by Mcleod Ian
A group of total-body exercises known as the Olympic lifts are extremely beneficial in developing speed, strength, and power. But because these complex exercises require teaching and supervision by qualified personnel (such as certified strength coaches), they are not included in this text. Two of the more common Olympic lifts that should be considered for advanced swimmers, when adequate instruction and supervision are available, are the hang clean and the hang snatch. These are two of the best total-body exercises for developing power through the core and lower extremity. Swimmers who specialize in the sprint events (50 to 100 meters or yards) will benefit the most from these lifts. The primary gains will be in explosiveness off the starting blocks and turn walls. Because of the skills required to perform these exercises, guidance should be obtained from a certified Olympic weightlifting coach or a certified strength and conditioning specialist.
All the exercises included in this chapter are beneficial because they are total-body in nature and, like the Olympic lifts, help to generate strength and power through the core. Advantages of these exercises are that they do not necessarily require instruction and supervision by a certified strength coach. As a general reminder, you should always have a coach supervise your program so that you can receive continual feedback on your technique.
Single-Arm Lawn Mower
Execution
1. Balancing on one leg, face the pulley machine from about 3 to 4 feet (about 1 m) away. With an outstretched arm, grasp the stirrup handle with the opposite hand.
2. Initiating the movement with the hips, lower your body while simultaneously moving your upper extremity into a lawn-mower starting position.
3. Return to an upright position by straightening your leg and pulling the handle toward your body.
4. When pulling the handle toward your body, emphasize pinching the shoulder blade backward.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, latissimus dorsi
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, erector spinae, external oblique, internal oblique, trapezius, rhomboid major, rhomboid minor, teres major, posterior deltoid, biceps brachii, brachialis
Swimming Focus
By linking the movements of the upper and lower extremities and incorporating trunk rotational movements, this exercise strengthens the linkage between the arms and legs during freestyle and backstroke. Emphasizing shoulder retraction at the end of the exercise will transfer to the initial recovery process during freestyle.
To enhance the linkage between the arms and legs, setting the core at the start of the exercise is crucial. Doing this engages the core-stabilizing musculature. When performing the exercise, you should perform the movements of the upper and lower extremities in unison; separating the movements will decrease the cross-linking benefits. As with other exercises involving the lower extremity, when dropping down, the front of the knee should not extend past the tip of the toes.
Burpee
Execution
1. From a standing position, drop down onto your hands and kick your feet straight back.
2. Lower into a push-up and push back up. As you complete the push-up, draw your feet forward so that they are under your hips.
3. Jump upward, lifting your arms overhead into a streamline.
4. Absorb the landing by dropping straight down into another repetition.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, gluteus maximus, pectoralis major, triceps brachii
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, erector spinae, anterior deltoid
Swimming Focus
This excellent dryland exercise can be easily incorporated into a circuit-training program because no equipment is required. The primary focus of the exercise is the transition from the push-up position into the streamlined position. Emphasizing quickness when drawing the feet up under the hips will improve your speed with the open turns performed during butterfly and breaststroke. Jumping into a tight streamlined position will transfer to improved streamlining off the turn walls for all strokes.
As with regular push-ups, holding a tight body position is important; you should be able to draw a straight line from the ankles, through the hips, to the tip of the head. Sagging or arching of the low back is a technique flaw that can lead to undue stress on the spine. To protect the body, particularly the knees, from excessive pounding, you should land from the jump with the knees slightly bent to absorb the landing. Performing the exercise on a nonslip exercise mat will help protect the lower extremities from excessive pounding.
SAFETY TIP
Before incorporating this exercise into the dryland program for a young swimmer, he or she should demonstrate the strength and coordination to perform a push-up properly.
Block Jump Start Into Streamlined Position
Execution
1. Set yourself with your preferred starting position on the block.
2. Explode off the block into a vertical streamlined position.
3. Hold the vertical streamlined position until you enter the water.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, erector spinae
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, gracilis, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis
Swimming Focus
This transitional exercise helps you focus on exploding off the starting blocks into a tight streamlined position. As you jump from the blocks, the initial focus should be on jumping for maximal height. The focus then quickly shifts to holding the tight, vertical streamline. A reaction drill component can be added to the exercise by having you jump on cue.
SAFETY TIP
For safety reasons, the exercise should be performed only where the pool is at least 5 feet (150 cm) deep. The depth of the pool will dictate how long the swimmer should hold the streamlined position. For shallower pools, the swimmer should break the streamline by slightly bending the knees on entry into the water to absorb the landing when reaching the bottom of the pool. With deeper pools, the streamline can be held longer, ideally until the entire body has entered the water.
