On Sunday 3 December, the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool is organising the fourth edition of the Technique Pit Stop from 09:00 to 12:00 during lane swimming in the 50-metre pool. Olympic top swimmer Bas van Velthoven from Personal Swimming will share his expertise and offer swimmers the opportunity to have their technique assessed and areas for improvement identified using video footage. To take part in the Technique Pit Stop, visitors only pay an admission ticket for the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool. It is not necessary to book in advance.
The Technique Pitlane, an innovative concept by Personal Swimming, offers swimmers the chance to improve their technique while lane swimming. During lane swimming, 1 lane is reserved as a pitlane. Swimmers can swim through this lane and at the end of the lane receive a number of focus and improvement points based on video footage. You can then apply these yourself before potentially swimming through the pitlane again later. This allows swimmers to quickly and efficiently receive tips that they can use to improve. Moreover, it is an excellent opportunity to ask questions about various swimming techniques.
Marcel Ruitenberg, location manager of the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool, has noticed that an increasing number of people who exercise or work out for health reasons prefer to do so alone, which is reflected at the pool. In the magnificent 50-metre pool, visitors can work on their fitness 7 days a week thanks to generous opening hours and very friendly rates, which is unique for a swimming pool. As a result, the Hoornse Vaart pool attracts many swimmers from surrounding towns and villages. To encourage these swimmers, Ruitenberg got in touch with former Olympian Bas van Velthoven. In a special “Technique Pit Lane”, he provides tips & tricks to passing swimmers via video analysis as an extra service for their loyal visitors.
With ten years of experience as a trainer and coach at Personal Swimming, Bas van Velthoven has an impressive track record. He represented the Netherlands at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. At Personal Swimming, they train nearly 400 swimmers a week, ranging from beginners to professional triathletes and even people who dare to cross the IJsselmeer. Their coaches are experts in identifying areas for improvement in the technique of every swimming stroke, and progress can often be made with a few simple points of focus or short technique drills.
To take part in the Techniek Pitstraat, visitors only need to pay an admission ticket for Hoornse Vaart swimming pool. It is not necessary to book in advance.
At Alkmaar Sport, we regularly surprise our Sports Discount Season Ticket holders with fun extras and special sporting experiences. This time we are getting on our bikes! Sports Discount...
The alarm clock is going off early again, the lunchboxes are on the worktop and the bags are ready in the hallway. The summer holidays are already a distant memory for many. For many families, September means…
Have you ever heard of FloatFitWe at Womanly had never done it before, until we tried it out for ourselves at the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool in Alkmaar. And we have to say: it was a huge success and definitely left us wanting more. During this intensive body workout, you work on improving your fitness in the pool. And no request is too crazy! So don't be surprised if the instructor asks you to do jumping jacks on the AquaBase board. Because even that is possible on the water after a little practice.
Running, fitness and boxing are getting a bit predictable. We thought it would be fun to try a completely different sport for once. After searching around, we came across FloatFit. It is still a fairly new trend in the field of aqua fitness in the Netherlands. We took a gamble and Sports complex de Hoorsne Vaart in Alkmaar. The anticipation had already begun on dry land when I (editor-in-chief of Womanly) sent a few photos of this amazing sport to various female friends. ‘How funny” and ”hahahaha what on earth is that?” were some of the reactions.
Those were my thoughts initially too, as I had no idea what we could expect. When packing, I was still hesitating whether I would need a towel. Thank God my boyfriend ridiculed this hesitation, because one thing is certain: the wet pool will definitely greet you the first time. It is a matter of standing and sticking out. With a t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms and flip-flops, I entered the pool in my sportiest mood, which felt like a well-heated sauna. Fortunately, this feeling subsides once you are in the water.
FloatFit is a high-intensity interval training where you do exercises on an aquabase. This is a floating, air-filled mat in the water. You attach it at the front and back with rings to two ropes lying in the swimming pool. This makes the board completely sturdy to stand on. This brilliant Aquabase was designed by Aquaphysical. In the middle of the board there is a small symbol so that you know exactly where to stand for your balance.
This trend didn't blow over from faraway America, by the way, but comes from close to home in Great Britain. They have been doing this water sport there for a while now. In the Netherlands it is also called Aquafloat instead of FloatFit. Once the Aquabase is in the water, the trick is to climb onto it with your full weight. That is quite a job, but you will get better and better at it. We started off nice and actively with a full swimming pool and an enthusiastic instructor at the Hoornse Vaart in Alkmaar.
Squats, lunges and jumping jacks all feature during the sporty half-hour. ‘Only thirty minutes!’ I hear you think. That sounds short, but afterwards you are completely exhausted and would rather lie with your lazy arse in the nearest hot tub. Because intense it certainly is on the water. The trick is to keep your balance and that takes a bit of figuring out at first. We started with some cheerful music that indicated in the lyrics when you had to go down (squats) and up with your body. I managed that quite well in the water.
After a few exercises, you get better and better at keeping your balance. The part where everyone was ‘shaking’ back and forth was even less suited to me as a beginner. While everyone was cheerfully moving from one side to the other, I was splashing around in the water a bit less happily before climbing back onto the board. Still, I found it wasn't too bad for a first time. It was especially great fun in a pool like that with upbeat music and a good workout. You certainly notice that the next day in the muscle aches.
Can you swim? Then that is actually the answer to the above question. Anyone from young to old can take part. Although we did notice that there was mainly a lot of female beauty on the board. But male muscle-men can also have a great workout here. A major advantage of FloatFot is that there is no pressure on your joints and bones, which prevents troublesome complications.
