steve redgrave

8/14/2019 Steve Redgrave

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104 Ultra-FIT

REDGRAVE

FEATURE

Training with Sir Steve


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Our afternoon started withrefreshments at the very plush new Henley

Leisure Centre. As I munched on my

flapjack and coffee (essential pre

competition tucker!) I sized up the

competition, and the nerves set in they

looked like a pretty healthy bunch, and Ihad already been out training twice that

morning with clients so was already

slightly tired. I was very grateful therefore,

for the caffeine and carb kick I was starting

to feel even if it was only psychological!

Sir Steve Redgrave gave us a quick

introductory chat, and then National

Master Trainer at Technogym - Grant

Powles - took our hero to his first station

of the circuit to warm up. What an

honour to watch such an amazing

athlete as Sir Steve Redgrave sweat itout in the gym and although he is

obviously no longer competition-fit, you

can see the enormous power and the

gritty determination that made him a

champion.

The circuit consisted of six stations

treadmill, Synchro (elliptical machine)

and Excite Top (arm pedalling) plus

weights leg press, chest press and

seated dumbbell shoulder press. Each

station was flat out for 3 minutes, with

2 minutes rest in between. See the tableoverleaf for our results!

Being very interested in the mental

aspect of training, I was keen to know if

there were any techniques that the rowers

use, and Sir Steve told me we use

FEATURE

Technogym The Wellness Company who are the exclusive supplier

of fitness equipment for the Beijing Olympics 2008 invited Ultra-Fits

Caroline Sandry and some other victims along to compete against

Sir Steve Redgrave - 5 times Olympic champion - in an Olympic-style

circuit training session

Each station was flat out for 3 minutes,

with 2 minutes rest in between


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visualisation in training and competition. I

think mental toughness increases with age

by the end of my training I was much

more consistent and mentally tough

I could see that toughness first hand as

he pushed through the reps when most

people would have quit, and so decided

to try and push myself mentally as well

as physically when it came to my turn! It

was good to know that I had given my

all, but those 46 reps on the chest press

nearly destroyed me! Especially when I

then had to move straight onto the

shoulder press! And trying to run flat out

on the treadmill which was my last

station after pressing 85 reps of 50kgs on

the leg press was definitely a mental

challenge for me!

With now debilitating levels of lactic

acid in my limbs, and a sense of euphoria

mixed with nausea, I tried to pick up my

now very heavy biro to ask Sir Steve some

questions -

I asked how training had changed from

when he was competing, and he said

there has not been a huge change in the

last 8 years - there is more emphasis on

quality now, on and off the water. The

principles are the same; we have a gold

time and all training sessions are based on

a percentage of the gold time. Each

training session the athletes will be trying

to go that little bit faster but with the

same output.

I then asked what training Sir Steve did

himself now, and whether he found it

difficult to be motivated withoutcompetition goals my goals now are

general fitness and maintenance. I play

tennis and squash with a good friend -

which is great as it brings in the element

of competition and is very motivational,

and I have a gym at home where I use the

treadmill, elliptical and the bike

When asked if he enjoyed training

during his career, Sir Steve answered

Training was a necessary evil to achieve

my goals. Before a session most of the

time you werent really enamoured with it,but after the session there was always a

strange satisfaction that a job was well

done and you were one step further

towards your goal

When Sir Steve was training for the 2000

Sydney Olympics the team would train for

49 weeks of the year with only one day off

every three weeks. Having tasted a tiny

flavour of the type of training they endured

my respect has intensified for these

astonishing athletes and also for the

human body!

Technogym The Wellness Company

who are providing fitness equipment forthe Olympic training facilities at the Beijing

Olympics 2008 also provide equipment for

homes, spas and gymnasiums so you too

could train like an Olympian, although I

would recommend building up to it

gradually first! UF

Technogym specialises in the

development of Britains premium athletes

including Lewis Hamilton, Michael Owen,

James Cracknell and Sir Steve Redgrave.

Technogym provide state of the art

equipment including Kinesis, and their

Excite CV range includes integrated TV

and i pod docking. Check out

www.technogym.com for more info.

FEATURE

Station Sir Steves distance My distance

Treadmill 2% gradient 0.69 0.55

Syncro (level 15) 0.21 (level 12) 0.18

Excite Top (level 10) 1.28 (level 7) 1.48

Leg press 100kgs 74 reps 50 kgs 85 reps

Chest press 40 kgs 49 reps 20 kgs 46 repsSeated dumbbell 6 kgs 82 reps 3kgs 50 reps

Shoulder press

When Sir Steve was

training for the 2000

Sydney Olympics the

team would train for

49 weeks of the year

with only one day off

every three weeks

steve redgrave

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