VARIATION
Dryland Block Jump Start Into Streamlined Position
The dryland variation can be used to incorporate the exercise into a circuit program or a lifting program in a weight-room environment. To avoid placing undue stress on the joints of the lower extremity, the knees should be slightly bent to absorb the landing when initially contacting the ground.
Band-Resisted Start
Execution
1. In a flat start position, set your toes and the balls of your feet against a stable object.
2. The exercise bands are brought diagonally across your body and anchored on the shoulder opposite their point of attachment.
3. Mimicking a start off the blocks, explode against the resistance of the bands.
4. To avoid reaching your arms out to catch yourself, you can bring a foot forward at end of the exercise.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, erector spinae
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, pectineus, gracilis, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis
Swimming Focus
This exercise specifically targets the muscles that you use to explode off the starting blocks. The key to maximizing the benefit of the exercise is to position the exercise bands so that in the starting position a small amount of tension is already placed on the bands. This tension ensures that the increased resistance and strengthening benefits will occur throughout the entire movement.
To make the exercise as realistic as possible, you shou
ld focus on transitioning into a streamlined position, just as you would during a regular start. To protect your back, set the core-stabilizing musculature at the start of the exercise and hold it tight during the entire movement. After forward movement ends, you can bring a foot forward to stabilize the body. Reaching out and then falling on an outstretched hand is a common cause of injury to the upper extremity.
SAFETY TIP
Because of the complexity of this exercise, younger swimmers should not perform it.
Box Jump
Execution
1. Stand 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) in front of a plyometric box and drop into a quarter-squat position.
2. Jump up onto the box, landing with your feet directly underneath you and your knees slightly flexed.
3. Complete the movement by standing up erect on the box.
4. Step off the box in a slow, controlled manner.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gastrocnemius, soleus
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, erector spinae
Swimming Focus
Box jumps are a valuable exercise for developing speed and strength in the lower extremities to improve your ability to explode off the starting blocks and turn walls. Jumping up onto the box has two primary advantages when compared with a normal jump for height: (1) The height of the box serves as a motivational target, and (2) landing on the box reduces the stress placed on the lower extremities. The box jump also serves as a good exercise for learning how to use the arms to increase the jump height, which translates into improved distance and speed off the starting blocks. You can increase jump height by explosively swinging the arms at the initiation of the jump.
Two common flaws associated with the exercise are tucking the legs to the chest instead of truly jumping up in the air and not keeping the chest up.
SAFETY TIP
To avoid placing undue stress on the lower extremity, step down softly off the box instead of jumping down.
Diagonal Cable Column Lift
Execution
1. Stand 2 feet (60 cm) to the side of a cable pulley machine and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Drop into a half-squat and reach down and across your body to grasp the pulley handle.
3. In a combined movement, straighten your legs and pull the handle in an arcing motion up above the outer shoulder.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, erector spinae, external oblique, internal oblique, anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, posterior deltoid, triceps brachii
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, serratus anterior, trapezius, teres major, teres minor, supraspinatus, rhomboid major, rhomboid minor
Swimming Focus
The overhead reaching component of the exercise helps swimmers, particularly backstrokers, develop confidence and strength when initiating their stroke. The combined diagonal and rotational movements make this a good exercise for strengthening the core musculature while at the same time enhancing the linkage between the upper extremity and lower extremity. The leg component helps all swimmers improve their strength during starts and turns. Backstrokers will find the exercise particularly useful because it is a dryland exercise that allows them to focus on linking the movements of their arms and legs in a manner similar to that used in performing a start off the wall.
Added emphasis can be placed on the legs by deepening the squat at the start of the exercise. As with other lower-extremity exercises, be sure that the knee does not translate past the tips of the toes. To incorporate the trunk rotational movement, visually focus on following the path of the hands while performing the entire movement.
A good way to introduce this exercise to young swimmers is to begin with no resistance and later use a low-weight medicine ball.
VARIATION
Diagonal Medicine Ball Lift
Using the medicine ball for resistance allows you to add an explosive component to the exercise. When performing the movement pattern with a medicine ball, emphasize throwing the medicine ball up and over one shoulder, focusing on reaching high over the shoulder.
