Bajrang Lal Takhar keen to set up rowing academy
Indian rower Bajrang Lal Takhar, the 2010 Asian Games gold medallist in single scull, is doing what he loves the most — staying connected with the sport. The 200■ Olympics quarternalist’s passion for the sport and the desire to give back to rowing have not diminished as he tries to encourage youth in his village of Maganpura (60km from Jaipur) to take up rowing.
“There are no lakes there, but the ergometer is my best companion and the whole idea is to get them hooked to rowing and dream big. I am determined to guide the youth interested in rowing,” says Barjang Lal in a chat with Sportstar from Jaipur.
“I am in constant touch and working in coordination with 2004 Athens Olympics silver medallist and shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and he is very keen to give sports a major llip in Rajasthan,” adds the 39yearold.
Not surprisingly, Bajrang, who retired from the Indian Army, has sent a proposal to set up an academy in Rajasthan at one of these places — Kota, Ajmer, Chambal and Udaipur — and is targetting the under20 age group.
“It is pending with the Union Sports Ministry and I am hoping for a positive response after the lockdown,” he says.
V. SUBRAHMANYAM
Any person with a eeting interest in health and tness has probably been guilty of watching videos of elite athletes, tness models or tness trainers on online platforms such as Youtube, Google and Instagram and trying to copy their workout regimens.
It’s potentially dangerous to imitate these workouts just by looking at them. In the current situation where everything is under lockdown, it’s even more advisable to be judicious. Be a voice, but not an echo.
We will discuss this in detail below: the why, what and how of embarking on a regime while remaining injuryfree and increasing the eectiveness of the protocols.
When athletes or professionals post videos online, there are many reasons for them to do so, varying from brandbuilding to passing on information about their regimen, which is fair enough from their point of view. But following the same regimen can be a potential recipe for destruction from the professional athletes’ point of view.
Why exercise?
Do they have their individual programmes planned?
What phase and intensity mode of their training they are in?
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they
doing
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The most critical aspect of programme design and execution for performance is periodisation, be it block or undulated or linear model. These three important guidelines are nonnegotiable for the desired results.
1. Need analysis
2. Acute programme variables
3. Programme manipulation
Along with the abovementioned guidelines, the next set of rules in setting up an individualised programme plays a very important role in raising the performance of a normal athlete to that of an elite athlete.
Frequency
Intensity
Duration
Tempo
Overload
Recovery
Progression
Specicity
Since there are so many variables involved
Past tness background
Skill set and sport involved
Any past or current injuries
Diet regime — past and current patterns; vegetarian or vegan or nonvegetarian, etc.
Facilities or equipment used in the past and being currently using
Footwear used in the past Socioeconomic background (not yet understood)
Emotional quotient and social intelligence
Ability to grasp information and execute Somatotype of body
Limb length variations
The nal takeaway is that one can learn commitment, perseverance, work ethics and other positive traits from your idol, instead of just copying his or her workout and diet regime, which may be counterproductive in the long run.
When it comes to specialisation to deliver the best result possible for the team or oneself, it is each to his or her own. If you are copying someone, it is they who have won — not you.