Do I really do that?

There’s a moment that almost always plays out in exactly the same way. The guest gets out of the water, sits down next to Philipp Zimmermann at the edge of the pool, looks at the screen – and says: “Is that really how I’m doing it?”

Zimmermann is familiar with that line. He is the founder of PERFORMANCE ZONE, a qualified triathlon coach specialising in swimming, cycling and running, and also holds a qualification in nutrition. He’s been hooked on the sport since 2015; today he coaches around thirty athletes with personalised training plans – ranging from marathons and cycle races to Ironman events. At the Kaiserlodge and the neighbouring Hotel Kaiser, he does what sets both establishments apart: he observes.

Swimming happens largely unconsciously. If you lift your head too far when breathing, you don’t realise it – you just notice that it’s tiring. Asymmetries between the left and right arm strokes, additional drag caused by a slightly lowered hip: these are all things that simply cannot be perceived in the water. “This is exactly where the video is a huge help, ” says Zimmermann. “It makes movements visible that you cannot see yourself whilst swimming.”

A swimming analysis at the Kaiserlodge am Wilden Kaiser lasts seventy minutes and begins not in the pool, but with a discussion. Where are you at the moment, what do you want to achieve, where are you struggling? Afterwards, you head to the 25-metre infinity pool, and that in itself is a selling point: as you swim your lengths, you look in one direction towards the gentle Kitzbühel Alps and in the other towards the Wilder Kaiser. Footage is recorded above the water and, depending on the specific issues, also below the surface. We look at body position in the water, arm stroke, leg kick, breathing, head position, and the coordination of it all. Then we sit down together to watch the video, and Zimmermann explains not only what can be seen, but also why a particular movement costs performance.

And then it’s straight back into the water. It is precisely this cycle that is at the heart of the process: watch, understand, try it out. “Ultimately, the athlete should not only know what they need to do differently, but also feel it for themselves.”

When it comes to swimming, the same areas for improvement almost always crop up: body position in the water, head position and the timing between breathing and arm strokes. When running, it’s a lack of stability in the leg axis, inefficient posture and a running style that wastes energy unnecessarily.

Incidentally, this doesn’t just apply to beginners. Technical errors become less noticeable as your level improves, but they don’t disappear – and even small errors cost a disproportionately high amount in terms of efficiency. The really interesting point is something else: “Two people may, at first glance, be making the same mistake, but the cause can be completely different for each of them.” That is why a one-size-fits-all programme is of no help.

A real-life example illustrates this in concrete terms. One swimmer trained regularly but felt as though they weren’t making any progress in the water and were tiring quickly. The video showed that their body position was creating significantly more drag than necessary, compounded by an unfavourable head movement whilst breathing. Two minor technical adjustments, a few targeted exercises – and even during that same session, swimming felt easier.

This is where Zimmermann gets specific, and that is remarkable. After a good technique session, many athletes swim the 100 metres around ten seconds faster – and feel more relaxed than before. What can be changed in an hour is, above all, an awareness of one’s own movement and, often, the actual sensation of movement.

What cannot be achieved in seventy minutes is a lasting change. New movement patterns must be repeated, automated and consolidated under load. That takes weeks and months . Anyone who sees an analysis as a shortcut has misunderstood it.

The running analysis also lasts seventy minutes and takes place exclusively outdoors – and this is by design. You run differently on a treadmill than you do on the path behind the house. The location is particularly convenient: several running routes through the countryside start right from the Kaiserlodge, so you can combine your technique training directly with a run around the Wilder Kaiser. After a warm-up programme featuring individually tailored running technique exercises, your natural running behaviour is recorded under real-world conditions: running style, foot strike, leg alignment, knee and hip movement, posture and symmetry.

What doesn’t happen here is that an ‘ideal’ running style is imposed on anyone. “Everyone moves slightly differently. The key is to find out what works efficiently for each individual.”

Added to this is the shoe advice, which works differently to what you’re used to in a sports shop. The question isn’t about the best or most expensive shoe, but the right one – for this movement pattern, this activity level, this intended use. That’s why Zimmermann looks at the shoes whilst the person is moving. The most common misconception? That a running shoe must have as much cushioning as possible or be particularly stable. Or that you should choose the shoe that feels good when you try it on whilst standing. “When you’re actually running, it can be a completely different story.”

And here’s something else you rarely hear: Zimmermann also says who he cannot help. In the case of acute injuries or severe pain, he first refers people for a medical or physiotherapy assessment. Technique training is no substitute for treatment. For everyone else – beginners, ambitious amateur athletes, experienced runners – an objective assessment is worthwhile.

This ethos runs through both centres. Training takes place in the ‘Kraftschmiede’ – a space of around three hundred square metres, open round the clock – which features a cardio area, a strength training area complete with free weights and multi-gyms, and a dedicated zone for stretching, myofascial release and functional training.

The second centre is called the Sonnendeck: a yoga loft with warm wooden floors, linen fabrics and plenty of natural light. Eight silks hang from the ceiling there – seven for guests, one for the instructor. Aerial yoga takes place in these silks: you sit in them, lie down in them, let yourself be carried. The silks take some of the body’s weight off, making some poses easier whilst others become significantly more challenging – and at the end of each session, you leave the floor entirely. To accommodate this, an anchorage point was built into the ceiling right from the start when the new yoga loft was constructed – you can’t simply retrofit aerial yoga into a seminar room. Lili Spatz teaches every Thursday, free of charge for guests of both establishments. It isn’t suitable for everyone, and the Kaiserlodge is open about the restrictions.

On Mondays, the sun deck is first taken over by Katharina Faistenauer and BODEGA moves – a functional full-body workout that combines body sculpting with powerful elements from Power Vinyasa Yoga. The structure is well thought out: mobilisation to warm up, followed by two flows incorporating the Sun Salutation, Warrior poses and functional exercises for the legs, glutes, abdomen and back, concluding with meditation and visualisation techniques from mental training.

Two hours later, Stefanie Antony takes over with Pilates – and here, too, it’s worth taking a closer look. She teaches using the method of the Australian Physiotherapy & Pilates Institute, founded by physiotherapists who recognised the role Pilates plays in prevention and rehabilitation. To this end, the 34 original matwork exercises devised by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s have been reviewed and adapted on the basis of biomechanical, anatomical and clinical research. “At APPI, Pilates’ approaches have been adapted to the lifestyle of the modern age, ” says Antony – think the computer age, think sitting. The result is a system now used by therapists, hospitals and professional sports teams. On the mat on the sun deck, this means: scientific knowledge within the traditional Pilates framework, with the aim of improving posture, lengthening muscles, and enhancing strength and flexibility.

Those wishing to delve deeper will find several retreats on offer this autumn: the Body & Mind Mountain Retreat in mid-October, featuring yoga, Pilates, BODEGA and mental training; the Wilder Kaiser Pilates Retreat in early November; and the Snow & Flow Retreat in mid-December, which combines yoga with skiing and snowshoeing.

On the mat at the Sonnendeck, this means: scientific knowledge within a traditional Pilates framework, with the aim of improving posture, lengthening muscles, and enhancing strength and flexibility. From 16 September, the class will also be held every Wednesday from 5 pm to 6 pm.