HIGH PERFORMANCE
Plan B
By Tom Thekan/The Scugog Standard

‘Water, water everywhere,
but not a drop to drink.’
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner

That pretty much described the situation down at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT)/Durham College campus recently. It seems that with all the construction on campus, someone forgot to call before they dug and hit the water main that services the entire campus.

With no water for showers, toilets, sinks or the sprinkler system, the authorities were forced to close the building - including the gym and weight room - for the remainder of the day.
So what do you do with a dozen athletes who came for a workout? Time to put Plan ‘B’ into action.

Just outside the gym we have a locked storage box with a variety of sandbags and dragging sleds, which served us well during this particular crisis.

While dozens of people had to exit the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre without breaking a sweat, the rowers were able to complete a rather intense workout outdoors with some simple and inexpensive homemade training equipment.

I’m sure it wasn’t the first time that a gym has had to close its doors unexpectedly and I’m sure it won’t be the last. If you train at a gym ... plan for it. Especially at this time of the year, your gym can become inaccessible because of the holiday schedule or winter driving conditions. Have a Plan ‘B’ ready to go.

An emergency workout can be as simple as a set of intervals with a jump rope or a child’s ‘skip it’ from the dollar store. Try the boxer’s protocol of three minutes skipping and one minute rest. Repeat several times.

Simple body weight exercises have been used by some of the world’s greatest athletes to develop their base of strength, flexibility, balance and coordination.

Feel free to use your imagination and creativity to modify simple exercises like a squat, lunge or push-up to make them more challenging. Try a squat with one foot on a two-inch high block of wood or a push-up with one hand on a softball and you’ll see what I mean. Just a minor variation on a simple exercise can make a major difference in its difficulty.

Surprisingly, the best benefit of having a successful Plan ‘B’ up your sleeve is knowing that they may be able to slow you down ... but they can’t stop you.

Tom Thekan is a conditioning and weight coach for the Durham Rowing Club and UOIT.

Never begin any training program without consulting your family doctor.