Maria Raptaki Interview

Here I add the interview made to Maria Raptaki at www.urbanrunners.net
for the section "traceur/traceuse of the month" enjoy!

::This is Maria Raptaki, se is 23 and she is part of NSA in Greece. She has been practising Parkour for about 2 years.






How did you find Parkour?


I found out about parkour two years ago, while watching a video and a following interview of the Nsa team on TV. From the very first moment i was so excited about parkour and so I met up with the rest team and started training.


What does Parkour mean to you?


For me parkour was firstly a different way of movement compared to the way other people used to move. It was an interest which made me feel "special" and also made me have a lot of fun while practising. After two years of training, i feel that parkour is actually me. It's like hanging out with myself as if i was an other person. Parkour is all my fears, all that i love or hate, parkour is something which pisses me off sometimes and make me happy most of the times, parkour is my ambitions and my expectations. For me parkour is how i see myself in a mirror, the way i train and whether my training is proper or not is just the way im behaving to myself and in life generally.Parkour is my teacher and surelly i want to get an "A" . :PP


What do you think about Parkour being related to the medias?



I know that there's always a general arguement about who are giving the right image of parkour in the media and whether traceurs and traceuses give emphasis on the difference between parkour and freerunning so that people who are watching would know about it. Personally speaking i started training parkour when i watched a related interview and video on TV featuring my team..Whether that guys i saw on TV gave the right image of parkour or not, i know that if someone is truly interested, he/she will find the way to knowledge and the personal meaning of parkour. So, i dont have any problem with anyone who uses media and internet either to earn money from it or to become more famous, everyone has their reasons..I appreciate the good work as far as parkour is concerned in the media and if i don't like something i just dont pay attention to it.


In which point do you think Parkour is and where do you think it will go?


As the years pass by, more and more people get into parkour. The point is that not many beginners take it seriously (at least as fas as i know in Greece). Maybe because they use it so that people would stare at them and make an impression or as a way to become "famous". This is very disappointing and they should't consider it as a trend. On the other hand i know that there are many beginners around the world really passionate and dedicated to parkour and they make me think that parkour has a lot more to give in the following years. With a little help and support from all of us, more and more people would see parkour for real.


Which advise would you give to people who want to start practising Parkour?


I really find it important to say that beginners (and generally traceurs and traceuses), shouldn't have "absolute" images of someone they would like to be similar to. This might make them feel disappointed in time if they wont be able to be like their "idol" and i strongly believe that despite the fact we all train parkour, everyone though has his/her own way of movement. You just need to know about what you want to do and how far you want to go. This will make you feel that you practise parkour for your own personal goals and not because you want to look like someone else who might be more experienced than you are. You have your own body, your own mind, so path your own way into parkour. When you say "Pfff i can't do this.." then answer to yourself "Shut up!!You can do it!!" and if you can't do it right now, you will do it in few days or so, there's noone rushing you..

The beginners who truly feel interested in parkour should be fully equipped with both patience and insistence. Most of the times the beginning is the hardest part,so try to make a good start. If you have experienced friends who train parkour then surelly ask for their help and also listen to their advices. Then try what you've learnt so far on your own; there will not always be someone next to you to help you. If you don't have any people to reach in order to practise with them, then try watching related videos (But don't watch that many though, sometimes watching many videos makes you lack of imagination, while trying to do moves and combos,guys or girls on that video did). You also need to know that everything's a chain in parkour. While leveling up your training, you will also need to level up your body condition and the way of thinking too. Don't get disappointed too easily, you are not Spiderman nor Superman to fly,so if you can't achieve something then you need to try more for it. As much as you want to do it, that much you'll have to try for it. Everyone has their own specific time for doing everything and this relies on how much you believe in it, so try not rushing if you are not ready for it, otherwise you will fall. But if you fall, it's ok, you will stand

What do you think about separating parkour from free running?


I know many people who are so strict and passionate about this seperation of parkour and free running. I really believe that those two have different philosophies and way of mental and body training but i don't feel so strict about it. Personaly speaking, i don't focus that much on the differences between parkour and free running, i prefer to move in the way my mood drives me,so either flip from joy or just move efficiently hehehe :P


What do you think about body and mind balance?


I have been always thinking that someone who trains parkour and especially in the early years of training, is like a small child learning how to walk. For me, everything is happening step by step. This is how my mind and body head on balance. It's not all about just being in a good body condition and making progress while building body confidence. It's about having the mind maturity and the spirit to healthy progress too. I'm always working on making a balance between my mind and body, actually this is what will bring to me longevity and experience.


