Swimmers and Swim Strength Training
By Mat Luebbers
Sport specific work is the best way to get better at that sport; if you want to be a better swimmer, then swim! But how can you make additional gains when you have maximized your swim time? One way is to add dryland swim work - flexibility exercises, plyometric work, swimming while wearing weights, and resistance training are some of the options. One example of resistance training is weight work aimed at adding strength and speed to your stroke.
What muscles are used in swimming? Almost all of them, from the top of your head through your toes. To maximize your time, this program will emphasis the major groups that should give your swimming some extra strength. This type of dryland work can help endurance, but other types of work, such as swim trainers (like the Vasa Trainer and the DrySwim Trainer and Exerciser) or stretch cords are better at this based on lower resistance and higher repetitions.
These are also a valuable part of any swimming program.
This is a basic plan designed to increase muscle strength. It can be more refined based on a particular need or a season plan. It may need to be modified based on what equipment you have available. You will use the routine two to three times each week, progressing through each phase. The first few sessions in each phase establish starting points for the rest of the sessions. The final phase is for the last four to five weeks before your biggest competition; you should stop lifting weights 10 days before the first day of the competition. To make gains, you are breaking down your muscles, then letting them rebuild. To give them the time to rebuild, do not lift two days in a row. To help prevent injury, do not "lift to failure"; always end feeling like you could do a few more.
Warm up before you begin any of the routines. Spend 10 to 20 minutes building your heart rate to increase blood flow, body temperature, and general range of motion; Place your general stretching routine after completing the weight routine, but you could do a short stretch for the muscle groups just used while you recover between exercises. Some warm-up ideas are stationary cycling, jogging, rowing, or jumping rope.
Keeping a log book is vital. Record the date, time, phase, lifts (including sets and repetitions), amount of weight for each lift, and other comments for the day, like general feeling about the workout. You will use this information throughout the program to track your progress.
An additional area to be aware of is muscle balance (thanks for the reminder, Mikey 810). Swimmers can do some simple shoulder exercises to maintain strength balance in the rotator cuff/shoulder girdle area every day with stretch cords or barbells if desired; this can help prevent shoulder injury.
The exercises used in this program are: Squats, Leg Press, Leg Extension, Leg Curl, Lat Pull-down, Seated Rowing, Bent-over Rowing, Lateral Raise, Shoulder Press, Bench Press, Dumbbell Curl, Push-up, Abdominal Work and Assorted Stretches.
This workout program uses three different phases. The first phase is to either get you started or to build strength. The second phase is to take your strength gains and build on them. The third phase is for the last three to four weeks before your biggest competition, and you should stop the routine 7 - 14 days before the first day of the competition. You are going to maintain most of your strength gains, build more muscular power, and begin to reduce the stress to your muscles so they are fully recovered by your big event.
Remember to start light and gradually increase the weights; slow progress is the key to good strength gains without injury! Keep that log book, hit the weights, and feel yourself get stronger in the pool.
Swim On!
Source : About.com
Sport specific work is the best way to get better at that sport; if you want to be a better swimmer, then swim! But how can you make additional gains when you have maximized your swim time? One way is to add dryland swim work - flexibility exercises, plyometric work, swimming while wearing weights, and resistance training are some of the options. One example of resistance training is weight work aimed at adding strength and speed to your stroke.
What muscles are used in swimming? Almost all of them, from the top of your head through your toes. To maximize your time, this program will emphasis the major groups that should give your swimming some extra strength. This type of dryland work can help endurance, but other types of work, such as swim trainers (like the Vasa Trainer and the DrySwim Trainer and Exerciser) or stretch cords are better at this based on lower resistance and higher repetitions.
These are also a valuable part of any swimming program.
This is a basic plan designed to increase muscle strength. It can be more refined based on a particular need or a season plan. It may need to be modified based on what equipment you have available. You will use the routine two to three times each week, progressing through each phase. The first few sessions in each phase establish starting points for the rest of the sessions. The final phase is for the last four to five weeks before your biggest competition; you should stop lifting weights 10 days before the first day of the competition. To make gains, you are breaking down your muscles, then letting them rebuild. To give them the time to rebuild, do not lift two days in a row. To help prevent injury, do not "lift to failure"; always end feeling like you could do a few more.
