Is that really how I do it?

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 phrase. He is the founder of PERFORMANCE ZONE, a qualified triathlon coach for 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 – from marathons and cycle races to Ironman events. At the Kaiserlodge and the neighbouring Hotel Kaiser, he does what sets these two establishments apart: he pays close attention.

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 can’t see yourself whilst swimming.”

A swim analysis at the Kaiserlodge am Wilden Kaiser lasts seventy minutes and begins not in the pool, but with a conversation. Where are you at the moment, what do you want to achieve, where are you struggling? After that, 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 water and, depending on the specific issues, also underwater. 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 key: see, understand, try it out. “Ultimately, the athlete should not only know what they need to do differently, but also feel it for themselves.”

When swimming, the same areas for improvement almost always crop up: body position in the water, head position and the timing between breathing and the arm stroke. When running, the issues are 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 pronounced as your level improves, but they don’t disappear – and even small errors cost a disproportionate amount in terms of efficiency. The really interesting point is another: “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 exactly what this looks like. One athlete trained regularly but felt 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 small 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 technical 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 itself.

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 – by design. You run differently on a treadmill than you do on the path behind the house. The location is particularly convenient: starting directly from the Kaiserlodge, several running routes through the countryside begin, so you can combine your technique training directly with a run around the Wilder Kaiser. Following a warm-up programme with individually tailored running technique exercises, your natural running behaviour is assessed 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 consultation, which works differently from what you’re used to in a sports shop. It’s not a question of the best or most expensive shoe, but of the right one – for this movement pattern, this level of activity, 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 running, it can be a completely different story.”

And here’s something else you rarely hear: Zimmermann also says who he won’t 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 well worth it.

This ethos runs through both centres. Training takes place in the Kraftschmiede, which covers around three hundred square metres, is open round the clock, and 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 Sonnendeck: a yoga loft with warm wooden floors, linen fabrics and plenty of natural light. Eight hammocks hang from the ceiling there – seven for guests, one for the instructor. It is in these silks that aerial yoga takes place: you sit in them, lie down in them, let yourself be supported. The silk takes some of the body’s weight off, making some poses easier whilst others become significantly more challenging – and at the end of every session, you leave the floor entirely. To this end, an anchor point was incorporated directly into the ceiling during the construction of the new yoga loft – aerial yoga cannot simply be set up retrospectively in 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 reserved for Katharina Faistenauer and BODEGA moves – a functional full-body workout that combines Bodyshaping 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 from mental training.

Two hours later, Stefanie Antony takes over with Pilates – and here, too, it’s worth taking a closer look. She teaches according to the method of the Australian Physiotherapy & Pilates Institute, founded by physiotherapists who recognised the role Pilates plays in prevention and rehabilitation. Joseph Pilates’s 34 original matwork exercises from the 1920s have been reviewed and adapted for this purpose on the basis of biomechanical, anatomical and clinical research. “At APPI, the principles of Pilates have been adapted to the lifestyle of the modern age”, says Antony – think 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 the muscles, and enhancing strength and flexibility.

Anyone wishing to delve deeper will find several retreats 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 building strength and flexibility. From 16 September, the class will also take place every Wednesday from 5 pm to 6 pm.