How is Maria? (appart from parkour what do you do, hobbies, what do you like doing, etc)


Appart from training parkour, i'm focusing on finishing the univercity studies. I'm having many kind of dancing lessons for about 12 years. I love snowboarding whenever i have time and watching movies too while relaxing at home. I really love clubbing out with friends. I like video editing and learning new things. I like teasing funny my dog "Ras" and pissing him off hahah. I like telling jokes and me being the only one to laugh out loud (ahahah thats so funny).Do you want more?? Well i can write a book for this question :P


What do you think about female parkour scene? How is it growing or developing?


I chat with many traceuses around the world and delightfuly learning that female parkour scene is growing up a lot. I feel very happy that more and more women get into parkour and it's very inspiring watching all of those videos from their training. Unfortunately as far as i know in Greece i am the only one to train parkour, though in past there were few girls training and i really felt so nice practising with them. I think that female parkour scene would be growing and developing even better if we all were stronger and not quiting that easily.

Do you have any specific training routine?


I don't like any kind of routines and so i don't take any specific routine into my training. I like having a more spontaneous type of training and when i see that i lack in something i just focus on that.


Posted at http://www.urbanrunners.net/traceurdelmes.html (Spanish)

Fuerza (versión en Español)

El entrenamiento de fuerza… ¿Diferente para hombres y mujeres?

En todo el tiempo que llevo entrenando he tenido la oportunidad de entrenar y desarrollarme junto con hombres, y después de un tiempo llegaron más mujeres en el equipo. Tanto en ellas como en mujeres que han empezado a entrenar en otros estados y con otros equipos siempre hay una constante y es que al empezar, la mayoría, tiende a marcar las diferencias anatómicas y en cuanto a la fuerza. En múltiples ocasiones llegan a mí o leo en foros preguntas como éstas: ¿Qué debo hacer para aumentar mi fuerza? ¿Es debido a la mayor fuerza que tienen los hombres que hay cosas que se les facilitan más? ¿Se puede llegar a tener el mismo nivel de fuerza que los hombres? Por lo que el objeto de este artículo es ampliar la perspectiva en cuanto a este tema, tanto en hombres como en mujeres.
Durante la pre-pubertad y la niñez las diferencias en cuanto a fuerza y potencia son muy cerradas, pero en la pubertad que es la fase más apta para el desarrollo de fuerza es justamente donde los hombres suelen enfocarse y las mujeres no tanto debido al acelerado cambio físico y hormonal. Finalmente en el periodo de 17 a 30 años es cuando la fuerza alcanza su máximo valor y los tendones son capaces de soportar mayores cargas.
Las hormonas juegan un papel sumamente importante en el desarrollo de la fuerza, es por eso que el periodo menstrual repercute en el desempeño físico, cuando una mujer incluye disciplinas de fuerza presenta menos problemas de ciclos irregulares que las que practican disciplinas de larga duración y además los valores de fuerza máxima no sufren alteraciones en las mujeres sedentarias no así en las que desempeñan alguna actividad deportiva.
Siempre que el entrenamiento realizado sea similar en intensidad relativa, volumen y frecuencia, las mujeres presentan adaptaciones similares al entrenamiento de la fuerza que los hombres, incluyendo una ganancia similar en hipertrofia, aunque en periodos cortos y en base a ejercicio para desarrollar fuerza y no tono se puede arreglar esto, ya que la mayoría de las mujeres quieren ser fuertes, ganar fuerza pero sin ganar tanto tono muscular y adquirir un cuerpo de cierto modo masculinizado. Sin embargo, debido a que los hombres presentan, mayores valores iniciales de fuerza máxima y tamaño muscular, la ganancia con el entrenamiento de los distintos factores del desarrollo de la fuerza es mayor, en valores absolutos, en el hombre que en la mujer. Una razón para que el aumento absoluto de fuerza se mas acelerado en los hombres es el alto nivel de testosterona en la sangre. En términos generales una mujer requiere de más sesiones y aproximadamente el doble de tiempo para ganar el mismo valor relativo de fuerza que un hombre.
Hablando de fuerza respecto al peso corporal la diferencia entre hombres y mujeres disminuye o incluso se llega a anular en cuanto a los músculos inferiores, pero en los músculos superiores las diferencias siguen siendo importantes. En cuanto a potencia debido a términos meramente anatómicos y morfológicos las mujeres tienen un valor menor que el masculino. Las diferencias de fuerza se deben como ya vimos a cuestiones hormonales, a la mayor talla de hombres y mayor peso corporal y que tienen mayor tamaño de fibra muscular, sin embargo las distribuciones de fibras musculares son casi idénticas en hombres que en mujeres.
Algo muy útil en el Parkour es que la mujer puede usar más energía elástica guardada en los músculos en actividades en que el músculo se estira antes (como en el movimiento de contracción antes de saltar)

