Sports Science, Performance Training and the Art of “Body Career Guidance”

My “body personality tests” had been filled in and the passive testing and analysis had been done with the physio, biokinetisist and dietician. I had been assessed and was now fuelled with positive energy about my imminent health and wellness overhaul. My body’s career guidance had yet to begin as I still needed to meet and be tested by the sports scientist and personal performance coaches at the VSL Sports Medicine Testing facility also conveniently placed at the VSL gym in Hout Bay.

My “body personality tests” had been filled in and the passive testing and analysis had been done with the physio, biokinetisist and dietician. I had been assessed and was now fuelled with positive energy about my imminent health and wellness overhaul. My body’s career guidance had yet to begin as I still needed to meet and be tested by the sports scientist and personal performance coaches at the VSL Sports Medicine Testing facility also conveniently placed at the VSL gym in Hout Bay.

Was it going to be a case of the “lab rat” converted to the “drowned rat” when I hit the endless pool with my program manager and coach Natalie Tissink? Well, I was to discover that only with physiological and performance testing could true baselines be set for my training and improvement/changes tracking. Most importantly I could look at setting attainable goals.

These tests provide valuable information on which to base your training and ensure you are training in the best way to bring about improvements in performance. First stop was the endless pool for my swim assessment.

Natalie Tissink giving swim assessments and coaching in the endless pool

It was with trepidation that I first stuck my toe into the water cheered on by my coach’s smiling face. It was surprisingly warm and comforting. I had never been in an endless pool and I have to say I giggled at the challenge of meeting the oncoming current. The simulation of open water is astonishing. No rest for the wicked in his pool – the current and marginally turbulent water keeps coming at you. The aquatic coach’s amazing ability to pick up on my swimming idiosyncrasies and fitness levels was seriously intuitive and the intimate one-on- one instruction I received in between the periods of fitness assessment (which were tough to say the least) was very informative.

I was filmed from all angles whilst this was going on and was very interested to see what I looked like in the water. Being told what you are doing wrong and then understanding how to change it are entirely different concepts! Seeing yourself in the video is an eye-opener and huge aid when looking at making those improvements.

I realised I had been a very lazy swimmer when training previously as I hadn’t experienced my heart rate going up as much as I did in this pool. I was to receive a full assessment and a copy off myself swimming from Natalie before my next session and the sweating had begun.

Tim Ellerbeck tests a client on the Humac Norm

My next stop was back upstairs to the VSL sports medicine centre where I was to undergo my isokinetic tests on the Humac Norm machine. The sports science guru Tim Ellerbeck wanted through the testing process to establish and measure my strengths and weakness and pain threshold with the view to helping design my training. Armed with the info and graphs produced from the tests he would develop training to best suit strengthening where I am weak all whilst making allowance for injury or rehabilitation. He could establish this by seeing how the machine measured specific mobilities over various resistance levels. Amazing!

Ryan Sandes on the Wattbike

Then continuing with his establishment of an intelligent exercise program he put me on the Wattbike. This is basically a performance computer. This indoor bike which has its home in the VSL spinning studio – which is a big plus when you really need the distractions of the view to help you through this fairly gruelling test of your power output.

The bike does not only rely on measuring your cadence, speed, distance and time which are standard options on many exercise bikes, but the Wattbike adds accurate heart rate, power and left and right leg balance to your training. This is intuitive and focuses riders minds onto not just how hard they are cycling, but how efficiently they are riding. Most importantly Tim was able to establish my power output against a variety of resistance levels all whilst encouraging me to keep my heart rate from fluctuating too much.

Ryan Sandes runs on “air” on the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill

The Velocity Sports Lab Personal Performance training team are based in Hout Bay.The facility is kitted out with a testing lab (watt bike, Humac Norm, AlterG, Computrainer) an Endless Pool with video swim analysis as well as indoor training facilities and a fully equipped gym with state of the art technogym equipment and other leading brands.

You can access individual one to one coaching and coaching programmes from Natalie Tissink (aquatics and triathlon coach) and Tim Ellerbeck, Sport Scientist, and Biomechanics coach.

Open 6 days a week including evenings. You can access all the services by booking an appointment with

Tim 082 545 6576 Tim@velocitysportslab.co.za  or

Natalie 082 3746112 Natalie@velocitysportslab.co.za

Weight to strength ratio and my pursuit of health, wellness and fitness

I have embarked on a journey to reach my ultimate goal of fitness, health and weight loss as well as reaching proficiency on my bike for endurance races. I always feel like I am carrying a ton of bricks the minute I hit the hills. My training partner who sometimes might even struggle to keep up with me on the flats bullets away from me the minute we climb. I was informed that this was most likely a condition of strength to weight ratio.
Hence my appointment with Kelly Schreuder, the dietician at VSL.

