THIS MONTH’S COACHING PANEL

ANDREW SHEAFF

Front-crawl timing US swim coach Andrew has been helping people improve their swimming for over 20 years. He specialises in helping triathletes improve their swimming skills through online coaching.

HELEN O’LEARY

Strength training for cyclists Helen is a chartered physiotherapist and Pilates instructor.

BETH POTTER

Half-marathon times Beth is a former pro track runner and now a GB triathlete aiming for Paris 2024 selection.

RACHEL MCCULLOCH

Pinched nerve in shoulder Rachel is a consultant physiotherapist and Pilates physio at Six Physio, London.  FRONT-CRAWL TIMING

Q Is there an easy way to improve front-crawl timing? Peter Sharpe

A Timing in freestyle is a critical skill that’s constantly overlooked. The focus is always on the specific motions of the arms and the legs, and the technique involved with executing those actions. However, very little thought is given to how to integrate the arms and legs together, and if you can improve that skill, you’ll be able to make a big difference in your freestyle.

Freestyle isn’t just kicking and pulling – it’s integrating the two together. The challenge is that it can be really difficult to feel that skill and become aware of it, even if you’re a seasoned swimmer.

One of the key timing points between the arms and the legs is when the hand enters the water. Just as the hand enters the water, the opposite leg should kick down. What that does is help shift and rotate the body to other side, positioning you for a great pull. That side-to-side shift can happen without the kick, but the kick makes it a lot more effective. That’s the essence of a two-beat kick. Learning that timing is key to efficient freestyle.

Whenever you’re trying to learn a new skill, the most important part is getting a feel for what that skill is. That’s why great drills work so well, so when it comes to feeling the timing connection between the kick and the opposite arm, nothing beats Opposite Fin-Opposite Paddle.

It’s exactly what it sounds like. You wear a paddle on your left hand and a fin on your right foot, or a paddle on your right hand and a fin on your left foot. The biggest skill to focus on is kicking with the fin as the paddle enters the water. When you do that well, everything else tends to sync up. The goal is to feel a big connection all the way between the tip of the paddle and the tip of the fin. Simply switch sides every few repetitions.

Andrew Sheaff

BIKE-STRENGTH TRAINING

Q Are there any specific strength exercises that can improve cycling performance? Laura Castle

A Yes! First up, dumbbell lunges are great for cyclists who need to increase their leg strength. They load the muscles of the legs and make them work together to control the hip, knee and ankle, as well as manage ground reaction force and gravity.

You need good leg strength to get power on the bike to convert to increased speed. However, if a cyclist has great leg strength but their mobility and upper body position are poor, which means they struggle to translate the power through their legs, then lunges are unlikely to fix that and therefore unlikely to improve their performance. This is where a training programme that’s specific to the individual, their needs and goals is key.

The renegade row is an exercise where you maintain a plank position while doing a single arm row with or without a weight. This is essentially a core exercise as it trains the abdominals and the upper limb and some leg strength, too.

In holding this bodyweight position you’re integrating the whole body so you’re working your static stability while adding some extra upper limb and back work. This is good for cyclists as it will work their static controlled position on the bike and transfer load through the whole body.

Deadlifts are a fantastic strength exercise for most athletes, but for cyclists it works the hamstrings and the glutes, which are often weaker compared to the quads.

For optimum performance, it’s good to be able to use the whole push/pull cycle of the pedal rotation as you don’t just want to be pushing the pedal down and not doing any of the work of the pedal coming back round. This is where you need deadlifts, as they help build strength in the right muscles. It’s also a good idea to do the single-leg version as it helps you to find a good balance between each leg and makes sure you’re not favouring one side. Deadlifts also make you use your core and upper body to maintain the correct technique and posture.

This is an exercise where it’s worth getting a trainer to really help you work on your technique so you get the most benefit and then the greatest transfer over into your cycling. Helen O’Leary

BEST HALFMARATHON TIMES

Q What’s a good halfmarathon time? Leon Dempster

A Truthfully, there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ time for a half marathon because everyone is different and has different targets and goals for themselves. What’s more,