Offseason Training: Back

People normally can point out a swimmer based on their back or shoulders. This is mainly because swimmers work and depend on their backs to do almost anything unlike most sports. I was in L.A a couple years ago for my cousins wedding and my family was going to dinner and as we were waiting to get our table the women behind me asked just out of the blue if I was a swimmer or not. I told her “yes I am swimmer”, I asked her how she knew because I was so surprised someone could guess that I was a swimmer so easily, she told me it was my back and broad shoulders. Not only are swimmers isolated by their backs but they also depend on them physically to keep them steady, straight and fast.

The Workout:

2 rounds of…

·        3 Pull Ups

·        20 Standing Straight-Arm Pull-Downs

·        25-30 Double Arm Seated Machine Rows

·        15 Bent-Over Single-Arm Rows

·        25 Lumbar Extensions

·        15 Physioball Back Extension

Favorite of the Day:

Double Arm Seated Machine Rows:

I don’t just enjoy this exercise because you feel like you’re actually rowing I also like how it makes my back feel during and after the workout.  You feel powerful during the exercise because it feels as if you’re really moving forward. You’re working your entire back which is why I enjoy this exercise so much. The exercise can be beneficial for breaststrokers by enhancing the inner pull and the beginning motion of the extension.

Pull Up:

Unless you are superman, these will most likely be difficult for you but feel free to do more than I suggested just know that you’re doing more back exercises after these and you won’t want to overwork your back. Pull ups are helpful for all strokes, to do them properly grab the bar with your knuckles facing towards you and cross your ankles as you begin to pull up.  On page 119 Mcleod states “the difficult nature of the exercise builds mental toughness”. Along with helping a swimmers pull it is improving your stamina for mentally and physically exhausting races.  

Standing Straight-Arm Pull-Down:

This is a relatively simple exercise that will improve the pull of freestyle, butterfly and breaststroke. To do this exercise properly you will want to stand straight in front of the pulley machine with your hands on the top of the bar and pull it down until it’s about an inch away from touching your thighs.  “it is beneficial for swimmers because the start of the exercise targets the latissimus dorsi in an overhead elongated position...strengthening the initial portion of the pulling phase... this exercise is more specific to the demands of swimming” (123, Mcleod). This is beneficial to me personally because small aspects like a stronger pull is always helpful when wanting to drop time in any stroke.

Bent-Over Single-Arm Row:

I feel like this exercise can be easily incorporated into anyone’s life because all you need is a flat surface and a weight. You will want to put a knee and an arm down on a flat surface while in your other hand you hold a dumbbell. Keeping your back straight, lift the dumbbell towards your chest and then back down to the starting position. This exercise works your latissimus dorsi and can play a key role in any swimmers stroke. Mcleod says something along the lines that this exercise can be beneficial to breaststrokers second half of their pull which makes sense because the exercise is dealing with the latissimus dorsi which has relations with the shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are important because they have to do with the vertical and horizontal movement of a breaststroker.

Lumbar Extension:

This exercise is another favorite of mine mostly because its unique and works the erector spinae (the muscles that surround your spine) which is a muscle that I don’t normally feel when I’m working out. It’s a refreshing exercise and you will start to feel working early on. How to do it: first, lie face down with the barrier just below your hips then with your ankles secured slowly lower yourself until your almost hanging then bring yourself back up so your spines in line. The exercise can benefit a swimmers underwater dolphin kicks along with quicker dives.

Physioball Back Extension:

These were weird, you really have to find your balance for this exercise or else you are going to find yourself on the floor. To do it you’ll want to be facedown, with the physioball on your hips with your hands and feet touching the ground; then lift your heels and shoulders upward then back down. This exercise also works on your erector spinae and is beneficial to breaststroke and butterfly swimmers. On page 133 Mcleod states “the motions performed during this exercise closely mimic the undulating and wavelike body movements performed during butterfly and breaststroke.” Undulation is only used in these two strokes; this is why this exercise is more selective than the lumbar extension.

