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Natalie Coughlin: From the Olympics to DWTS

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:50:41 -0700

Last season on Dancing With the Stars, we saw gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson win gold, and this year we're watching Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin compete on land.

She made it through the first week, dancing a salsa with Alec Mazo and wowed us last night with her quick step. Although busy dancing and rehearsing, Natalie took time out of her day to answer a few questions on topics ranging from Pilates to her opinion on the ban on high-tech swimsuits.

To learn what Natalie has to say, just read more.

FitSugar: I have read that you do Pilates. How does this method of exercise help your swimming? Since it is somewhat dance-based, do you think it will help you on DWTS?
Natalie Coughlin: Pilates is an awesome cross-training exercise for any sport because it focuses on functional movement. It relies on strength along with flexibility, which is perfect for both swimming and dance. My two favorite pieces of equipment are the Balanced Body Exo Chair and Pilates Arc. I personally own both, and they make a nice addition to my home gym.

FS: I loved your "I'm a runner" piece in Runner's World. Do you still run regularly? Do you ever participate in road races? Were you able to run before your wedding ceremony?
NC: My first and only road race was the H2O Audio Surf Monkey last month, which was a 5K run on a mixture of sand, cobbled rock, and pier. It was so much fun, although I had no idea how to run on sand or cobbled rock! A few days before my wedding, I got a little overzealous with my running and ended up straining my right obliques, which forced me to take a bit of a break. Oops! I still love running, but I'm currently spending five to six-plus hours dancing every day, so I'm taking a break. I don't think it would be a good idea to add any unnecessary stress to my feet or legs.

FS:Your swimming career has spanned two Olympics, and you're planning to compete in 2012 - how do you maintain focus in training over those four-year periods?
NC: My focus is constantly evolving. I took three months off immediately following the Athens Games and returned to competition with a series of two-day meets throughout the world. The short format of the meets along with the world travel kept me motivated and interested in swimming. After Beijing, I needed a much longer break both mentally and physically because I have been competing for 21 years now! Dancing With the Stars is providing me with an amazing competitive outlet in something so different than my sport.

FSWhat's your favorite core exercise?
NC: I use the TRX suspension system for strength training and I absolutely love the atomic push-up because it's a killer exercise that works your entire core and upper body.

FS: Is your running playlist different from your swimming playlist? If so, how?
NC: Nope! They're usually the same, but it changes depending on my mood. It can be anything from pop, rock, alternative, to hip-hop . . . and H2O Audio's new Interval lets me listen to multiple playlists in the water or while I'm out on a run.

FS: Swimming can be hard on the skin and hair. What are your go-to beauty products postswim?
NC: Oh dear! I love products . . . Pureology for my hair, Kinesys sunscreen for my face/body preswimming, Palmer's Cocoa Butter for my body post-swimming, and Oil of Olay SPF 15 for my face.

FS: How do you feel about the ban on high-tech swimsuits?
NC: I think it's a good idea because our sport can now get back to the swimming and eliminate the distraction of "who are you wearing?" Eliminating zippers and legs is strange because both have been a part of many of the suits for over a decade. Either way, I'm happy.

Do You Think Golf and Rugby Should Be Olympic Sports?

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:50:15 -0700

The International Olympic Committee has selected golf and rugby sevens (a faster version of the traditional 15-to-a-team version) to be included in the 2016 games, over baseball, softball, karate, roller sports, and squash.

Tiger Woods will undoubtedly be a fan of the decision. As Woods recently said, "golf is a truly global sport and should have been in the Olympics a while ago." Interestingly enough, IOC president Jacques Rogge once played rugby for Belgium, although he did not participate in the vote. The IOC's recommendation will be voted on by the entire IOC assembly in October, which is considered a formality. In other news, women will be able to box for the gold in the 2012 games. Boxing was the only sport that didn't include female athletes.

Michael Phelps Dives Back In

FitSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:30:00 -0700

After the infamous "marijuana pipe" photo mysteriously surfaced, Michael Phelps was suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming. But Phelps returns to racing this weekend - his first competition since Beijing - at the USA Swimming Grand Prix in Charlotte, NC.