So I have gone through the doors of my 3rd professional in my pursuit of health, wellness and fitness without a bead of sweat. Let’s hope that getting a solid foundation is the way!
Arriving at my appointment with Kelly I was again heartened by the fact that she practices out of the very same VSL Hout Bay Sports Health and Rehab Centre at the VSL gym  in Hout Bay.

After the first 5 minutes into my consultation with Kelly, I am assured that looking at the journey to health, wellness and fitness is about investing in yourself right from your core strength to what you place in your mouth. So, what fuel is this body of mine going to require to keep it going?
Kelly carried out a very comprehensive check list and assessment of what I eat, enjoy eating, shouldn’t eat and don’t eat to how various food types make me feel and how my eating plan is structured.
I was set up to be weighed and analysed on the Tanita Body Analyser  an incredible machine that measures what most importantly for me was my bone, muscle and good tissue apart from my good and bad fat content. I was so amazed that my designs of weighing in the 50′s was an impossibility unless I was stricken with some horrible disease as just my bones, muscle and tissue necessary for my survival weighed 50 kg.
I truly believe that I am going to need to have a number of sessions with Kelly especially as she is going to have to gauge my eating plan on how I am doing on my training program. I need to find an eating plan and the correct foods which will supplement me enough to compensate for all the excercise. My downfall has always been that I don’t eat enough energy bearing food and I end up snacking and returning to the fateful refined carbohydrates and sugars which are such a dichotomy of purpose when looking at my chosen journey.
I have committed to Kelly and her program in the pursuit of my overall comfort on my fitness and health journey as I know at this point I won’t be able to do it without her and I simply love that she can consult with all my other pros on my case to help get the ultimate results for me. No crash diets a whole new nutritional lifestyle is the way to go.
Here’s to my food journal!
Contact Kelly she knows her food on 021 791 7608 or email her on kelly@velocitysportslab.co.za

The term “biokinetics” essentially means the “movement of living things”

After establishing that I had a hypo-mobility issue in my lumber hip area which had contributed to pain in my back, hip and knee, the Physio, Chris Allan from the VSL Sports Physiotherapy and Rehab centre sent me to the biokineticist in the centre for an assessment. ( The term “biokinetics” essentially means the “movement of living things” but in the health sciences it focusses specifically on human movement.)

On arrival at the appointment with my new softly spoken and gorgeous framed biokineticist Sally Ferguson, I was soon to understand the difference between biokineticists and physios. I mean, how many pros does a girl need?!!! (What you should know: a biokineticist is a degreed professional and a registered healthcare practitioner. Biokineticists complete a three-year Bachelor’s degree, followed by an Honours degree in Biokinetics.)

Firstly she operates on the top floor of the VSL Hout Bay gym, right next to Chris Allan a few steps away, which is a big plus,as you can coordinate your appointments accordingly and secondly she knows her Pilates. One look at her posture and tight figure is a dead give-away.

Sally was tasked to assess me from head to toe. Her purpose is to take me after the acute stage of pain and an improvement in my range of motion has been dealt with by my Physio and work out why the injury is happening and to help me build a unique program which will circumvent the injury and get me back to being able train normally. To sum this up for you, this means to me a progressive exercise program involving core work and yes Pilates. Pilate’s principles focus on specific muscle groups to target your weak muscles with the view to building strength in the area where the injury is happening.

I left the consultation armed with an introductory set of exercises targeting my lumber “glute”  area which was diagnosed as my weakness. Translated: my big behind!
I have committed to biokineticists session with Sally so that I can handle the rehabilitation constructively all whilst learning the fundamentals of Pilates which will allow me to add this to my daily exercise routine and lifestyle.
Sallys practice is open 6 days a week is and she can be consulted as a biokineticists for both fitness and rehabilitation.

She can perform the Discovery Vitality Check but you will have to submit your claims to medical aid yourself for both the test and your consultations. To book an appointment 021 791 7608 or sally@velocitysportslab.co.za

Let the “physio” do the talking

Having committed to partnering with the pros on my journey to my ultimate health and fitness I arrived for my first consultation with Chris Allan the physiotherapist and manager of the VSL Sports Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre.
The facility is on the top floor of the VSL Hout Bay gym. My first impression was that these guys have got some serious tech to support them.  Schalk Burger was busy running on something that had a distinct science fiction feel about it, later to be introduced to me as the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill .

The rooms were bright and airy and a view of Hout Bay could be seen from both the balcony and through the spinning class room which shares the floor with the facility. A relaxed, current yet very keenly professional air set the tone for me to ultimately be diagnosed and treated by Chris who I am now convinced has magical healing hands.

He has 12 years of experience in his field and treats all types from as he put it ” grannies to pro- athletes”. I imagine I got placed somewhere in between! But oh dear I have a

lumber hip dysfunction – and yes I was not winging for nothing – and most definitely need a mixture of “physio fixing” as well as proper biokinetic instruction on how to build up strength to control my hypo-mobility.

So off I was sent packing to visit the biokineticist.

