Official Website of Jim "Lube" Lubinski - Professional Triathlete, Elite Athlete Coaching Services

January…..

jlubinski — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:23:05 +0000

I get MAD on the trainer!

It has a busy month. I haven’t had time to sit down let alone keep up to date on my blog. I started the month in Tempe, AZ with coach Ryan Riell where we ran a USAT Youth and Juniors Triathlon Skills Camp. This was a great experience. It was nice to hang with young athletes who were so excited to learn about the great sport of triathlon. So many adult athletes think they have every answer. The kids at the camp wanted to learn and came away from the week with some great improvement in their skills, a new take on how to train for triathlon, and, hopefully, a new found exitement for the sport.

When I got back to Santa Monica, the training for 2012 commenced and it has been a doozie. I won’t bore you with details, but while training I was studying for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer Certification. I wanted to gain this Cert. not only to be able to train strength clients, but to also give me more ammo when preparing my triathletes for their season/races. What this studying did was give me a new outlook on how to design a season for my athletes. I have always believed in periodization, but by combining the NASM model with the models I already knew, I think my athletes will be better preparred to CRUSH any race they take on.

Training-wise, I have been living on the trainer. I ride outside Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday with group rides and I ride the trainer every other day of the week. This equals a ton of sweat, but I can feel my body adapting with every workout. I have been slowly building my base in the pool and this morning, January 24th, I believe I swam the hardest workout of my life. I pushed harder than ever before. It really hurt, but this is how gains are made, right? My hamstring is feeling better so I have also been slowly building my run milage. I hit 40 miles last week and I will top that this week. Although I took off from running for a few weeks, my speed is still there. I ran 7 x 1K this morning right after the swim and I averaged 3:20/K.

Riding in Beautiful Mammoth

That’s the boring stuff. What I have really been honing in on is my strength work. I have been blasting my core with a HUGE amount of stability work and builing my strength/power exercises week over week. I feel so balanced and connected. This, accompanied with my focus on increased flexibiltiy will, hopefully, give me the tools I need to get on the podium with consistency this season.

Red Performance Multisport is rolling. We have a good number of athletes working harder than ever. It is going to be a successful season for these dedicated athletes. I should be getting my F.I.S.T.(Bike Fit) Certification soon, so stay tuned. I will be better at keeping this blog up-to-date so there is less to catch you up on. Oh yeah, I am now a frequent contributer to Men’s Fitness.com which is really exciting. RACE HARD!

The view from the top of the "Rock Store Climb" in the SM Mountains

New Men’s Fitness Blurb

jlubinski — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:23:08 +0000

I contributed to a new article on Men’s Fitness.com, read it and let me know what you think

NASM Certified Personal Trainer

jlubinski — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:27:40 +0000

Yesterday I officially passed the NASM Certified Personal Training exam. For 1-on-1 personal training or group sessions contact me at jim@jimlubinski.com, or call my office at 310-775-7278

Men’s Fitness- Enhance Your Running Stride

jlubinski — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:12:10 +0000

I wrote a new blurb for Men’s Fitness, click here to read it

Pushing the Limit

jlubinski — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:34:46 +0000

When studying for the Certified Personal Trainer exam there is a topic called the General Adaptation Syndrome. This says that the human body will adapt to the stress placed on it. The only way to keep making gains is to keep pushing the envelope in training. Yes, you need recovery, but you must be willing to push your limits or your body will cease making gains and remain in its current state of fitness.

When I was playing ice hockey I remember how the first week of training camp felt. Absoloutly miserable. I couldn’t take a step without immense musclular pain. I couldn’t get up from sitting without using something to help me. It was a soreness that came from deep within the muscles. After that first week, it was gone! The training hadn’t gotten easier, in fact, it had gotten harder and more volume had been added. The difference was that my body had adapted to the stress placed on it. I was in good shape, so my body adapted quickly, but I knew, every year, that I would have this great soreness the first week of camp. As the season progressed, we would “hit it” harder and longer every session and our fitness would improve and keep improving. To the point that we could play a full 60 minutes of hockey, VO2 Max effort after VO2 Max effort, and not fatigue.