Riding his post-Olympic fame has been a little rocky to say the least, and the gold medal winner has had to learn how to navigate in "real life." His swimming career was superbly choreographed, but much of his youth was spent in the pool leaving him little time to develop other interests. His coach, Bob Bowman, is now teaching him a little self preservation as well as how to perfect his strokes. Bowman told the New York Times, “Michael wants to know people and open up to them a little bit, but it just doesn’t work. You just have to approach everybody with skepticism, which I think is sad." Fame does have a price it seems.

To see what kind of "grass" Phelps is into now, just read more.

Phelps has been surrounding himself with the green grass of golf links. Recently introduced to the game, Michael apparently loves it. His coach loves it for him too, hoping it gives Phelps some social polishing and a chance to schmooze with CEOs. Michael's training regimen still seems pretty tough. His weight training involves pull-ups wearing a 40-pound weighted vest. Wow! I will be rooting for Phelps this weekend, will you?

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Speak Up: Who's Your Favorite Current Athlete?

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Spring and Summer are busy seasons in the wide world of sports, and the Olympics are just around the corner. Exciting competitions like Wimbledon and the US Open, not to mention the ongoing baseball season, definitely make for good entertainment.

The athletes are fun to watch and inspiring, too, so I was wondering . . .

Fit Gift: Stoked, The Evolution of Action Sports

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:45:00 -0800

Looking for the perfect gift for that super active person (or that person that needs a little extra motivation) on your list?

The book Stoked: The Evolution of Action Sports ($78.75) by Daniel Stark and Claudia Lebenthal, takes an amazing look at action sports that you wish you could do but don't have the balls (literally for some of us) to try. It not only shows the amazing physical feats of sports stars but the book is also interactive, with special materials and papers, pop-ups and stickers. How cool is that?

The intro is done by Pulitzer-prize winning journalist H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights, the book turned hit TV show.
Buy it here.

Play FitSugar's Summer Olympics Faceoff!

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:30:00 -0700

To celebrate the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, I've put together a game of my own: the FitSugar Olympic Faceoff! This addictive faceoff game features 100 of my favorite Summer Olympians from 2008 and Olympics past.

Gymnasts Nadia Comaneci and Kerri Strug competed years apart in different Olympic games, but they face off here! And like the judges, you get to pick your podium favorites. In this Olympic game, basketball's Jason Kidd can compete against swimmer Michael Phelps, and marathoner Deena Kastor takes on soccer great Mia Hamm. Start playing the highly addictive game and guess which Olympians are favored by Sugar readers.

But it's not just the Olympians who win in this game. For the month of August, we're giving away $100 every day and a $1,000 monthly prize; all you have to do to enter is play the Olympic Faceoff or any Faceoff game on the Sugar Network. Check out the official rules for more details.

Game on and face off!

Play FitSugar's Summer Olympics Faceoff!

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:50:00 -0700

To celebrate the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, I've put together a game of my own: the FitSugar Olympic Faceoff! This addictive faceoff game features 100 of my favorite Summer Olympians from 2008 and beyond.

Gymnasts Nadia Comaneci and Kerri Strug competed years apart in different Olympic games, but they face off here! And like the judges, you get to pick your podium favorites. In this Olympic game, basketball's Jason Kidd can compete against swimmer Michael Phelps, and marathoner Deena Kastor takes on soccer great Mia Hamm. Start playing the highly addictive game and guess which Olympians are favored by Sugar readers.

Game on and face off!

Speak Up: Have You Ever Attended an Olympic Event?

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Given that the 2008 Summer Olympics are being held in Beijing, most of us will probably be watching this year's festivities on TV. But when the games took place in Atlanta in 1996, I knew a lot of people who attended at least a few events, if not many. Have you ever been lucky enough to check out some Olympic action live and in person? If so, what events did you catch, and what was it like?

Like most people, I wouldn't mind checking out some of the gymnastics, and soccer also seems like it would also be fun to watch. If you've never been an Olympics spectator, what sport would you want to get tickets to if you could?

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Olympic Quiz: Looking Back at Last Week

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Another week, another wealth of awesome Summer Olympics action. Last Friday, we found out if you were a gold medal spectator for the first installment of the games, and now I'm back with a quiz testing your knowledge of this week's Olympics happenings. Were you paying attention?

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Take the quiz

What Popular Olympic Sport Would You Want to Try?

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Though the Summer Olympics could stand to add a few more sports, there are plenty of popular events to choose from. (There are also some mighty obscure ones, but more on those later.) If you could participate in one of the more mainstream Olympic sports, what would it be?

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