent Berruchon]

Weather is getting quite cold in France at this time of the year. Two weeks ago, as the streets were dry after too many days of rain, I was so in the hurry to skate that I forgot to warm up before my little "freeride" street slalom session...
After a few minutes slalomin, I feel hurt, mostly on my left side of the back (lookin at an anatomy muscle view , I would say it was the muscle called "Latissimus dorsi"... but it's only a supposition, http://faculty.ncarts.edu/generalstudie ... esPost.htm ).

So, WARMIN UP before slalom is important as it is for all sport activities.
Do you have some good Warm up programs to suggest to new slalomers like me?
Which parts of the body are most important to warm up?

Of course, quick and efficient would be the best (but perhaps quick is not always the best).
As for wheels, wanna warm up to be faster

(After a search on the forum, I didn't see any specific subject about warm-up... hope I didn't miss it - and sorry for approximative english)