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.