Swimming Anatomy
Page 4
An easy way to cheat when performing this exercise is to initiate a rocking motion with the upper body to generate extra momentum. You can minimize this tendency by performing the exercise with your back flat against a wall or by having a partner monitor your position.
Dumbbell Biceps Curl
Execution
1. Sit at the end of a bench. With your arms fully extended, grasp a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward.
2. One arm at a time, curl the dumbbell to your chest in an arc while at the same time slowly rotating your palm so that it faces your chest.
3. Alternate arms for each repetition.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Biceps brachii
Secondary:Anterior deltoid, brachialis, brachioradialis, supinator, forearm and finger flexors
Swimming Focus
The rotation of the palm inward (supination of the forearm) at the ending position places extra emphasis on the biceps brachii and mimics the final portion of the pull phase during breaststroke as you bring your palms in to the midline of your body.
Because it isolates one arm from the other, the dumbbell biceps curl overcomes a disadvantage of the barbell biceps curl. This exercise can be performed standing or sitting, but because of the alternating arm movements you should perform it seated to help maintain the upper torso in a fixed position.
VARIATION
Biceps Curl With Tubing
An exercise cord allows you to incorporate this exercise into a poolside dryland program. The initial tension placed on the cord should be light enough to allow you to complete the entire range of motion.
Concentration Curl
Execution
1. Seated at the end of a bench, separate your legs so that they form a V and lean forward slightly with your torso.
2. While holding a dumbbell and bracing your elbow against the middle of your thigh, curl the dumbbell in an arc toward your shoulder.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Biceps brachii
Secondary:Brachialis, forearm and finger flexors
Swimming Focus
This exercise is useful if you are having difficulty maintaining your form with the barbell or dumbbell biceps curls or if you want to isolate the biceps brachii and brachialis. As the name implies, the primary purpose of this exercise is to concentrate on the curling motion and, in turn, to strengthen the elbow flexors. The key is to maintain the elbow in a stabilized position against the inner thigh and perform the exercise in a slow, controlled manner.
CHAPTER 3
SHOULDERS
The shoulder girdle is important because it serves as the link between the arms and the trunk. It is the main rotation point about which all the arm movements take place during each of the four strokes. The shoulder girdle is composed of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade), and humerus. Three joints make up the shoulder girdle: the sternoclavicular joint, which is the junction between the sternum (breastbone) and clavicle; the acromioclavicular joint, which is made up of the scapula and clavicle; and the glenohumeral joint, which is composed of the humerus and scapula. This chapter focuses on the movements that take place at the glenohumeral joint, which in layman’s terms is the shoulder joint, and the movements of the scapula. The shoulder joint is one of the most flexible joints in the human body, as demonstrated by our ability to place our hands anywhere in our field of vision. This wide range of motion is possible because of the combination of six movements that occur at the shoulder girdle. Flexion involves raising the arm forward away from the body, as if you were raising your hand to answer a question. Extension, the reverse motion, involves lowering the hand from a flexed position. Moving your hand away from your body by raising it to the side is called abduction, and bringing your hand back toward the midline of your body is called adduction. The final two movements are rotational. External rotation involves rotation of the hand from the midline of the body in an outward motion. Internal rotation entails rotating your hand inward, as if you were bringing it in to rub your belly.
The muscles about the shoulder girdle can be classified into four groups: scapular pivoters, shoulder protectors, humeral positioners, and humeral propellers; an easy way to remember the four groups is to keep in mind the four Ps. The scapular pivoters are the trapezius, rhomboid major, rhomboid minor, serratus anterior, and pectoralis minor. As the name implies, these muscles are responsible for the upward and downward pivoting motion of the shoulder blade. They also account for the shoulder blade movements of elevation and depression and the movements of retraction and protraction. Upward rotation of the scapula is easily visualized if you stand behind a swimmer and watch him or her raise the arms to the sides up over the head. Elevation is simply the movement that occurs when you shrug your shoulders. Retraction is the movement performed when you pinch the shoulder blades together. A combination of these movements in unison with movement at the shoulder joint allows the wide variety of overhead movements that we are capable of performing. To observe the importance of these combined movements, place a hand on another person’s shoulder blade. While you hold it in place, ask the person to lift a hand overhead. Notice the varied movements of the shoulder blade as the arm is moved through a variety of positions.
