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While we know that many may never aspire to be Olympians, the lessons of diligence and self-care can be applied to your daily life.  Whether you are a triathlete, Cross Fit regular, or want to make sure you can continue daily walks with your four-pawed pal, being conscious of properly taking care of your body will make sure you are able to continue to do what you love.  Preparing for activity includes eating healthy, whole foods, hydrating early and often, and addressing your muscles to make sure they are capable of the demands of you place upon them.   

You can address your muscles on a daily basis, in the same way a massage therapist would, by using Trigger Point Performance products.  Each product has been designed to specifically address the muscles of your body.    We recommend addressing your muscles both before and after your workouts to increase blood flow, tissue tolerance, and promote positive biomechanics. 

This year, a great group of very talented triathletes will be representing the U.S.  USA Triathlon (USAT) just released the list of olympic athletes.   From USAT’s official roster announcement, we celebrate the five amazing athletes below.

2012 U.S. Olympic Women’s Triathlon Team:  

Laura Bennett (37, Boulder, Colo.)  After placing fourth at the Beijing Games, Laura Bennett has been the most consistent U.S. performer on the ITU World Triathlon Series circuit over the past three with nine top-eight finishes from 2010-12. She finished 2011 ranked eighth in the ITU World Triathlon Series rankings and captured her third USA Triathlon Elite National Championship title. Bennett qualified for her second Olympic Team with a third-place finish at the 2012 ITU World Triathlon San Diego on May 11.  

Sarah Groff (30, Hanover, N.H.)  Sarah Groff placed seventh at the 2011 London ITU World Triathlon Series event to clinch a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team. She went on to finish third in the ITU WTS rankings for the first-ever series podium finish by an American. Groff led the U.S. with five top-10 finishes on the WTS circuit in 2011 and was seventh last month at the ITU World Triathlon Kitzbühel for her first top-10 showing in 2012.    

Gwen Jorgensen (26, Milwaukee, Wis.)  Gwen Jorgensen burst onto the triathlon scene in 2011 with a runner-up finish at the London ITU World Triathlon Series event to earn a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team. Her second-place finish on the Olympic course in London is the best-ever showing for a U.S. woman in a WTS event. Jorgensen finished 2011 ranked 11th in the ITU World Triathlon Series rankings and picked up where she left off in 2012 with a fourth-place finish at the ITU World Triathlon Sydney. Jorgensen owns top-eight finishes in 21 of 26 career ITU events and has finished on the podium on nine occasions.    

2012 U.S. Olympic Men’s Triathlon Team:  

Manuel Huerta (28, Miami, Fla.)  Manuel Huerta was named USA Triathlon’s Elite Athlete of the Year for 2011 and capped his season with a silver medal at the Pan American Games. He finished the year as the No. 3 American in the ITU World Triathlon Series rankings and was the top U.S. men’s performer at the London and Kitzbühel WTS stops. The Cuban-born Huerta earned his Olympic berth with an emotional ninth-place finish at the May 12 ITU World Triathlon San Diego. Since qualifying for London, Huerta has recorded top-five ITU finishes in Dallas and Edmonton.  

Hunter Kemper (36, Colorado Springs, Colo.)  One of just three athletes to qualify for all four Olympic triathlons, Hunter Kemper is the top U.S. men’s finisher in all three previous Olympic triathlons with a top showing of seventh in Beijing. Hampered by injury for much of the past three seasons and racing for the first time in seven months, Kemper delivered a fifth-place finish at the 2012 ITU World Triathlon San Diego on May 12 to claim his fourth Olympic berth. He owns U.S. men’s records with seven career USA Triathlon Elite National Championship titles and four career ITU World Cup victories.    

Most athletes at these events must carefully pack their luggage, taking specific pre, post, and race day items for success. The TP Massage Ball, travels wonderfully and is simple enough to keep in a swim bag, transition bag, or even glove box- to help out on long drives. While we recommend using the TP Massage Ball alongside the TP FootBaller and TP QuadBaller, the TP Massage Ball can quickly become a triathlete’s best training tool.

The TP Massage Ball’s primary focus is to assist in managing minor aches and pains of the muscle by applying pressure to general areas.

As athletes, it is important to properly prepare and regenerate your muscles for the demands placed upon them in training and racing. While it is wonderful to use all over the body, the lower leg, psoas, piriformis, and pecs are some of the favorite areas to address pre- and post- workout/race with the TP Massage Ball.

Addressing the lower leg is essential for any sport. Because the range of motion of the foot is relative to the muscles in the lower leg, tight calf/soleus will alter your ability to properly perform all movements. While this concept is relatively easy to apply to running, swimming and biking motions are also greatly affected by lack of range of motion. In the swim, lack of range of motion in the foot will compromise the swim kick, forcing a swimmer to utilize the quadriceps more for buoyancy and motion. In the same vein, if the foot/ankle is not able to have full range of motion, pull up and push down in the pedal stroke will move the knee out of proper alignment, opening it up to injury.

TP Massage Ball can be used to directly address the calf/soleus region of the lower leg. It is also possible to address other lower leg muscles, such as the anterior tibialis. For more information on the anterior tibialis manipulation, please see our video online.

The psoas, is unique because it connects the groin to the mid-back. In swimming, a tight psoas inhibits proper body rotation, which compromises side breathing form and creates an undesired “flat” swimming body position. While cycling, the psoas isn’t allowed to fully extend, therefore becomes shortened and impedes leg motion in the stroke. Furthermore, when a shortened psoas is combined with the need for it to lengthen during the run, triathletes are doubly prone to psoas issues. Manipulating the psoas decreases compression on the lower back vertebra and on the diaphragm, increasing the ability to breath.

When the piriformis muscle, often associate with sciatica, is tight, elasticity in the gluteus region is minimized. A tightened and painful piriformis will alter the ability to properly kick in the swim, create pain while in the saddle, and keep most runners from their daily workouts. The TP Massage Ball is used to systematically address this key muscle in the gluteal region. Restoring tissue tolerance in the piriformis allows you to optimally transfer force through the hips resulting in greater movement efficiency and force production.

The pecs are another area to focus on using the TP Massage Ball. Opened pecs are essential to proper hand placement into the water and an efficient and forceful pull under the water. Use the TP Massage Ball to open and prep your pec muscles before your swims and to help remove dysfunction and recover the muscles after the workout. For cyclist, pecs are essential in upper body stability in road/track drop bar positioning, ability to keep shoulders dropped and chest open on tri bars, and ability to pull up when maneuvering over obstacles in mountain biking. For runners, addressing the pecs rotates the shoulder back naturally, allowing the arm to trust forward- rather than across the body.

You can view more on the pec manipulation in this Xterra Wetsuit Pre-Swim video.

Please contact us if you have any questions.  We want to help you train harder, race faster, and recover quicker this season.

Two Trigger Point Performance athletes will be racing to Outrun the Heat™ with the help of the newly released Cool Point, the original hand cooler. Both Conrad “The Caveman” Stoltz and Melanie McQuaid will be competing with other top level off-road triathlon pros by completing the 1,000 meter swim, 32k mountain bike, and 10k trail run. Though it is not his “secret weapon” anymore, Stoltz gives his tips to keep from overheating in Richmond’s 94-degree temperature.

Racers from all over are agreeing that the coolest trend in triathlons is the Cool Point, including Olympian Sarah Haskins, Ben Collins, and numerous other pro triathletes!

Join the movement, help us spread the word! Share these links with your team, athletes, facebook friends, and fellow racers so they can find out the pro’s top secret for excelling in the heat!