Why do I bring this point up? At this stage in the season we must be willing to suffer and feel the soreness, knowing that our bodies will adapt. Too many athletes feel sore and instantly back off their training. You must have faith that your body will adapt. I have been cycling a lot as of late. The first few weeks, I would get home and not be able to get up for a while. I suffered on my rides, and it was evident. I was getting dropped and could not do anything about it. I stuck with my training, fought through the soreness, and I am finally coming out a better conditioned, stronger athlete. This is why I enjoy riding with pure cyclists. The guys at the CATs 1,2,3,4,5 levels bring it every time they get on their machines. They bring my effort and performance up to new heights. Once your body has adapted to the stress, you need to push harder to make gains. These “roadies” push me to my next level.

The same goes for swimming, running, weight training, and pretty much any other physical exertion you can think of. Feel the pain, accept the soreness, adapt to the stress, and push the limit to get better. RACE HARD!

Jim Named Fit-5 Running Expert to Men’s Fitness

jlubinski — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:07:43 +0000

Men’s Fitness does a segment in which they take questions from the public via their Facebook page and get an expert to answer the questions on their website. I have been named this expert to their running questions. I will post the articles when they are published on the site, but I look forward to the opportunity to help others become better runners/athletes. To submit a question go to the Men’s Fitness Facebook page by clicking here.

Welcome to My New Site

jlubinski — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:59:21 +0000

Happy 2012! It’s a new year and a new phase in my career. I plan on getting some good things done this season, so I made it easier for you, my supporters, to follow my journey. I think you’ll find my new site has plenty of interactive features and info on myself as well as info on how you can become a better athlete, inside and out. Like anything, the site in a work in progress and constantly evolving, so check back often and see what’s going on in the Life of Lube. RACE HARD!

Men’s Fitness #2

jlubinski — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:14:18 +0000

Hey Guys, I contributed to another article for Men’s Fitness. Hope it helps, click here to read it.

My Quest for LANE #1

jlubinski — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:57:50 +0000

We all set “stretch” goals for ourselves, or, I should say, we all should set “stretch” goals for ourselves. My stretch goal for the next few months is to commit to becoming the best swimmer I am capable of being. I have been dabbling in and out of the pool for the past 3 years. Yes, I have been committed to becoming a better swimmer, but I have not been committed to doing the things that are actually going to get me to be the best I can possibly be. Swimming is only part of the equation. I must be committed to improving my flexibility, my swim specific strength, my technique, and my overall swim fitness. Instead of getting to the pool, swimming,and getting out, there are a few aspects I must commit to. I must commit to doing a proper “dryland” warm-up consisting of stretching and foam rolling. I must commit to getting to the gym daily to improve the strength in those little muscle that help me float and cut through the water more efficiently. I must commit to staying as long as needed to work on the drills that are going to benefit me as a swimmer. Too many athletes just want to get in, knock out a few thousand yards, and get out. I like the saying, “If you are going to do the crime, you must be willing to do the time.” Swimming well, will be my crime. I have to put in the time. The reason I share this with you is because you are now responsible for keeping me accountable. When I don’t want to wake up at 5 a.m. to get my pre-swim stretching in, I will think about you, my supporters, and this will invigorate me to do what I need to do. I plan to keep you up to date on my progress and let you know if what I am doing is working or not. Here is a list of the stretches I plan on practicing daily:

Foam Roll:

TFL
Adductors
Calves
Piriformis
Lats
Hip Flexors

Stretch/Strengthen:

Thoracis Spine
Shoulders
Hips
Psoas
Adductors
Lats
Glutes

For info on how I stretch/strengthen/foam roll each muscle group stay tuned for video or e-mail me at jim@jimlubinski.com. RACE HARD!

Men’s Fitness

jlubinski — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:41:50 +0000

I contributed to a Men’s Fitness article on-line, you can read it here