IKKOS Training – the new training used by US Elite swimmers

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Another great interview, with a new company. Have you ever heard of ikkos training? Or neuroplasticity? No! Then let Sean Hutchison from Ikkos training tell you all about it. Read on.

The before and after in the image above are only twenty minutes apart.  In the physics of swimming, the goal is to get the pulling arm perpendicular to the body as quickly as possible.  In the swimming world, this is called ‘high elbow freestyle’.  The after picture displays this along with a change in body tone/position and a different kick timing. These changes occurred because of Ikkos training and other methods used by Sean during training sessions.

What is ikkostraining?

‘Ikkos’ training is essentially a way to learn movement patterns very quickly and accurately, compared to conventional teaching methods.  I use the phrase ‘movement patterns’ in reference to a skill or technique the student is looking to acquire.  It could be anything from learning how to shoot a free throw or have a better golf swing or throw a football.  As long as we have a higher-level technique to aspire to, athletes at any level can learn and improve through Ikkos.

What is neuroplasticity?

I’m pasting this directly from Wikipedia: (also known as cortical re-mapping) refers to the ability of the human brain to change as a result of one’s experience, that the brain is ‘plastic’ and ‘malleable’.

How can neuroplasticity benefit athletes?

Generally, it already does.  It benefits all of us every day.  When we learn, our brain changes.   In regards to how Ikkos training helps athletes learn better technique? The training process enables the athletes to focus at a higher level, possibly recruiting a greater part of their brain in order to speed up and specify, as in accuracy, the physical learning process.

What top athletes have benefited from your techniques?

In regards to elite athletes, we have, thus far, only worked with world-class swimmers.  After working with swimmers and all the problems associated with using electronic equipment around the water and the general difficulty of learning technique in a fluid environment, application on land-based sports has been fluid.  With that, we are currently in discussion with some household name athletes of different sports.

What made you interested in neuroplasticity?

Effective technique is such a strong factor for success in sport.   As I learned and observed training, I saw quality of technique diminish through practice and, subsequently, competition.  The original goal was to train the body to perform the desired technique over and over with minimal change.  I looked to actively training the nervous system, as opposed to the aerobic model, which was status quo. The nervous system led me to the brain and neuroplasticity.

What was your background before ikkostraining?

I was a US Olympic swimming coach and business owner.  I’ve always had a lot of interests, a high curiosity and a regular reading habit.  I always loved science but wasn’t a fan of science class.  I didn’t learn my strong work ethic until my formal schooling was done, after I had the freedom to follow my thoughts down the rabbit hole, which led me to Ikkos.

How does someone develop themselves to be an expert in neuroplasticity?

I don’t claim to be an expert in neuroplasticity.  I claim to be an expert in teaching.  The thought which led to the ‘eureka moment’ was, “These athletes have such a strong desire to achieve and do whatever is asked.  Their biggest limitation is technical.  How can we teach them more efficiently and effectively so they can realize a new level of accomplishment and belief?”

Can you give us a brief low-down on your techniques?

We are removing the filters in the learning process.  When I want to teach you traditionally, I get a picture in my mind of what I think is accurate, formulate words to describe the picture, you interpret my words through your own mind’s eye, then try to implement.  It’s kind of like the old telephone game.  By the time the message gets to the end of the line, it’s rarely what we want.  It’s a very inefficient process.   Through ‘Ikkos’ training methods, we remove the filters, help people to actively focus the brain in a manner which helps them copy desired movement.

What would you do with an athlete in a typical training session or over-time?

We would get an assessment of where the athlete is, what their goals are, pick the direction, then run them through training.  A session can last anywhere from 15 minutes to hours, depending on the motivation and focusing ability of the athlete.

What should readers of this article do if they are interested in your techniques?

In our first stage of development, we are primarily working with professional athletes or athletes looking to make the jump into professional athletics.  One-on-one use is ‘live’. Ikkos’ plan for sale and use in the greater marketplace is in development.  We’re moving it along aggressively but want to make sure the quality will be excellent when its released.   Ikkos ‘training’ can help a lot of people expand their beliefs by doing things at a higher level than they once thought possible.

Interested in more? Please see Sean’s website at: http://ikkostraining.com/

Article by Bryan Roberts

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 at 3:26 pm and is filed under Bryan Roberts, Fitness equipment, Swimming. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.