The trapezius is a large triangular muscle that attaches along the midline of the body to numerous points along the spine, starting at the base of the skull and ending at the bottom of the rib cage. From its attachment, the trapezius tapers outward to insert onto points on the clavicle and scapula. The trapezius can be divided into upper, middle, and lower portions. The upward portion is responsible for elevating and upwardly rotating the scapula. The middle portion aids in retraction, and the lower portion contributes to depression and downward rotation. The rhomboid major and minor run from the inner border of the shoulder blade to attachments on the spine. They work in conjunction with the middle portion of the trapezius to pinch the shoulder blades back. The serratus anterior is also attached along the inner border of the shoulder blade, but instead of running toward the midline, it runs in between the shoulder blade and the rib cage to attach along the outer surface of the first nine ribs (figure 3.1). Its two primary responsibilities are to assist in upward rotation of the scapula and to hold the scapula flat against the rib cage. Finally, the pectoralis minor is a small muscle on the front part of the rib cage that goes from an attachment on ribs 2 through 3 to a landmark on the superior aspect of the shoulder blade called the coracoid process. The pectoralis minor aids the lower fibers of the trapezius in depressing the scapula.
Figure 3.1 Serratus anterior.
The scapular pivoters have three main areas of influence on the swimming athlete. First, proper upward rotation of the scapula is vital to allowing the swimmer to reach far out in front of the body when entering the hand into the water. The more elongated the swimmer can be, the more efficient the stroke will become. The second role is best described using the analogy that the shoulder blade and the scapular pivoters are like the foundation of a house. Building a spectacular house is foolish if the foundation is eventually going to crumble and fall apart. The same goes for the shoulder girdle and the scapula. If the scapular pivoters are weak, the rest of the kinetic chain making up the arms will eventually deteriorate and the risk of injury will increase. As discussed in chapter 2, when performing upper-extremity exercises, particularly those that target the shoulder joints, you should set the shoulder blades into a stable position. See the sidebar on page 13 for an explanation of how to set the shoulder blades. Lastly, strengthening the posterior scapular pivoters (trapezius, rhomboids, and serratus anterior) helps to overcome the forward rounded-shoulder posture commonly seen in swimmers because of overdevelopment of the latissimus dorsi.
The shoulder protector group, also known as the rotator cuff, is made up of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis (figure 3.2). The supraspina
tus lies along the top part of the shoulder blade and attaches to the head of the humerus. The primary role of the supraspinatus is to help initiate overhead movements of the arm. The infraspinatus and teres minor arise from the back part of the scapula and attach next to the supraspinatus on the head of the humerus. The infraspinatus and teres minor act to rotate the shoulder externally. The subscapularis muscle runs along the front part of the shoulder, and like the other rotator cuff muscles, it originates on the scapula and inserts onto the head of the humerus. As the name implies, the primary action of the rotator cuff muscle group is to perform rotational movements at the shoulder joint. Because of the smaller sizes of these muscles, their contribution to the propulsive forces generated while swimming are relatively small; they do, however, have an important role in aiding in the recovery phase of all the strokes. Another vitally important role is their “cuff” function, which stabilizes the shoulder joint. When considering the role of the rotator cuff in stabilizing the shoulder joint, remember that the shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that resembles a golf ball sitting on a tee. The rotator cuff muscles act as dynamic stabilizers by creating opposing forces that keep the ball centered on the tee. In some instances an imbalance can arise amongst the rotator cuff muscles, which inhibits their stabilizing mechanism and in turn increases the risk of injury. The shoulder joint sacrifices stability in favor of mobility and therefore depends on the rotator cuff muscle group to act as stabilizers and protectors.
Figure 3.2 Shoulder blade and neck.
The next major muscle group is the positioner group, which is actually only one muscle that has three separate divisions—anterior, middle, and posterior. The deltoid is the shoulder cap muscle that drapes over the upper portion of the shoulder joint (figure 3.3). The deltoid is called the positioner group because it is the primary muscle involved in changing the position of the humerus and thus the entire arm. The anterior portion is responsible for flexing and internally rotating the shoulder joint. The posterior portion performs the opposite movements, extension and external rotation. The middle portion is responsible for lifting the arm to the side, which is the movement of abduction. The deltoid is most active during the recovery phase. Each portion plays an important role in moving the arm during the various stages of the recovery phase.
The final muscle group, the propellers, includes the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major. This name is derived from the fact that these muscles are the primary force generators at the shoulder joint. Because of the large number of exercises that target these muscles, their contributions to the movement of a swimmer and associated exercises will be reviewed in the chapters covering the chest and back.
Figure 3.3 Deltoid.
