Off Season Training - Leg Day

I have been a competitive swimmer for 11 years now. 5 years on a select swim club, 2 years swimming varsity for my high school (Go Chargers!), and 11 going on 12 years of summer swim. Even with this magnitude of training, I still am finding things I can improve on.

My favorite stroke to swim is breaststroke, and this season I had the fasted 50 breaststroke split on the team. I want to improve this time even further. To do this I am doing a series of vigorous off season training workouts, instructed by “Swimming Anatomy” by Ian Mcleod. Oddly enough while looking through the book for the first time I realized something right away. In the leg workout section of the book every single exercise was designed to increase muscle that breaststroke's could use. I mainly use my arms and back while swimming and not much of my legs. Obviously, I was excited about this because it told me I had room to grow.   

The Workout:

2 rounds

·        15 single leg squats on each leg

·        20 standing hip internal rotations (each leg)

·        20 leg curls

·        15 burpees

·        15 box jumps

·        20 Lat pull-downs

·        5 chin ups

               My favorite workout would probably have to be the Single Leg Squats. Although this is the workout that I felt for the next three days. All you need is a table and some weights of your choosing, I chose 12 lbs. The foot on the ground needs to be 2 feet from the table. Then simply lower and raise your hips. According to the text “Targeting all the major muscle groups of the lower extremity improves kicking strength and endurance as well as strength with starts and turns.” (Mcleod, 149). In any race, you can get a head by being faster and more efficient at the little things like turns or starts. Those two aspects of my race weren’t the best this year and that is why I will be continuing this exercise throughout the next three months. Every second counts and this exercise will lead to a quicker push off from my turns and farther underwaters.

Standing Hip Rotations: This a workout is specifically designed to help with breaststroke. It works your gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae (a muscle in your hip). Its helpful to breaststrokers because these are the muscles we use to snap are legs together when kicking. (154, Mcleod)  

Leg Curl: This is also another great workout that is specific to breaststroke. There is a machine for leg curls and how it works is: pick the amount of weight you want to lift, lie down, put your feet under the roller pad, then pull your feet into your butt and then extend fully. The exercise works your hamstrings and calf’s. It is helpful for breaststrokers by allowing them to have a faster rotation in their kick. (162, Mcleod)

Burpee: Most people know what burpees are but maybe not why their helpful, cause let’s face it, we all hate burpees. For swimming purposes, it helps with open turns. “The primary focus of the exercise is the transition from a push up position to a streamline position. Emphasizing quickness when drawing the feet up under the hips will improve your speed with open turns ...during butterfly and breaststroke.” (179. Mcleod)

Box Jump: The name says it all. All you do is take a box and jump up on it and then jump (backwards) down. Doing box jumps helps with your reaction time off of a start. Which is one of my personal workon’s and will help lower my current breaststroke time because I was gaining a second or two on my time because my reaction time is poor.

Lat Pull-Down: The Lat pull down is one of my favorite work outs of all time, on the days I was at the gym I had the weight on 65. For the best workout on this machine you will want to pick something that you can pull down multiple times but will still give you some sort of a challenge. How it works is: you pick your weight, then grab the bar (knuckles towards you) that will be stationed above your head, then pull the bar down to your upper chest, and return to the extended position. The Lat pull down obviously focuses on your latissimus dorsi which is helpful for a strong and swift pull, in any stroke. (121, Mcleod)

Chin ups: For this you will want to grab the bar with your hands facing inwards, cross your ankles and begin pulling yourself from a hanging position. My advice is to breath because this isn’t everyone’s favorite workout. Although, it’s a great back and shoulder workout because you’re really working your Latissimus dorsi. “Benefits all swimmers… works on strengthening your pull” (117, Mcleod)

   Some people think that after 10 years of a sport you’ve perfected it. I disagree completely, there is always something to improve on in every aspect of your life. So my question to you is, what is your next step towards improvement?

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