Before becoming one of the top managers of the World Class network, Evgenia Kostina worked for many years at the club as a martial arts coach: her track record includes the title of international master of sports in taekwondo, victories at the European Cup and the World Championship. Now Evgenia continues to train and perform, but at an amateur level. And he notices that the inhabitants of megacities are beginning to engage in fitness as a sport. She told RBC Style about the trends that are currently in trend.
Evgeniya Kostina
Director of Strategy and Marketing World Class
About amateur sports
Fitness is tremendous pleasure: it allows you to recover from the mental stress associated with work and the hard rhythm of the city, and at the same time gives you the opportunity to see concrete results. By our nature, we all strive for achievements, high and measurable indicators - that is why fitness is increasingly in demand not only among members of network clubs, but also for all those who are used to regularly engage in amateur sports. Today he is actively moving beyond the gym and becoming part of the lifestyle. For example, riding a road bike allows you to see beautiful places, chat with people from different cities, get acquainted with the culture of the country - all this annually attracts thousands of newcomers to the competition.
About fitness trends
Run -
Smooth running, which includes running on asphalt at various distances, has been the most popular area of amateur sports for several years. And he is not going to give up his positions to new and no less interesting disciplines - this is evidenced by the annual increase in the number of participants in running marathons, and indeed the development of the industry throughout the world.
We have already assembled a team of amateur athletes for the Moscow International Marathon. The goal of the club's professional coaches is to help the participants prepare to run 42 km in six months. An individual plan is built for each athlete, nutritional recommendations are made, which, by the way, play an important role in the preparatory process. Of course, apart from running, all participants pay attention to the development of general physical fitness and endurance of the body. It is this holistic approach that allows them to achieve success without overload and injury.
Svimran -
Last fall, we introduced the swimran course to the clubs - it's easy to guess that it combines cross-country running and swimming in open water. This discipline has millions of fans in Europe, and it quickly gained incredible popularity in Russia. Therefore, it can be argued that svimran will become one of the trends in the coming years. A training program for a beginner in this area usually begins within the walls of the club with mastering the correct swimming and running technique, and then goes beyond it - this year, amateurs competed at the World Class Summer Games named after. Dmitry Zhirnov (annual competition for all members of the network's clubs in more than 20 individual and team disciplines) and started in open water.
On the eve of large-scale summer games, we are holding monthly competitions in the most popular disciplines. This helps keep amateurs interested in sports and motivates newcomers to work efficiently and be productive. Moreover, in order to get into the team, it is enough to be able to crawl at least at an initial level. In addition to running and swimming, the training program usually includes blocks of functional exercises, which are aimed at working out the muscles and preparing the body for the load.
Indoor Triathlon -
Almost everyone in Russia already knows what a triathlon is - this proves that amateur sports are constantly developing and spreading throughout the country. For several years in a row, triathlon has remained one of the most favorite sports directions among businessmen and top managers, regardless of gender and age. Although in terms of the number of participants in the competitions, we are still slightly behind Europe.
Triathlon is not only an outdoor sport, as most people think. Today there is an opportunity to do it in the club, which allows you to start in a softer and safer mode. Indoor training is suitable for everyone who wants to master three disciplines at once: running, swimming and cycling, but in comfortable conditions - inside the club, using all its resources. In addition, indoor triathletes also take part in summer games.
You can practice twice a week in free group trainings or add individual lessons to the program. Typically, club training in this area involves classes in the pool, cycling on simulators and treadmills, combined with functional training.
Cycling -
One of the key areas of cycling is road racing, which takes place in the open air on paved roads. It would seem that this sport is not suitable for us due to the climate. However, in Russia, a lot has already been done for its development in terms of infrastructure: special paths appear on the embankments, bike rentals are opened in cities, and races are often held - this is why the number of people who love cycling and strive to achieve heights in this discipline has increased.
Cycling can be of two other types: “track” (at the velodrome) and “MTV” (mountain bike on rough terrain). It's incredibly interesting and engaging. For example, high-intensity work on a cycle track, as opposed to prolonged aerobic work, allows you to improve hormones and diversify training in bad weather. True, we always recommend for beginners to start with familiarity with the basic technique of safe driving in order to avoid common mistakes, and only then train for speed. After that, you can safely go to competitions or sports camps along the routes of the most famous races.
About preparation and recovery
For amateur, like any other, competitions must be prepared consistently, carefully and under the supervision of a professional coach. It is important to pay attention to medical indications and regularly go through check-ups, to monitor how stress affects the health of the body. This issue requires consistency: training at least three times a week, no long breaks, healthy nutrition, attention to the body - otherwise injuries will go. You also can't skimp on equipment: any beginner and professional needs good shoes to keep their feet strong and healthy. Plus, don't forget about muscle recovery and proper rest.
One of the most popular recovery tools among our athletes is yoga. It helps to relax the body and mind, increase muscle elasticity and body flexibility, and relieve tension. Also, in between intense workouts, many return to functional training, which helps maintain balance and improve fitness. But cross-fit has already outlived its popularity and is now fading away more and more. Simply because he has huge demands on physical fitness, which, by and large, can be dispensed with by playing non-professional sports and enjoying it.>