Being an athlete comes with so much more than you see on social media. Our bodies are our most important asset and so much time goes into taking care of them to be able to handle the impact of being on the water. (Especially when you’re like me and you’ve been in the game for over 10 years and 5 knee surgeries.)
I’ve learned a lot along the way that I wish I would’ve known before. One of my most eye opening discoveries happened just a few years ago so I thought I’d share it with you: More is not always better.
I used to ride cable until I got out of breath from just putting my bidnings on. I thought that pushing myself to the breaking point every single day was the way to make sure I progressed my riding as much as possible. However, I’ve since then learned that a mix of training volume and intensity is key. Yes, those intense days are absolutely essential for progression but it’s important to complement those days with more mellow training because once you slow down, you work on different parts of your body that get “overshadowed” when you are pushing yourself to the max.
This goes for off water training as well, in the gym or on the bike, whatever it is that you do. If you go 110 percent all the time, you might run out of fuel and your overall performance will decrease. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your body and for your progression is to give it a solid 75 percent. This is something I am learning as I go as I used to be a “110 or nothing” kinda girl. But when you go from zero to hero you miss out on those important minor details that make all the difference. For instance, then you work with lower intensity you usually have the energy to practice longer which gives you more TIME to work on your technique. You also target the smaller muscles and different muscle fibres in your body when the load is lighter which will help your overall strength.
Basically: if you are looking to progress, more does not always equal better. I wish I would’ve known this when I started wakeboarding but I am happy that I know it now. How intense your training should be is individual but if you are anything like me, let this be your sign to incorporate some medium intensity / active recovery into your routine.
(Source: Swedish Sports Research / Svensk Idrottsforskning )