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“What motivates me are Google hits and burgees,” says Harry Legum seated on a bench press bench, half joking half serious. Legum, a trainer for over twenty-five years, opened the Annapolis Sailing Fitness Center 6 years ago. Annapolis Sailing Fitness is the first sailing-sport-specific studio in the United States. Prior to opening ASF, Legum noticed that there was a need for and lack of sailing-specific training programs. The burgees that line the walls of Legum’s studio are symbols of the yacht clubs, teams and sailors he has been affiliated with during his seven years as a sailing fitness trainer. The burgees are from yacht clubs around the country, as are the sailors who flock to the Annapolis, MD studio or Legum’s online fitness program.
At the studio, Legum trains sailors of all ages from young Optimist sailors to yachtsmen in their 60s. At Annapolis Sailing Fitness, Legum tailors each workout session to the age of the sailor, the type of boat they sail and their position on the boats. For each group his training philosophy is very different, “When I’m training the Optimist sailors, I’m a camp counselor. My job is to keep things fun while bearing in mind the different focus of each age sets.” To keep things varied and fun Legum does short circuit style workouts while he names drops some of his famous clients like Anna Tunicliffe to keep the junior sailors motivated. “I’m planting seeds in their heads,” said Legum. Legum hopes that by planting these seeds, his young sailors make the connection that if Anna Tunicliffe is performing these exercises to improve her sailing, they should too, Legum mentions that he definitely sees some eyes widen when he mentions some of his more famous clients.
Unlike the Optimist sailor training sessions, which Legum likens to summer camp, he says the high school training practices are extremely different, “there’s a competitiveness in the air and the alpha males certainly appear.” Legum programs regiments for high school sailors from the Annapolis YC and Severn Sailing Association teams as well as specific Annapolis area teams. He is also the Strength and Development coach for the US Naval Academy Sailing Team.
One common issue Legum says he sees amongst high school and college aged sailors is something he likes to call “analysis to paralysis,” which is where the sailors pigeon hole themselves mentally by only concentrating on how one specific exercise will help them perform a specific maneuver better on a boat. “I must be tuned in. I try to elevate and transform my training to much much more than sailing fitness.” Along with improved physical fitness in a dinghy, Legum also hopes to have his sailors feel the benefits of his workout plan on land as well. These benefits include, better posture, improved sleeping patterns and an all around better sense of self, “the parents definitely see and realize the benefits of this training program.”
In addition to training dinghy sailors, Legum also trains “big boat sailors” and trains those sailors specific to their position on the boat. For example, he trains his bowman to be agile and fast. One pieces of equipment you will not see at Annapolis Sailing Fitness are any sorts of grinders, “I was considering adding them to my studio, but they I started training with some grinders and realized the last thing they want to do is train on a grinder,” he says.
While Legum has not sailed every type of boat or in every regatta he feels more than equip to train such a wide variety of sailors, “if I have not sailed that boat or race, I’ve trained and learned from someone that has.” Legum’s commitment to training sailors has not gone unnoticed. His business has continued to prosper and grown despite the economic situtation in the country. He was also on hand this weekend at the San Diego Yacht Club to host 3 work-out sessions and to celebrate the National Sailing Hall of Fame 2011 Inductees. Having never been to San Diego, Legum looked forward to earning his SDYC burgee for the studio wall.
Annapolis Sailing Fitness:
http://www.annapolissailingfitness.com/
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