Ventajas de un entrenamiento de fuerza.
Algunas de las ventajas que puede aportarnos el entrenamiento de fuerza son:
 Mejor modelado óseo: las mujeres requieren lograr tensiones mínimas esenciales para que el modelado óseo ocurra y reducir el riesgo de osteoporosis. La masa ósea total se logra a los 30 años y si el ejercicio físico se efectúa antes de esta edad la prevención será más eficiente. Por otro lado si el ejercicio físico se hace después de esta edad e incluso inmediatamente después de la menopausia la velocidad con que se pierde hueso producto de la ausencia de estrógenos, se puede disminuir considerablemente. Sin embargo si aumentamos mucho la intensidad del ejercicio pueden aparecen alteraciones menstruales que provocan el efecto contrario, es decir la osteoporosis.
 Tejidos conectivos más resistentes: los cartílagos, tendones y ligamentos también requieren de esfuerzos. El desarrollo de la fuerza requiere intensidades y repeticiones que aumenten la tensión (esfuerzo) poco a poco. Tener tendones y ligamentos fuertes son necesarios para la estabilidad y prevención de las lesiones articulares.
 Mayor capacidad y fuerza funcional: desarrollar la fuerza funcional y mejorar el rendimiento físico. Lo que a la larga se ve reflejado en una menor disminución de fuerza y atrofia muscular con el paso de los años.
 Mayor masa magra corporal y mayor tasa metabólica: se debe a un aumento de masa muscular y disminución en grasa corporal.
 Mejor salud mental y autoestima: hay estudios que indican que las mujeres que se someten al entrenamiento de la fuerza se benefician de una mejor autoestima. El entrenamiento de la fuerza, parece dar a las mujeres un sentido de potencia personal. También, en un estudio sobre la “ansiolisis” inducida por ejercicio, indica que hay disminución de la ansiedad después del ejercicio ya que ofrece un tiempo muerto de las preocupaciones diarias.

Más allá de sólo practicar parkour y añadir un entrenamiento de fuerza para obtener mejore resultados y avanzar a un paso mucho más seguro, el entrenamiento de fuerza tanto en hombres como mujeres provee grandes beneficios tanto a corto como mediano y largo plazo.
En lo personal recomiendo un amplio conocimiento del cuerpo y sobre todo de somato tipos y en base a esto seremos capaces de conocer y aceptar nuestro cuerpo tal y como es e incluso adaptar los ejercicios, la intensidad y la forma de entrenamiento para obtener mejores resultados.
Finalmente quiero decir que el entrenamiento de hombres y mujeres en cuanto al Parkour es el mismo hablando de términos técnicos. Sin embrago en cuestiones de fuerza se pueden adaptar como ya mencioné algunos ejercicios e incluir algunos que pueden de cierta manera ser más útiles en cuestión de anatomía y ejercer un menor desgaste. El entrenamiento no sólo debe ser funcional, sino que un entrenamiento de fuerza debe siempre ser bien estructurado, bien pensado y agregar ejercicios que fortalezcan cada parte de nuestro cuerpo, y que en cuestiones de género (reafirmo meramente anatómicas) ayuden e impulsen a cada persona, ya que hay varios ejercicios que pueden funcionar sumamente bien en hombres pero en algunas mujeres y algunos tipos de cuerpo significan un mayor desgaste aparte de la ganancia de fuerza.


**Hipertrofia: Aumento excesivo del volumen de un tejido u órgano causado por el crecimiento del tamaño de sus células. La hipertrofia puede tener diversos orígenes: funcional, debida a una adaptación del órgano o tejido a determinadas actividades (en deportistas, trabajos físicos, etc.) o inflamatorio, como en el caso de amigdalitis; sustitutivo, por el que se produce el crecimiento anómalo de un órgano para suplir.
**Ansiolisis: Es el estado en el cual hay una disminución de la sensación de aprehensión sin un cambio asociado en el estado de alerta del individuo.
**Somato tipo: Es un sistema diseñado para clasificar el tipo corporal ó físico, propuesto por Sheldon en 1940. El somato tipo es utilizado para estimar la forma corporal y su composición, principalmente en atletas. Lo que se obtiene, es un análisis de tipo cuantitativo del físico. Se expresa en una calificación de tres números, el componente endomórfico, mesomórfico y ectomórfico, respectivamente, siempre respetando este orden.