Chris Allan Physiotherapy requires that you pay him directly and then submit to your claim to your medical aid. I have already booked my next 3 sessions and know that he is

going to fix my pain and self-inflicted injury. Call to make an appointment 021 791 7608 or email  chris@velocitysportslab.co.za .

The beginning was the new bike

My old aluminium framed hard-tail – needed an upgrade

I was feeling left behind. Girls were getting with the mountain bike program …yes those same girls who used to refer to me as GI Jane. I was feeling more like GI Pain. Guys were already talking a bicycle language I could no longer understand! I started to realise that with close to 12 years of riding the same aluminium framed hard-tail I really was at a disadvantage. After negotiating with the long term costs of being fat and unhealthy I convinced myself it was a good investment, so I swopped the greenbacks to allow me to ride the switchbacks and bit the bullet to buy a new full suspension carbon 29er.

My trusty steed..Scott 29er!

Training started at a feverish pace. After 3 weeks of powering up and down the tracks in the Newlands forest to beyond the blockhouse, as well as the Tokai forest to the mast, and around the famous Noordhoek Peaks I found that not only were my legs, hips and back in agony, but I had not lost even a portion of a centimetre and certainly NO weight.

So I now had all the gear but still no idea! Clearly a serious change of tactics were needed!

So I decided to look for external help. I approached the one facility in Cape Town that I have heard caters to exactly my type of predicament. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with a bit of help from the experts to help one on a journey – something I understand very well seeing as I do get hired to help others in my area of expertise.

I made the phone call and set up my appointments with the Velocity Sports Lab Training Academy. Almost immediately I received the forms to fill in that reminded me of a career guidance personality test, but now it was my body’s career that needed the guidance.

Before I could start this program I was fully aware that I needed to verify that the aches and pains I had been feeling were just superficial muscular pains – or the “fat person” in me telling the “thin person” why I should rather be on the couch! I needed to rule out more deep seated injuries.

So with the well-being of my body and my desire to lose weight being an issue…..I booked my appointments at the Velocity Sports Lab Health and Rehabilitation centre ….all under the same roof.

And  here the journey began…….

Join Velocity Sports Lab on Facebook

My first ride on a 29er- Size does matter

“Great Scott”

Yes I am now officially a bicycle aficionado, and a SCOTT fan. My new Spark 29 Expert (given to me just “because” by my brilliant, darling, wonderful husband) is a full suspension HMF carbon fibre bike with a Shimano XT/SLX drivetrain and Avid Elixir brakes that is my perfect new  partner.

Scott has seriously and successfully unveiled the merits of the 29er to me …..today! I felt so emotional about this lightweight, stiff frame bike—featuring tons of adjustability and so many cool features. No more blood, sweat and granny gears….this 29er got me handling previously unrideable ground. (Well to me – that is)

The smaller wheels, not to mention shorter wheelbase, of my previous and very geriatric 26” was so much harder to ride on the bumpy ground. Think about it. All other things being equal, a bigger wheel’s shallow angle of curve rolls over uneven terrain more easily.

Why I didn’t change sooner? I just love the rolling advantage. I don’t care if I am not going to get huge speed gain, I am all about boosting my comfort and confidence during my mountain biking outings, be it for long distance or rough riding… A boost in confidence and comfort like that usually equates to more speed simply because of the feel-good factor anyhow!

When I first heard of 29ers, I rolled my eyes. Looking at the whole thing in a new light, after chasing round Noordhoek Peak, which is one of the tougher routes from Tokai Forest,

with my tough riding partner – I see simply elegant beauty. Bigger wheels = smaller bumps =more momentum and more confidence! Yay!

Oh and I almost forgot to mention that my new bike set up guru Mark not only adjusted this beautiful new bike to suit my body exactly with his spirit level, rulers and plumb line , but used his years of experience to, as he put it, use a mental algorithm to tweak my position for  me to gain unity with my bike. He also changed the saddle to correctly support them bones, them bones, them sit bones: The most important aspect of saddle fit is the sit bone (ischial tuberosities – the two pressure points you feel when sit on something flat and hard) width.

Mountain bike, sit bones, unity with your bike, bike fit, scott spark 29 expert, shimano, 29er, women on bikes, cycling, mountain biking western cape, noordhoek peaks, cape town mountain bike, tokai forest mountain biking, great scott,

Western Province teams return as champions from the Telkom SA Senior Water Polo Championship

Yes, Central Gauteng A (Eagles) clinched the Mens A division title from Western Province 7-6 in literally the last second of the game at the Telkom SA Senior Water Polo Championships. Yes, they managed to  retain possession of the coveted Currie Cup trophy at the King’s Park Aquatic Centre in Durban on 14th April 2012. But,  the Mens B Division and  Ladies A division were both won convincingly by Western Province. Adventurneers ventured out to watch water polo in KZN Durban.

Water polo is a fairly under publicised , yet seriously exciting and  amazing spectator sport. Watch water polo!