Motivational Case Studies
Ben Ainslie
Related tags: Sports, Sailing
Date Added: Thu, 26 Mar 2009
The versatility of the Concept 2 Indoor Rower as a training and testing device is well documented in other sports such as rugby, athletics, triathlon, football, windsurfing, rallying and motorsport but it is another water sport apart from rowing where it is really making an impression and could prove to be one of the keys in sailor Ben Ainslie's attempts to win a second straight Olympic gold medal.
Concept 2 already provides the RYA with free Indoor Rower machines for use in the organisation's on-going testing and development programme for junior sailors. The Indoor Rower is also used in laboratory and field-testing. This involves the top few sailors being taken from each class, to the laboratory for testing with the remainder of the groups being tested 'in the field' to establish their fitness levels.
Ben Ainslie, however, is at the top of his sport and has integrated indoor rowing into an unusual and demanding training programme.
After success in Sydney in the Laser Class and a stint with the One World America's Cup Team, Ben decided it was time for a new challenge and set himself the goal of winning Gold in the Athens Olympics in the Finn class. In his first year Ben broke all records by winning the World and European Championships as well as the Athens test event. His efforts also saw him voted the ISAF World Sailor of the Year for 2002 and he is now one of the firm favourites for the Olympic title.
The switch to Finn has brought some unusual demands. Firstly, although Ben's bodyweight is naturally around 85kg, he needs to be 95kg for the Finn as muscle strength and weight are imperative to maintain total control of the boat. Alongside that, sailing in strong winds demands plenty of physical endurance.
Ben's tailor-made training programme to meet these requirements includes numerous sessions on the Indoor Rower which he believes have been integral to his success to date and will play a genuine part in how competitive he is when the start gun goes in Athens in a few months time.
"The weight has been an issue for the past three years that I have been racing in the class," he explained. "The problem has been keeping the weight on and the strength and endurance at the right performance levels. Normally it would be no problem, but I have spent the past two summer's training in Athens and the heat drains a lot of energy. My physical preparation has had to take account of that, but I am delighted with the way I have progressed.
"I've used the Indoor Rower for both sprint training, usually five 5 minute pieces at maximum output and endurance training, typically three 15 minute rows at 20% below my maximum heart rate. This has been great as it is genuinely similar to the demands I face and the movements I make whilst sailing the boat under competitive conditions. I'll maintain this as long as I can in the build up to the event with the objective of being the sailor with the best strength and endurance for the class, as well as the one with the best sailing skills.
"The Olympic Games is the ultimate challenge for any sailor, with a competitive level nothing else can compare to and, like most other Olympic sports, you need to do a full-time campaign if you want to be at the top. Until the event it will be a matter of trying to stay ahead of the game - both mentally and physically!"
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