Fit with BINDER
Tips & tricks for every type of swimmer
The counter-current systems with the fitness factor
Here, we demonstrate how you can keep yourself fit with our counter-current systems. Our professional swimmers present simple exercises for all performance levels. Let’s go!
SWIMMING TIP
Technique training with Carolin Meyer
Caro Meyer is a triathlete and coach and has several sporting successes under her belt. In 2017, Caro became NRW champion in the sprint and finished fourth in the sprint distance at the German Championships. Here, Caro gives some practical tips on how to improve your swimming technique with simple means.
Swimming tips from Caro Meyer: pull buoy
This training device is ideal for improving your leg kick. Take the pull buoy in both hands and lie flat in the water. As the device keeps you above water, you can focus completely on your legwork.
The reverse is also true: by holding the pull buoy between your thighs. you can concentrate entirely on training your arms. So, why not give it a try? After all, practice makes perfect!
Crawl tips from Caro Meyer
My first tip for you is to breathe out evenly in the water. You should always be looking down at the pool floor, or to the side: breathe in above water, breathe out in the water. You can breathe on every single crawl stroke or only on every second or third – whatever suits you best.
When doing crawl, your arm movement is also important: make sure that you have a high elbow both above and below the water, i.e. use the “high elbow catch”. And always ensure long arm pulls so that you glide through the water.
Of course, your leg kicks should not be neglected: they should be even, with relaxed ankle joints, and should come from the hip – not from the knee.
And now: happy training!
BINDER24 app: Your control centre
With the BINDER24 app, you can regulate the current intensity, control optional LED lighting, create your own training programmes and make use of predefined exercise units.
What makes the ingredients so nutritious?
The quark provides a lot of protein. Its low fat content makes it easier to absorb the macronutrients that the drink contains. The cocoa contains polyphenols, which support the immune system and have an anti-inflammatory effect. In combination with the coconut flour and honey, it also ensures a delicious flavour.
The recipe can also be adapted
By the way: if you’ve just completed a hard swimming session, you can use oat milk instead of buttermilk. It contains more carbohydrates. For power athletes, on the other hand, Lisa Gerß recommends replacing the buttermilk with almond milk.
HEALTH TIPS
Fit thanks to healthy nutrition
Professional triathlete and nutritional scientist Lisa Gerß has created a recipe for a healthy smoothie exclusively for BINDER. It is very easy to prepare: take 400 ml of buttermilk as the basis, then add a small cup of light quark (250 g), some coconut flour, cocoa powder, a teaspoon of honey and a banana. Purée all of the ingredients together – and your fitness drink is ready.
PHYSIO TIPS FROM THE PROS
Paralympics winner and physiotherapist Elena
The turbine-powered counter-current systems from BINDER are not only perfect for endurance swimming. Their current also offers ideal conditions for health training or regeneration exercises as part of a rehabilitation programme. Paralympics winner and physiotherapist Elena Semechin (née Krawzow) shows us some valuable exercises here. You can find many more physio tips on our YouTube channel.
Elena’s physio tips: neck exercises
Many people have a forward-curving posture because they sit in front of a computer every day. This is very taxing and often leads to tension and neck pain. Here, Paralympic gold medallist and physiotherapist Elena Semechin (née Krawzow) demonstrates what you can do to combat this. Using a turbine swimming system from BINDER and a simple exercise.
“Position yourself sideways in front of the system and place your upper arms by your upper body – your elbows should be around the height of your hips. Your knees should be slightly bent, with the tips of your toes pointing outwards. The arm that is nearest the counter-current system should be bent at the elbow to produce a 90-degree angle. Move this arm repeatedly out so it points towards the system and then back so it is by your body. By working against the resistance provided by the system, the shoulder is pushed back. The entire body must remain taut, which means that all muscle groups are trained.”
Elena’s physio tips: aqua jogging
Would you like to go jogging, but are you having problems with your joints? Our Paralympic champion and physiotherapist Elena Semechin (née Krawzow) has a great alternative: aqua jogging! This sport offers the same sensation as “normal” jogging but protects the joints. Here’s how it works:
“Position yourself in the middle of the current and place your arms parallel with your body. Now start to move your arms and legs, coordinating your right leg with your left arm and your left leg with your right arm. It is important that you remain level so that your body doesn’t twist to the side. Make sure that your body stays engaged to allow your core and legs to work as well.
The training effect of aqua jogging is further enhanced by the broad, even current of the BINDER systems.
SWIMMING TIPS
Our experts
Learn from our athletes Elena Semechin, Lisa Gerß and Matthias Knossalla.
Interview with triathlon coach Matthias Knossalla
Matthias Knossalla was one of the frontrunners in numerous competitions as a professional triathlete. He has been training up-and-coming athletes since 2015 and guiding them successfully through qualification for the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii. We wanted to ask him why he uses a turbine swimming system from BINDER in his training centre.
