StrechCordz® and TurfCordz® resistance training products have been used by Olympic athletes, as well as college swimming and diving coaches for decades.
Brian Peresie, Head Women’s Swimming & Diving Coach for The University of Akron, lives and works just down the road from NZ Manufacturing’s headquarters. Brian also happened to attend the 2016 Summer Olympic trials. We spoke to Brian about his experience and asked him a few questions about his use of NZ Manufacturing products, as well as his views on training and conditioning.
Can you tell us a little bit about your Olympic trial experience this year?
We had 4 ladies in our program that recently qualified for the 2016 Olympic trials. The Olympic trial standards come out roughly two years ahead of the actual trials. We had two ladies that qualified last summer, and two more that qualified during the school year. It’s a really high honor to participate in the Olympic trials, which is the highest level of competition in the sport. We were excited to have such a strong showing of athletes at this year’s Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska.
Can you tell us about when you were first introduced to NZ Manufacturing products?
We’ve used NZ Manufacturing products for years in our program. They are great training devices that allow us to be more creative with our workouts because we can use them in so many different ways. We really like to use them for resistance, where swimmers can swim stationary for 60 seconds at a time with a snorkel on to focus on their stroke underwater, trying to eliminate any dead spots.
We also use the longer cords for high intensity work outs, because they have progressive resistance. As our swimmers get closer to the wall using the StrechCordz® in-water gear, the resistance increases.
In addition, the short cords allow us to work on push offs and breakouts. When our swimmers focus on the short portion of the race, we can give them feedback right away, which allows them to know what to focus on when they are warming up for an event.
One of the lessons I try to teach all our swimmers is that you cannot get speed back that you’ve lost once you’re in the water. With StrechCordz® in-water and
dryland gear we help our swimmers focus on the proper stroke and technique that will minimize any speed loss in the water.
What specific NZ Manufacturing products does your team use?
- Short belt – To work on push offs and breakout
- Long belt slider – For stationary swimming or progressive swimming
- StrechCordz® with paddles – Used for building strength outside of the water. It’s much easier for coaches to give instruction outside of the water.
- Drag belt tow tether – Used for shorter distances
Why are NZ Manufacturing products so key to your training regimen?
I’ve always been a big believer in post activation potentiation theory, or PAP. This theory essentially says that if you’re performing for example a standing vertical jump with a 20 pound weight vest and do a couple of repetitions, take the vest off, wait 5 minutes, and jump again, you’ll be able to jump higher that if you didn’t jump with the weight first. I believe that the same applies to swimming. We have our swimmers swim with StrechCordz® gear for a few repetitions, then do some easy swimming without resistance, and more times than not they’re faster during competition. This teaches swimmers how to use additional muscle fibers, which translate into when they’re racing. We always try to use StrechCordz® gear in warmups for this reason.
What are some tips for a young swimmer aspiring to make it to the Olympics?
If I were to give any young swimmer advice, it would be to do the following:
- You need to make a decision that this is what you want.
- Set goals and stick to them.
- You need to listen to your coaches. They’re going to have the best information that will help you to reach your goals. The more closely you work with your swim coach the better your opportunity will be to take your skills to the next level.
Interested in learning more about the NZ Manufacturing products used by Brian and his team?
We really appreciate Brian Peresie giving us a few minutes of his time, and hope that you enjoyed this interview. If you’re interested in learning more about the specific StrechCordz® gear and other NZ Manufacturing products that Brian and his team use at the University of Akron, feel free to reach out to our team today by phone at 330-634-0271, or through our online contact form.
