Strength
Training For Swimming
Simple Swim-specific Exercises Outside the Weight
Room
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United States Masters Swimming recently
addressed a series of pool-based strength-training exercises that can be done
at poolside.
The list inspired me to expand upon those
exercises and offer a guide to pool-side strength-training drills that could
double as an effective weight-lifting substitute, but could also provide a safe
segueway into strength-training for the uninitiated.
All exercises below are to be executed
within the confines of a swimming pool, and most do not require a conventional
lap pool (hotel-dwellers and kidney-shaped-pool owners take note). In many
instances, one does not even need to know how to swim, though the ability to
rely on the water's buoyancy is helpful in making some of the exercises easier
at first.
1. Tricep lifts
Sit on the edge
of a swimming pool with your legs in the water. Place your hands on either side
of your thighs, fingers curled over the edge of the pool. Bracing yourself,
lift your body up from its sitting position so that your thighs and backside
are raised a few inches from the deck. Remain in this elevated "sitting"
position, taking care not to sway back and forth.
Keep your thighs parallel to the deck (you
may have a tendency to lean forward as it gets harder to hold the position).
Hold the position for 15 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds. Repeat 3 times (at
first). Eventually you can work your way up to longer "holds" and/or more
reps.
This exercise strengthens the same muscles
used when you practice dumbbell tricep extensions in the weight room. Tricep
strength is especially relevant in the freestyle and butterfly strokes, where
it is needed in order to lengthen and finish out the end of the underwater
pull.
2. Dips
From a sitting position
at the edge of the pool (as in the tricep lifts of Exercise 1), slide your body
down into the water until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle (with your hands
palms-down on the deck), and your spine and legs are flush with the poolside.
Slowly raise your body up until your elbows straighten out, then bring your
body back down into the water.
Make sure to "dip" up and down slowly and
methodically -- avoid dipping down so far that it hurts and you can't raise
yourself back up (this can cause shoulder strains and muscle tears).
Poolside "dips" are no different than the
ones you may have practiced on dry land on a set of raised parallel bars, but
the advantage is that your body weight is somewhat reduced by the water and you
are at less risk of injury.
You can also repeat more reps more easily,
strengthening and toning your shoulders without breaking them down as much as
you would in the gym.
3. Pullouts
Depending on your
strength and comfort level in the water, start this exercise in shallow or deep
water (4 feet deep or 6 feet deep, respectively), facing the pool's gutter.
Placing your hands shoulder-width apart on the deck above you, pull your body
straight out of the water, keeping your elbows high.
Once your arms are extended and your upper
body is perpendicular to the deck (which should now be at waist-level), lower
yourself back down into the water with a controlled motion. Repeat in rapid
succession, 10 times. Rest. Repeat again as necessary.
This exercise mimics the underwater pull of
both freestyle and butterfly, with an emphasis on correct form if you remember
to keep your elbows high. At the fully elevated level, you are also working
your triceps as in Exercise 1, which will help you to finish your stroke rather
than cut it short when you're fatigued.
4. Abdominal crunches
For this
exercise, locate a pool where the deck is a foot above water level (this is
pretty standard). Lying on your back and floating in the water (perpendicular
to the poolside), put your legs from the knees down up on the deck, so you are
in a sitting position. This way, your backside should be "sitting" against the
poolside wall while your back is floating parallel to the bottom of the
pool.
Begin doing wet "abdominal crunches," or
sit-ups, curling your chest up toward your knees as far as you can go. Return
to your starting position in a controlled motion, taking care not to crash back
into the water. You can keep your hands crossed over your chest. Do several
sets of 15, then work your way up to 6 sets of 25 or 4 sets of 50.
This exercise strengthens the abdominal
core, and helps improve overall body position while maximizing flip-turn
efficiency. It is also a stretching exercise for your lower back/spine, and you
will feel it elongating your vertebrae especially if you spend your days
sitting at a desk.
5. Swim with paddles
This
exercise requires swimming ability. Add wearing a pair of hand paddles to your
existing swim regimen, for 25% to 30% of your daily yardage. Training with
paddles tones shoulders and upper arms, resulting in that sought-after
"swimmer's physique" (while avoiding a bulky body-building look).
Be careful not to use large paddles too soon
(they come in many different sizes), as this can contribute to shoulder
problems (rotator cuff inflammation, tendonitis).
6. Dolphin kick on your back
Dolphin kicking on your back is a great way to strengthen abs while toning
gluteal and thigh muscles. With your arms in a streamline position, push off
the wall and dolphin kick on your back with your legs together, moving as one,
in an undulating motion.
You can vary the exercise by dolphin-kicking
on your side and adding fins to the drill. Fins (Zoomers, Hydrofinz, etc.)
lengthen the undulating motion and place more emphasis on strengthening the
quad muscles. This is also a good way to stretch cycling- and running-fatigued
leg muscles that have a tendency to cramp up and result in IT-band problems for
triathletes.
While these drills may not cover the broad
range of machine-based exercises found in your local weight room, they offer an
alternative to strength-training in the summer months. These exercises are also
a safe way to develop certain muscles for those individuals looking to start a
weight-training program.
By using the water's buoyancy to help you
execute the drills in a methodical, controlled and correct way, you learn the
importance of proper form and muscle control; two elements necessary for
effective and injury-free strength-training.
A former swimmer at Stanford University,
Alex Kostich has stayed strong in the sport at the elite level even while
maintaining a day job. The three-time Pan-American Games gold medalist still
competes in - and wins - numerous open-water races around the world each year,
as well as competing in the occasional triathlon and running race. In addition
to being Active's main swimming expert, Alex writes the Fitness Makeover
and World Class Workouts columns. You can send him questions and article
ideas via e-mail. |