Unlike ‘ordinary group fitness classes’, a FloatFit session lasts only half an hour. Yet, you still burn more than 300 calories with it. In addition, you also immediately improve your sense of balance. A win-win situation, therefore. By the way, since October you can also go to the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool for two brand new aquafitness classes: Water tanks en Aquajump.
Hoornse Vaart swimming pool is introducing two new aqua classes: Aquakickboxing and Aquajump! These dynamic classes are the latest trend in aquafitness for people who want to train vigorously and intensively. Aquakickboxing and Aquajump are on the weekly schedule at our pool in Alkmaar. The cost for a single class is €8.50.
Aquakickboxing: a class you won't want to miss! Training in the water makes exercises harder and more challenging. Due to the resistance of the water, the muscles are worked intensively and hundreds of calories are burned. Punching and kicking in the water improves balance and coordination whilst simultaneously working on strength and speed. Furthermore, training in the water is a safe way of exercising with a low risk of injury.
At Aquajump you do various exercises on a trampoline that stands on the bottom of the swimming pool. This full-body workout is intensive and challenging, but above all great fun! Under the guidance of our expert instructors you train all the muscles in your body. Anyone who can jump can take part in this class.
The cost for a single class is €8.50. More information about our aquasports can be found on www.hoornsevaart.nl/aquasporten. Don't wait any longer and come and join our new aqua classes!
The first editions of the front crawl course were a huge success and therefore sold out quickly. Under the guidance of professional swimming instructors, participants work on their basic techniques in the 50-metre pool for 8 weeks. This resulted in wonderful outcomes with participants making a significant improvement in their front crawl stroke. Participant Ferry van Wilgenburg shares his experiences of the Front Crawl course.
Ferry van Wilgenburg took part in the very first edition of the front crawl course and speaks enthusiastically about his experiences: ‘Due to a long-term heel injury, I stopped mountain biking and running. For a long time, I looked for a sport where I wouldn't suffer from my lingering injury. In the end, swimming turned out to be an excellent solution. When doing this, I don't feel the torment in my heel.’ Patrick Verduin, swimming instructor at the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool on behalf of Alkmaar Sport, corroborates Ferry's story: ’Because you are virtually weightless in the water, swimming is a sport in which your joints bear little strain. This ensures that you hardly ever get injured through swimming and can recover well from an injury.’
After swimming lengths in the 50-metre pool a few times, Van Wilgenburg signed up for the Front Crawl course: ‘30 years ago, I took part in various triathlons and had regular swimming training. Back then, I swam 3.8 kilometres in just over an hour. While swimming lengths, I noticed that my technique was no longer as good as it was 30 years ago and so I decided to brush up on my technique by taking the Front Crawl course.’ For eight weeks, Ferry was taught by various swimming instructors and he is full of praise for the course: ’I find it remarkable to notice how I have developed a better technique and more specific fitness in a relatively short space of time. In addition, the swimming instructors were very enthusiastic, I received a lot of useful tips and a good insight into my areas for improvement. I found the video recordings in lesson 6 very enlightening, because you can then see for yourself what you need to do better.’
Ferry van Wilgenburg concludes his story: ‘I recommend that everyone goes lane swimming more often and takes part in the Front Crawl course. The course is the perfect foundation and suitable for all levels. A well-executed front crawl stroke makes a huge difference to your swimming speed and saves a great deal of energy.’ In the future, van Wilgenburg plans to go lane swimming even more often in the 50-metre pool at the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool.
A new course starts every 8 weeks. During the course, participants will work on the basic techniques of front crawl under the guidance of professional instructors. The course takes place for 8 weeks on Wednesdays from 21:00 to 21:45. More information can be found at www.hoornsevaart.nl/borstcrawl.
At Alkmaar Sport, we regularly surprise our Sports Discount Season Ticket holders with fun extras and special sporting experiences. This time we are getting on our bikes! Sports Discount...
The alarm clock is going off early again, the lunchboxes are on the worktop and the bags are ready in the hallway. The summer holidays are already a distant memory for many. For many families, September means…
The first edition of the Tech Pit Stop at the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool, led by Olympic top swimmer Bas van Velthoven, was a great success. For lane swimmers, this is the ideal opportunity to have their swimming technique assessed and subsequently receive tips in that area. To take part in the Tech Pit Stop, visitors only pay an admission ticket for the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool. It is not necessary to book in advance.
For the past 10 years, Bas van Velthoven has been a trainer and coach at Personal Swimming. He represented the Netherlands at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The Personal Swimming team provides swimming training to nearly 400 swimmers a week at the Sloterparkbad in Amsterdam. These are swimmers of all levels: from lane swimmers to triathletes, and from swimming talents to Ijsselmeer crossers. The coaches specialise in spotting areas for improvement in the technique of every swimming stroke. Often, with just a few focal points or short technical exercises, you can make a lot of progress.
The Technique Pit Lane is a new concept from Personal Swimming. What is it? During lane swimming, one lane is reserved as a pit lane. As a swimmer, you can swim through this, and at the end of the lane you will receive a number of focus and improvement points. You can then apply these yourself and potentially swim through the pit lane again later. The great thing is that you receive a number of tips and focus points in a short space of time, which you can then work on yourself. In addition, this is also the perfect moment to ask all your questions about the various swimming techniques.
To participate in the Technology Pit Lane, visitors only pay a admission ticket for the Hoornse Vaart swimming pool. It is not necessary to book in advance.
At Alkmaar Sport, we regularly surprise our Sports Discount Season Ticket holders with fun extras and special sporting experiences. This time we are getting on our bikes! Sports Discount...
The alarm clock is going off early again, the lunchboxes are on the worktop and the bags are ready in the hallway. The summer holidays are already a distant memory for many. For many families, September means…
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