Last week at the 2017 Swimming World Championship Trials, we held our first #BridgeLIVE event with our co-founder, Nick Folker. While on deck in Indianapolis, Nick answered questions that were sent in from athletes and coaches about preparing for the championship event. Here is the LIVE video and a recap of our #LIVEwithNICK.

A proper dynamic warm-up is an important step to prepare an athlete’s body to perform at maximum intensity during a workout, training session, and competition. In the past, a traditional warm-up routine involved a light jog followed by extensive static stretching. Studies have shown that too much static stretching lengthens muscles and nerves, which in turn decreases athletic performance for up to two hours. Unlike this “sit and stretch” method, an active dynamic warm-up increases body and core temperature, increases blood flow to muscles, focuses the athlete’s mind on the task ahead, and enhances coordination and motor ability. Thus, an effective dynamic warm-up should incorporate sport-specific movements and cause athletes to break a sweat in order to optimize athletic performance.

Endurance athletes face a unique dilemma during training and competitions. Their races are so long that their bodies can effectively burn through all their energy stores unless proper attention is given to fueling up before and even during competition. Not surprisingly, athletes can have trouble pairing a long, grueling race with eating and drinking. Let’s look at how you can replenish muscle glycogen stores and why pre-run fuel is essential to your performance.

Championship season beckons. Over the next 3 weeks, the best of the best will converge for the biggest tournaments of the year. It is time to quiet your thoughts and really trust in the work you have done to get to where you are. Getting to this point requires a great amount of dedication and time invested by you as an athlete, your coaching staff, and your family. So believe in yourself and the work you have done.

The season is just around the corner, but the winter weather hasn’t lightened up. During these dry, cold weather months, your training, recovery and game performance are affected by both mental and physical challenges. Try these tips to be ready to perform at the highest level even in the lowest temperatures.

2017 is here: make this the year that all the hard work pays off.

Whether you’re looking for ways to help your athletes improve their performance or reduce injury, a full dynamic warmup before competitions and training sessions is a simple way to start. It can be easy to skip this key step at the beginning of every practice because it takes time and sometimes seems less relevant to the rest of the training program. However, warming up can play a key role in priming the body for quicker reactions and giving joints a wider range of motion. JP Reggiardo, BridgeAthletic's volleyball expert, has spent 17 years in strength coaching, and 12 of which was working with volleyball athletes at the collegiate level. JP has put together a suggested dynamic warmup routine for players and clubs to implement to maximize performance on the court.

This month’s edition of Sports Psychology builds on the Plan stage of the Learn, Plan, Perform Model, discussing how mental training through the practice of imagery is a fundamental part of achieving long-term skill goals.

4 Steps to Better Championship Preparation

Championship season is the time of year when you put even more focus into swimming your fastest. As the physical demand of training lightens, how you manage the remaining hours in your day becomes more critical. Making your meets a priority doesn’t mean skirting other responsibilities—it just means planning ahead and practicing your best habits outside of the pool. Here are four ways to optimize your time as you prepare for a championship: