To fit the bill

With a scientific approach and cutting-edge technology, fitness expert Christian Bosse has ushered in high levels of professionalism in the exercise routines of sportspersons

December 17, 2014 07:03 pm | Updated 07:03 pm IST - MADURAI

FIT AS A FIDDLE: Christian Bosse. Photo: G. Moorthy

FIT AS A FIDDLE: Christian Bosse. Photo: G. Moorthy

Ask fitness expert Christian Bosse whether physical fitness is only about regular gym visits. “Hard workouts can break down an individual,” he says. According to him, fitness training has to be age and individual-specific. Fundamental movement and gross motor skills should be developed at different periods of time,” he says.

Christian Bosse is the Strength and Conditioning coach of the Netherlands National Olympic Committee and has guided the Dutch team to win a medal in the BMX Cycling event in Olympics. He has also looked after the fitness of the equestrian team which includes Anky van Grunsven, who holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by any equestrian athlete. He is a self-employed performance coach for professional sportspersons.

He was here for a workshop conducted by the Madurai Institute of Sports Medicine to train a group of fitness trainers. “I am not new to India. I have worked in Bangalore for two years as a fitness coach in a tennis academy,” he smiles. He feels that many talented sportspersons, in their ambitious pursuit, learn sports-specific technical skills quickly and forget the significance of maintaining fitness levels. “In order to succeed, it should go hand-in-hand. Lack of proper understanding of the basic functionalities of the body can land a sportsperson in trouble. Many promising talents fade out because of this,” he says.

German by birth, Bosse’s passion for tennis is obvious. “Boris Becker is my superstar,” he says. After studying sports science in various universities in Berlin, Cologne and Madrid, he began his career as a fitness coach in Catalan Tennis Federation, Barcelona (Spain) and has also worked with British and Chinese Tennis Federations.

Christian Bosse specialises on long term athlete development. He has developed age-appropriate motor skills in an athlete. He has also evolved a fitness routine for children before and after adolescence. “It is a sensitive phase and also the period of fastest growth, when the body is fit for aerobic endurance. The peak high velocity for girls is 12-13 years and 13-14 years for boys depending on individual and ethnic differences,” he says.

He identifies sport-specific endurance and fatigue-resistance in a sportsperson and suggests individualised recommendations to develop the required energy systems in a person. His training schedule includes functional warm up sessions to prepare the muscles for harder tasks ahead. “It activates the neuro-muscular system and improves flexibility and mobility,” he says.

Christian Bosse, however, does not stop at this but goes an extra mile suggesting individual corrective exercises to eliminate injuries. He also advises the trainees on improving their linear and lateral speed because he feels speed and agility are the most limiting factors in sport. Concentrating on power, strength, endurance and functional training, he also recommends a set of cool down exercises. “It is as important as warm up routines. A sportsperson’s performance depends on the recovery from the previous work loads. You can’t improve just by training but by recovering from training,” he says.

Bosse exudes confidence in Indian sportspersons. Besides a general interest in sports, people here are looking to improve themselves and I think they are moving in the right direction, he says, adding, the only thing they require is updating themselves.

Bosse is currently working with young sportspersons in the local football club in Arnhem, The Netherlands. “I am involved in a programme to help children improve their fitness in an optimal way so that they can make it to the the top team,” he says.

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