Support For Athletes' Flexibility, Muscle Strength & Recovery
Training in the professional sport of javelin requires as much flexibility as muscle strength. Just ask our Corporate Coordinator Freddie, who represented Great Britain at the World Junior Athletics Championships and won the Junior and U23 National titles.
Freddie says that the javelin training is quite varied: "I spend 5-6 hours a week in the gym, weight training and the same amount of time with other exercises, such as medicine ball throws and one-armed overhead throws. As a javelin thrower, of course I spend time with to throw, but not as much as people might think, we don't throw every day."
The athlete explains that throwing puts a lot of strain on the elbow, shoulder and back. This limits javelin throwing to only two to three days a week. He rounds off his training sessions with gymnastics: "Besides the fun and challenging aspect, gymnastics training provides great value to javelin throwers. It helps develop balance, flexibility, upper body strength and core stability in one session!"
To balance his sports schedule with his work life, Freddie says he works out in the morning before work. He keeps double training sessions for the weekend. He's discovered an added bonus: "Exercising in the morning keeps me a little sharper throughout the day, too."
How did Freddie discover his love for javelin throwing? "As a child, I first realized I had a talent for throwing when I was throwing tennis balls over the roof with my two brothers. There was something funny about watching a tennis ball come out of nowhere and fly over the house," he recalls. "My older brother joined the local athletics club, so I came along and watched. The following week I decided to give it a try and was hooked! I was about 9 years old at the time."
Freddie uses Aarja Health supplements daily. "I use Magnesium3 every day and take them in the evening. I take it with a small snack. I find it easier to fall asleep and I feel much more rested in the mornings. I have also seen a huge difference in my recovery at exercise."
In addition, the javelin thrower also uses other Aarja products, including Vitamin C 500 with zinc and changa , Vitamin D3 + lingonberry , K collagen with pine bark and Curcumin with ginger and B12 . "Vitamin C and D3 both help me prevent colds or minor illnesses. The collagen has helped me with joint pain, from the many hours of training. The curcumin has been good as an anti-inflammatory."
He admits that muscle fatigue is normal with so much training during the week. "It's important to have the right amount of training load and not to overdo it," advises Freddie. "Injuries we try to avoid at all costs. Working on the small supporting muscles and doing prehab exercises is the best way. We try to be proactive about injury prevention and not reactive about problems. I have physical therapy sessions and massages regularly. But I think that efficient sleep and proper recovery are key here."
Focus is absolutely necessary during competitions. "Of course, at major championships I can get a little nervous," says Freddie. I am working with a sports psychologist to develop some different techniques to keep me calm and relaxed. For me, there is nothing that hinders my performance more than a racing mind and a tense body. In the days before a big competition, I try not to think about it too much. I'm just trying to carry on with everyday life as usual."
Aarja Health is proud to support athletes like Freddie with our healthy nutritional supplements.