BINDER: Mr Knossalla: How come “your” athletes train using BINDER counter-current systems?
Matthias Knossalla: In professional triathlon, word quickly gets around when there’s something new. I had heard about the first people swimming with a counter-current system. When I asked them whether it was a narrow jet, they replied that it was turbines. I then tested this type of system. My reaction: Wow! It feels as if you’re swimming in a river. Which is exactly what we do in triathlon: over the longest distance, athletes swim for 45 minutes without turning around. So for me as a coach, BINDER systems offer genuine added value!
BINDER: How do you convince athletes who are a little sceptical about whether training with a turbine driven counter-current system actually adds anything?
Matthias Knossalla: Professional triathletes often believe that the current offered by the systems is too weak. But this is not true, as there are various versions of BINDER swimming systems. Those with a flow rate of 1,200 m3 per hour are particularly suitable for elite triathletes. Athletes who are still developing can successfully improve their swimming technique using other systems, as the current keeps them balanced.
BINDER: You have developed your own training units for the BINDER24 app. What are they like?
Matthias Knossalla: There are modules for both beginners looking to improve their swimming skills and professionals who need an intensive workout. And all at the touch of a button!
BINDER: Sounds exciting. Thank you very much for the interview, Mr Knossalla!
Interview with professional triathlete and nutritionist Lisa Gerß
We asked the likeable athlete why she recommends training with BINDER turbine swimming systems and what it is best to eat as an elite athlete.
BINDER: Lisa, as a triathlete, you are in a perfect position to judge: What is so special about the current of the BINDER counter-current systems?
Lisa Gerß: It is very similar to the conditions during the open-water swim in a triathlon. That’s why it is very well suited as preparation for the swimming discipline in triathlons. And it means you don’t have to travel to the pool specially for training. Most triathletes have jobs and don’t have much time.
BINDER: Speaking of time: Many people lead relatively stressful lives but would like to do a little more for their health. Do you have any tips?
Lisa Gerß: Yes, that’s true: the greatest challenge is a lack of time. And prioritisation: I get the impression that we plan many things in our daily lives right down to the last detail, but nutrition usually comes up short. Everyone should have two well-balanced main meals per day. This can be managed even when you’re out and about. However, you do need to plan to make sure you don’t fall into the snack trap.
BINDER: What do you eat as a triathlete?
Lisa Gerß: I don’t have a special diet, just a few nutritional goals. One of these is to strengthen my immune system. That means integrating enough fruit, vegetables, full-grain products and legumes into my meal planning. And as an endurance athlete, it is important to eat well before a training session to ensure I have the power and stamina that I need.
BINDER: Now there’s the rule: don’t enter the water with a full stomach. But for a triathlon you have to take on fuel beforehand so as to have enough energy. How do you reconcile this?
Lisa Gerß: As triathletes, we fill up our carbohydrate stores in our muscles and liver a few days before the competition through targeted nutrition. On the day of the competition, we obviously do eat breakfast – but we have something light like porridge with banana, and we make sure there is enough of a time gap before the first discipline. Such a dish provides real power and is easy to digest.
BINDER: Thank you very much for the interview, Lisa!
Interview with Elena Semechin (née Krawzow): The surprise guest
Our EasyStar brand ambassador Elena Semechin won gold in the 100 m breaststroke at the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2021.
When Elena appeared as a guest at our online event in Hamelin a little later, we naturally wanted to know: How did you feel when you realised you were Paralympic champion?
Elena: To be honest, it was not very easy to know whether I had managed it. I am almost blind and could not simply look up at the board with the results. Ahead of the final, I had worked out a whistle signal with those looking after me for if I won. When I heard the whistle, I felt a burst of emotion: I had worked towards this moment for ten years!
BINDER: A great achievement – congratulations once again from the BINDER team! Shortly after you received another award: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented you with the Silver Laurel Leaf, the highest sporting accolade in Germany. How did you find that?
Elena: That was the day after my big brain operation, when I had a tumour removed. I was indescribably happy that I was able to take part in the ceremony and collect the award in person.
BINDER: And then there was a third reason to celebrate: You got married, didn’t you?
Elena: Yes, it was very important to me to do so before my big operation. Nobody knew how I would wake up afterwards. Whether I would be the same Elena as before. Fortunately, everything went well.
BINDER: We were also very glad about that, Elena! Now we want to talk briefly about your role as brand ambassador for our retrofitting system EasyStar. Many people wonder how your partnership with BINDER came about.
Elena: My manager takes care of financial matters so that I don’t have to work on the side and can focus fully on my swimming. That’s how I came into contact with BINDER. A short promotional video that we filmed at the World Championships in London probably convinced them (laughs). I believe that we’re a good fit, and I am very grateful for the support that I get from BINDER.
BINDER: Thank you very much for the interview, Elena!
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