A strong back doesn’t just benefit swimmers, it benefits everyone even people who don’t participate in sports. We need our backs to live properly, to stand up straight, to move things around, to make us feel sturdy… etc. So if you find yourself doing one of these workouts I would love your feedbacks on the how the workout went for you and if you end up doing more than one, comment which one was your favorite.  

MLA CITATION: Mcleod, Ian. SWIMMING Anatomy. N.p.: Human Kinetics, 2010. Print.

Offseason Training: Arms

As we near the end of the year I am always hearing people say that for their New Year’s Resolution they plan to finally commit to working out multiple times a week. Some people stick with this plan for a couple mouths others stick with it for a couple weeks. The truly dedicated stick to this resolution all year and get amazing results. You can be any one of these people but if your resolution is to start working out again and you need an idea for a workout, then here is a great one to start the year off with.

The Workout:

·        30 close-grip bench presses

·        25 medicine ball chest passes

·        20 Tate presses

·        15 Dumbbell bicep curls (on each arm)

·        15 forward dumbbell deltoid raises (on each arm)

·        20 T raises

·        20 concentration curls

Favorite of the day

Concentration Curl:

This exercise is primarily working on your biceps and can help strengthen any stroke. You’ll want to sit on the end on a bench with a weight of your choosing in one hand with your elbow pressed against the inside of your leg, then begin to curl upwards. For swimming focuses this exercise helps a swimmer strengthen their pull.

Close-Grip Bench Press:

This workout can help strengthen any stroke. It focuses on the triceps and the pectorals which in breaststroke are incorporated with the pulling aspect of the stroke. The stronger these muscles are the quicker my pull becomes. Most people know what a bench press is and how to execute it, but maybe not the purpose. The main purpose is to put more resistance on the triceps. This exercise helps swimmers to isolate their triceps and really work on them specifically, which in-turn will strengthen many aspects of their stroke including pulls. (21, Mcleod)

Medicine Ball Chest Pass:

This exercise also helps enhance any stroke along with diving.  It focuses on your triceps and pectorals. If you have ever played basketball, it’s just a normal chest pass with a medicine ball. If you have never played basketball, then this is how you would execute this exercise: First grab medicine ball of your choosing and bring it up to your chest with your elbows facing outwards. Next toss the ball as hard as you can to your partner, your arms should end fully extended. For swimmers this exercise will help strengthen open turns that are used for butterfly and breaststroke and the explosiveness used in this exercise helps to “absorb and redirect momentum” in the turn. This means that the more you practice this exercise the faster your turns will be (23, Mcleod). For breaststroker’s, fast turns can make or break your race. You can either waste seconds on the wall or make it snappy. 

Tate Press:

The Tate press can also be helpful to any stroke, including breaststroke. You start this exercise by laying on your back with weights of your choosing in each hand up against your chest with the weights facing vertically. Next, push the weights upward (still vertical) until your arms reach a halfway point then turn the weights horizontal and finish pushing the weights upward until your arms are straight. In swimming this exercise is mainly used in dry land workouts to strengthen your triceps.

Dumbbell Bicep Curl:

The dumbbell bicep curl can also strengthen any stroke and is focusing on your biceps. To do this exercise you will need a weight in each hand while sitting on the edge of a bench. Next, slowly rotate your hand while curl one arm at a time in towards your chest.  “The rotation of the palm inward at the ending position places extra emphasis on the biceps and mimics the final portion of the pull phase during breaststroke” (29, Mcleod). The more I work on this the quicker and stronger my pull will get which will in turn drop my time.

Forward Dumbbell Deltoid Raises:

This exercise is specific to backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly and strengthens your deltoid. Start by having a weight in each hand and raise the weight one hand at a time until it is in line with your shoulder, then repeat with the other arm. “During breaststroke it contributes by guiding the movement of the arm and hand from underneath the swimmers chest to a fully extended and elongate position, maximizing the efficiency of the stroke.” (37, Mcleod)

As a swimmer I use muscles from every single muscle group in my body, but my favorite muscles to use are my arms. Arms are some of the most important ligaments a swimmer has they can out touch an opponent to win by .0001 second in a race. They also contain muscles that have importance in every stroke.

If you are a swimmer or are interested in doing these exercises, I would love to hear your opinion on how this workout helped or affected you.