Warm up before you begin any of the routines. Spend 10 to 20 minutes building your heart rate to increase blood flow, body temperature, and general range of motion; Place your general stretching routine after completing the weight routine, but you could do a short stretch for the muscle groups just used while you recover between exercises. Some warm-up ideas are stationary cycling, jogging, rowing, or jumping rope.
Keeping a log book is vital. Record the date, time, phase, lifts (including sets and repetitions), amount of weight for each lift, and other comments for the day, like general feeling about the workout. You will use this information throughout the program to track your progress.
An additional area to be aware of is muscle balance (thanks for the reminder, Mikey 810). Swimmers can do some simple shoulder exercises to maintain strength balance in the rotator cuff/shoulder girdle area every day with stretch cords or barbells if desired; this can help prevent shoulder injury.
The exercises used in this program are: Squats, Leg Press, Leg Extension, Leg Curl, Lat Pull-down, Seated Rowing, Bent-over Rowing, Lateral Raise, Shoulder Press, Bench Press, Dumbbell Curl, Push-up, Abdominal Work and Assorted Stretches.
This workout program uses three different phases. The first phase is to either get you started or to build strength. The second phase is to take your strength gains and build on them. The third phase is for the last three to four weeks before your biggest competition, and you should stop the routine 7 - 14 days before the first day of the competition. You are going to maintain most of your strength gains, build more muscular power, and begin to reduce the stress to your muscles so they are fully recovered by your big event.
Remember to start light and gradually increase the weights; slow progress is the key to good strength gains without injury! Keep that log book, hit the weights, and feel yourself get stronger in the pool.
Swim On!
Source : About.com
Labels: dry swim trainer
posted by dryswimtrainer @ Tuesday, June 19, 2007
8 Comments:
At July 12, 2007 8:21 AM ,
crosstrainer74 said...
Dryland training isolates swimming-specific muscles including triceps, quadriceps and lateral muscles. Workouts can be pretty tough and swimmers may complain sometimes but they’re going to be really strong, very fit and will have the potential to be really fast. So while it may seem like some of the swimmers are participating less often in classes since they can’t raise their arms, their participation points will show up in the pool.
At July 12, 2007 9:46 AM ,
drylandboss said...
If you want to become an unstoppable force in the pool, swim practice alone is not enough. You need an effective swimming-specific dry land training to get you stronger and prevent common swimming injuries.
At July 12, 2007 9:59 AM ,
sportsadvisor said...
For any swimmer or triathlete, swimming is a matter of proper technique and endurance; understanding how to move your body correctly and then practicing it over and over until it becomes habit. Dryswim trainers allow athletes to customize their stroke paths to replicate exactly how arms move through the water during pool workouts or competition, thus taking dryland to a much higher level of neuromuscular and training benefit.
At July 13, 2007 5:32 AM ,
sportstech37 said...
Analysis of age group swimming-related publications shows that land-based training of young swimmers is not considered as important as at the later stages of their development. However, according to recommendations of sport scientists and coaches of the most successful swimming centers of Russia (and former USSR) and Eastern Europe extensive dryland training should be introduced at the earliest stages of a competitive swimmer's development. They believe that strength training in the beginning of a swimming career is crucially important as it encourages mastering of swimming technique.
At July 13, 2007 5:52 AM ,
swim_medic said...
Technique training in water becomes more important the more power training you do. With a greater potential in general power you are tempted to transfer this power into your stroke technique. This works only with a well done technique training. Otherwise all that power goes anywhere but not in the right direction.
At September 12, 2007 9:39 AM ,
swimpro said...
Comprehensive and safe strength training program must be incorporated in every swimmers training regime, young or old. Swimmers will improve more and faster when a good strength training program is in place.
At September 12, 2007 2:08 PM ,
workout said...
When you’re swimming competitively you want to be fast in the water. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your strength training workouts need to be fast in order to make you faster in the water. Your strength training workouts should be slow and controlled. Always lower a weight twice as slowly as you lift it. This ensures that your form is perfect. Perfect form on your strength training exercises will carry over to improved performances in the water.
At September 12, 2007 2:16 PM ,
swimtrainer said...
Strength training will make you a faster, more efficient swimmer, all while lessening your chance of injury.
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