From Monday 6th June 2005 And Onwards
7.30pm – 8.30pm

Ex-Calne player, and professional Physiotherapist & Personal Trainer, Andy Horton, will be running fitness and conditioning sessions at the Recreation Ground from the 6th of June until the start of the season.

Being an ex-player you can expect the sessions to be very relevant to rugby and great benefit to yourself and the club as a whole, as the greater the attendance during theses sessions the less fitness work we have to do on Thursdays. Therefore, making more time for rugby related skills and drills which will only help to improve our game.

Please bring a contribution of £1.50 to each session for Andy’s time and expertise. Andy will soon be providing detailed pricing information for treatments and personal training. In the meantime, feel free to ask him about all you aches and pains. A basic Physiotherapy session will cost you £25.00. Please give Andy a call for more information regarding treatments 07818 001377.

Below Andy has detailed the stucture of the sessions for the next few weeks

Phase One

You need to learn to pull in the lower part of the abdomen, below the navel. This activates the Transverse abdominis (trans ab) muscle.

Several key phrases can be used to illustrate the movement:

• ‘Scoop’ your lower abs
• Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles. Imagine preventing yourself from urinating
• ‘Zip up’. Imagine zipping up tight trousers
• ‘Draw in’ your lower abs
• ‘Thin tummy’. Make yourself thin below the navel

The method of activating your lower abdominals

The contraction action is “up” and “in”.

Relax and perform a pelvic floor contraction of about 30% and hold. Push the air out as your draw your navel towards your spine. Your upper abdominals should stay relaxed and you should be breathing comfortably.

Your aim is to recruit your ‘trans abs’ during functional activity by focusing on a key phrase.

During training the words ‘lock and load’ will be used to signal you to focus on your key phrase.

Trans abs exercise level 1

Lye on the floor with your knees flexed to 45 degrees. Tilt your pelvis to the mid point (Place your fingers up to your knuckles under your back inline with the navel. Adjust your pelvis until you feel slight pressure on your fingers).

Activate your trans abs: Relax and perform a pelvic floor contraction of about 30% and hold. Push the air out as your draw your navel towards your spine. Your upper abdominals should stay relaxed and you should be breathing comfortably.

10 x per leg
Hold the contraction Slowly straighten leg by sliding along the floor then draw it back, relax and repeat. If you loose pelvic alignment (pressure change on your finger tips) stop and reset.

The aim is to complete 10 full repetitions on each leg without losing pelvic alignment.