Forward Dumbbell Deltoid Raise
Execution
1. Stand and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging at your sides and your palms facing your thighs.
2. Holding a slight bend in your elbows, raise the right dumbbell forward until it is level with your shoulders.
3. As you raise the dumbbell, slowly rotate your hands so that your palm faces the floor at the end of the exercise.
4. As you begin lowering the right dumbbell, initiate the movement of the left dumbbell.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Anterior deltoid
Secondary:Middle deltoid, trapezius, pectoralis major (clavicular head)
Swimming Focus
The anterior deltoid, the primary muscle engaged throughout this exercise, is a key player in the recovery process of butterfly, breaststroke, and especially backstroke. During butterfly it is active during the second half of the recovery, and during breaststroke it contributes by guiding the movements of the arm and hand from underneath the swimmer’s chest to a fully extended and elongated position, maximizing the efficiency of the stroke. The entire recovery phase of backstroke, from water exit until reentry, also relies on recruitment of the anterior deltoid. As the speed of the stroke increases and the need for rapid recovery increases, so does the demand placed on the muscle.
You can use this exercise to build on the scapular setting motion previously described. To do this exercise, stand with a tall, upright posture and focus on pinching your shoulder blade backward and downward. While holding it in this set position, perform the exercise. Have a partner monitor your movements from behind to make sure that you do not start to shrug your shoulders.
VARIATION Forward Deltoid Raise With Tubing
Tubing targets the same muscles, but because of the ease of varying the resistance by simply stretching or slackening the exercise tubing, this variation may be better than the dumbbell variation for an on-deck dryland program.
Lateral Dumbbell Deltoid Raise
Execution
1. Stand and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging at your sides and your palms facing your thighs.
2. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells to the side until they are level with your shoulders.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Middle deltoid
Secondary:Anterior deltoid, posterior deltoid, supraspinatus, trapezius
Swimming Focus
The primary focus of this exercise is the middle deltoid, one of the key muscles involved in the recovery phase of freestyle and butterfly. Unlike freestyle, butterfly lacks a body roll to aid in arm recovery, leading to heavy reliance on the deltoid muscle group, particularly the middle deltoid, to reposition the arm. As with the forward dumbbell deltoid raise, you should emphasize a tall, upright posture when performing this exercise. Like the forward dumbbell deltoid raise, this exercise is a good fundamental starting point for you to practice setting your scapula when performing upper-extremity exercises.
SAFETY TIP
To avoid overstressing the rotator cuff muscles, which are stabilizing the shoulder joint during the exercise, do not raise the dumbbells above shoulder height.
VARIATIONS
Lateral Deltoid Raise With Tubing
Tubing targets the same muscles, but because of the ease of varying the resistance by simply stretching or slackening the exercise tubing, this variation may be better than the dumbbell variation for an on-deck dryland program.
Overhead C
As mentioned previously, raising the arms above the level of the shoulders while the palms are facing down can be detrimental. The addition of the C at the end range changes the position of the shoulders in a way that allows movement of the arms above shoulder height while alleviating the concern of causing excessive stress to the rotator cuff. To complete the C movement, envision each hand as the hand of a clock. Starting in the 6 o’clock position with your palms facing down, rotate both upward in a clockwise manner to the 12 o’clock position.
T Exercise
Execution
1. With a dumbbell in each hand, raise your hands forward until the dumbbells are level with your shoulders.
2. Return to the starting position and then raise the dumbbells laterally, again until they are level with your shoulders.
3. Return to the starting position and then lift the dumbbells back behind your torso at approximately 45 degrees.
4. Start again with the forward raise.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, posterior deltoid
Secondary:Supraspinatus, trapezius
Swimming Focus
This exercise targets all three portions of the deltoid (anterior, middle, and posterior), making it an excellent all-around exercise for strengthening the shoulders. As a result, it strengthens the recovery phase of all four strokes. For the younger swimmer first entering the sport, this is a good exercise for the initial development of shoulder strength, which will be important as the swimmer progresses and increases yardage gradually. For the older swimmer, because of the multiple movements targeted, this exercise is better suited for building endurance at the beginning of the season or when recovering from an injury
.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Execution
1. Sitting up straight, hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with your elbows in and your palms facing your body.
2. Press the dumbbells upward until your elbows are almost locked.
3. Slowly lower to the starting position.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Anterior deltoid, middle deltoid
Secondary:Pectoralis major, posterior deltoid, trapezius, supraspinatus, triceps brachii
Swimming Focus
To maximize the distanced gained during each stroke, you need to be able to enter the water with your arm or arms extended and your body in an elongated position. This exercise helps develop overhead strength and confidence in extending your reach when entering the water.
The exercise described here is a modified version of the military press motion performed in traditional weight lifting. The traditional version is usually performed with the dumbbells held in the “stick ’em up” position, with the palms rotated outward. Swimmer should avoid this position because it can place undue stress on the shoulders and could be detrimental when combined with the stress already present from the yardage load in the water.