EXERCISE FINDER
ARMS
Standing Double-Arm Triceps Pushdown(variation: Standing Double-Arm Triceps Pushdown With Rope)
Dumbbell Kickback (variation: Dumbbell Kickback With Tubing)
Close-Grip Push-Up (variation: Close-Grip Push-Up With Medicine Ball)
Close-Grip Bench Press
Medicine Ball Chest Pass
Tate Press
Barbell Biceps Curl .
Dumbbell Biceps Curl (variation: Biceps Curl With Tubing)
Concentration Curl
SHOULDERS
Forward Dumbbell Deltoid Raise(variation: Forward Deltoid Raise With Tubing)
Lateral Dumbbell Deltoid Raise(variations: Lateral Deltoid Raise With Tubing; Overhead C)
T Exercise
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Bent-Over Reverse Dumbbell Fly
Prone T, Y, A (Blackburn) (variation: Physioball T, Y, A)
Scapular Push-Up
Scapular Dip
Internal Rotation With Tubing
External Rotation With Tubing(variations: Side-Lying Dumbbell External Rotation; Double-Arm External Rotation)
Crabwalk
Overhead Single-Arm Bounce
CHEST
Push-Up(variations: Plyometric Push-Up; Kneeling Push-Up)
Feet-Elevated Push-Up(variation: Feet-Elevated Push-Up on Physioball)
Medicine Ball Push-Up(variation: Medicine Ball Push-Up With Staggered Hand Placement)
Barbell Flat Bench Press (variation: Dumbbell Flat Bench Press)
Dumbbell Physioball Bench Press
Barbell Incline Bench Press(variation: Dumbbell Incline Bench Press)
Dip (Chest Version)
Standing Double-Arm Medicine Ball Throw Down
Supine Medicine Ball Partner Pass and Catch
Wheelbarrow
ABDOMEN
Hollow Hold (variation: Hollow Hold With Feet Elevated)
Watch TV
V-Up
Flutter Kicks (variation: Streamlined Flutter Kicks)
Physioball Crunch(variation: Physioball Crunch With Trunk Rotation)
Cable Crunch
Seated Physioball Abdominal Hold
Russian Twist
Kneeling Chop
Physioball Prayer Roll
Physioball Upper-Trunk Rotation
Physioball Jackknife(variation: Physioball Jackknife With Twist)
BACK
Chin-Up
Pull-Up(variation: Wide-Grip Pull-Up)
Lat Pull-Down (variation: Single-Arm Lat Pull-Down)
Standing Straight-Arm Pull-Down
Double-Arm Seated Machine Row
Bent-Over Single-Arm Row
Standing Zeus
Lumbar Extension (variation: Lumbar Extension With Rotation)
Physioball Back Extension
Physioball Prone Superman Progression
Physioball Prone Streamline
Physioball Bridge (variation: Single-Leg Physioball Bridge)
LEGS
Back Squat(variation: Overhead Squat)
Single-Leg Squat
Dumbbell Step-Up(variation: Barbell Step-Up)
Lunge (variations: Walking Lunge; Diagonal and Lateral Lunge)
Standing Hip Internal Rotation
Standing Hip External Rotation
Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)
Physioball Hamstring Curl(variation: Single-Leg Physioball Hamstring Curl)
Leg Curl
Leg Extension
Band Lateral Shuffle (variation: Band Diagonal Shuffle)
Standing Hip Adduction
Inversion and Eversion Ankle Band Strengthening
WHOLE BODY
Single-Arm Lawn Mower
Burpee
Block Jump Start Into Streamlined Position(variation: Dryland Block Jump Start Into Streamlined Position)
Band-Resisted Start
Box Jump
Diagonal Cable Column Lift(variation: Diagonal Medicine Ball Lift)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Swimming, the largest swimming organization in the world, specifically recommended Ian McLeodas the author of Swimming Anatomy.McLeod has extensive experience working with world-class athletes, particularly swimmers. A certified athletic trainer and certified massage therapist, he was a member of the U.S. team’s medical staff at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. He has also worked extensively as an athletic trainer with the sports programs at the University of Virginia and Arizona State University.
McLeod remains deeply involved with USA Swimming’s High Performance Network, a group of volunteer health professionals who support U.S. swimmers at national and international meets. He has been given the organization’s highest honor, the Gold Standard Award. McLeod also served as massage therapist to the Egyptian national swim team during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. He has provided athletic training and sport massage to swimming stars such as Ed Moses, Kaitlin Sandeno, Natalie Coughlin, and Jason Lezak.