Strength.. different for men and women?

Here I add an article I was pretendig to add some time ago jeje I'll post it both in English and in Spanish


During all the time I’ve been training I’ve had the opportunity to train along with men, and after some time more women arrived to the team. These girls such as other that have started to train in other teams and in other states start with a constant: at the beginning, they tend to mark the anatomic differences and the one regarding the strength between genders. In multiple occasions they come to me or I read in the forums that they are asking things such as: “What can I do to increase my strength? Are thing easier for men because they have more strength? Can I reach the same strength level than men?” so the main purpose of this article is to give a general perspective of this topic, in men and women.
During pre-puberty and childhood the differences between strength and potency are very closed in genders, but during puberty, which is the better phase to develop strength, is when men tend to focus and women don’t because of the accelerated physical and hormonal changes.
The hormones play a very important role in strength development, that’s why the menstrual period has comsequences in the physical development, when a woman includes strength disciplines she present less problems of irregular cycles than those women that practise long lasting disciplines and the maximum values of strength are not affected or altered during the cycle in sedentary women, but they tend to in women that develop a physic activity.
As long as the training is similar in relative intensity, volume and frequency, women present similar adaptation to strength training to men’s adaptation, including a similar earning in hypertrophy, but in shorter periods and based on exercises which purpose is earning strength not volume they can lower the hypertrophy symptoms, this is important because most of the women want to be strong but without acquiring much muscle volume and/or a “man” body. However, as men present higher initial levels of maximum strength and muscle size, the earning with the different factors of strength development is bigger, in absolute values, in men than in women. A reason for this is that men have a very high percentage of testosterone in their blood. In general terms women require more sessions and approximately twice more time to earn the same relative value of strength than a man.
In terms of strength compared to body weight the difference between men and women becomes lower or is even nullified regarding lower muscles, but in the upper muscles the difference is still considerable. Regarding potency in anatomic and morphologic terms women have a lower range than men. The differences in strength are as we’ve seen to hormonal matters, the bigger size and bigger body weight as well as a bigger size of muscle fiber in men, even though the muscle fibers distribution are very similar in men and women.
Something very useful for Parkour is that women can use more elastic energy that is kept in the muscles in activities in which the muscle has to be stretched before (such as the contracting movement before jumping).

Advantages of strength training
Some of the advantages that strength training can provide us are:
 Better bones constitution: women need to obtain minimal essential tensions in order to develop an appropriate bone modeling and reduce osteoporosis risk. The total bone mass is gotten around the age of 30 and if the physical work is done before that age the prevention will be more efficient. On the other hand if physical work is done after this age or even immediately after menopause the speed with which bone is lost as a consequence of lack of estrogens can be reduced considerably. However if we excessively increase the intensity of the exercise some menstrual irregularities may appear that will lead to the opposite effect, this means osteoporosis.
 Stronger connective issues: cartilage, tendons and ligaments also need effort. Strength development requires intensities and repetitions that increase the tension step by step. Having strong tendons and ligaments is necessary for stability and prevention of joint injuries.
 Better capacity and functional strength: develop functional strength and improving physical performance. As years pass by, it is seen as a less diminishing of strength and muscles at bigger ages.
 Better lean body mass and metabolic rate: it is a consequence of increasing the muscular mass and diminishing in body fat.
 Better mental health and self-esteem: some researches indicate that women that follow strength training are benefited with a better self-esteem. The strength training seems to provide women with a feeling of personal potency. A research based on ansiolisis produced by exercise indicates that there is a decrease in anxiety after exercise because it offers some time off from daily worries.
Apart from practicing Parkour and just add a strength training in order to obtain better results and improve with safer steps, strength training provides both, men and women, with big benefits at a short, medium and long term.
I personally recommend a wide knowledge of your body, especially of somato types and having this as a base, we will be able to know and accept our body just as it is and even adapting exercises, intensity and even the way of training in order to obtain better results.
Finally I want to say that the training for men and women in Parkour is the same talking about technique. Even though in terms of strength some exercises can be adapted as I mentioned before and include some that could be, in a certain way, more useful regarding the anatomy and imply less attrition. Training must not only be functional but well composed, well designed and it must add exercises that strengthen every part of our body, and that in terms of gender (anatomically only) help and impulse each person, as there are some exercises that can work really well for men but for some women and some body types they produce a bigger attrition apart from strength improvement.