Jeff
Lunsky- "Fitness Guru to the Highveld Strikers"
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Consult a general practitioner before attempting this exercise |
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Jeff Lunsky is the fitness trainer to the Highveld Strikers, one of South Africa's top provincial cricket teams.
Jeff is a qualified optometrist, but his passion has always been fitness. He has completed many fitness training courses and in the mid 1990's was approached by the Gauteng Cricket Board to become fitness trainer to the Gauteng Provincial Cricket Team.
Jeff's job is to ensure that the cricketers are physically fit and healthy. That they are fit, strong, flexible and physically ready to handle the physical demands of the upcoming cricket season. Jeff's job is twofold:
1) He ensures that the cricketers are physically fit and injury free, so that coaches can focus on the cricketers technique and strategy on the field and not the players fitness
2) He also has to educate the cricketers so that they understand the benefits of the physical training and that they know how to look after their bodies.
In the pre-season Jeff believes that cross training is an effective way to keep the cricketers body conditioned by including more than one exercise in a particular workout schedule. It works the body in different ways in order to maintain a level of fitness. Cross training works more muscles and ensures that the abnormal stresses of competition are less likely to cause injury.
Tips
for Cross Training
| Flexibility should be part of the
training schedule, stretching one week and doing yoga the next.
Cardiovascular exercise
should be the foundation of a cross training program. A stair
climbing machine or an elliptical trainer is ideal. Swimming is
great because it takes the stress off the legs while offering a good
overall workout.
Including multiple activities in a workout schedule balances
overall fitness. Running will strengthen the legs and the
cardiovascular system but the upper body may be undefined.
Muscular Strength
and endurance can be added to an athlete’s aerobic base by
including a weight program.
There is also cross training within workout
types. For example, an athlete could vary his strength training, one
day doing weight training and the day after doing push-ups and
pull-ups. |
Although
cross training can tax the same muscle groups, the difference between
running and cycling can teach an athlete to use specific muscles in
slightly different ways. Jeff believes that cross training helps muscles
to adapt more easily. This variety can also alleviate or reduce overuse
injuries such as muscle strains, ligament sprains, or tendinitis.
The
Highveld Strikers are rounding off their pre-season training and are
physically fit and ready to become the top provincial team in South Africa
this season all thanks to their fitness guru, Jeff Lunsky.
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