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Strength Training for Swimmers - Genetic Nutrition

Strength Training for Swimmers

, by Sandesh Prasannakumar, 7 min reading time

Introduction

In swimming, strength training is often overshadowed by the sheer volume of pool training, especially for competitive swimmers. However, a well-structured dryland program is a powerful tool for creating powerful strokes, preventing injuries, and enhancing performance. Understanding the benefits of strength work, such as building muscle mass and improving spatial awareness and balance, empowers swimmers to take control of their training.


Though swimming addicts spend hours in the water building up sport-specific stamina, it might become sagacious and restrictive if there is inadequate strength training. For these reasons, focusing on typical flaws such as weak core muscles and muscle imbalances like overdeveloped chest muscles and underdeveloped back muscles in an individualised strength regime means a swimmer gets far more for their pound of flesh in the water.

Benefits of Strength Training

Injury Prevention

In many cases, the repetitive swimming causes them to develop overuse injuries on their shoulders, back, and knees. A well-devised strength training helps develop muscles, tendons, and ligaments to handle the rigorous training. Specific training improves joint stability and prevents muscle imbalances that might remove swimmers from the water.


Power and Speed

More strength implies vigorous hit. Strength training enables swimmers to be in a position to deal with forces of drag at high speed during a race. Greater pull signifies more forceful kicks, and better core power results in faster timing, in simple terms.


Efficiency and Endurance

A stronger swimmer can swim more efficiently and maintain proper stroke mechanics for longer. Strength training also helps improve muscular strength; hence, the swimmers can swim for a long period without getting weary. This way, swimmers can afford to execute higher power into the water during the closing laps rather than struggling to maintain form.


Landing Powerful Technique

On solid ground, they can adjust their bodies' positions and movement patterns to gain the most propulsion in water as possible. Strength training helps proprioception, which is the body's ability to sense its location, orientation, and movement in the environment, so swimmers achieve the correct anatomical position on each stroke.


Considerations for Swim-Specific Training


Unilateral and Multi-Planar

Swimming isolates a body part at a time through different angles of movement, so it is advisable to mimic this in dryland training sessions. Focus on shoulder press and extension for the arm and leg and flexion and rotation through a full range of motion with the leg.


Rotate and Resist Rotation

In each stroke, the specific muscles of the swimmer’s core and shoulders do the work. Employ cables, bands, medicine balls, and free weights to generate rotational motions while at the same time working on the muscles to prevent the joint from rotating on its own.


Train the Posterior Chain

The content muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, lower back and shoulder muscles, are used to propel in water. Train these large muscle groups with compound movements such as squats and deadlifts bent over rows and pull-downs. Build up the muscles in the back area to improve the body's positioning, the dolphin kick motion and waves.


Prevent Imbalances

The freestyle and backstroke swimming styles are more challenging on one shoulder, while the fly and the breaststroke will hit the pectoral muscles. It strengthens both unilateral muscles to avoid injury in the future and maintains a balanced strength.

Swim Training and Strength Training

When designing a comprehensive program, properly integrate dryland training with water sessions:

  • Train after key swims: Strength exercises should be done after significant practices when neuromuscular connections are turned on.
  • Avoid muscle fatigue: If you plan to do strength work, it is better to do it on long-distance days as you will be more fatigued.
  • Allow proper recovery: Muscles are composed of protein and are constantly being rebuilt; therefore, they should be followed by strength training with 48 hours of active rest.
  • Build gradually: It is advised to first start with bodyweight exercises and perfect the moves before adding weight to avoid straining your muscles. This emphasis on patience and gradual progress helps swimmers and coaches understand and appreciate the training process.
  • Listen to your body: Muscles become trained to have these faults that are ingrained in them. Take a break when muscles need time to regenerate or when a different muscle group is targeted during a workout. This approach fosters a sense of balance and harmony in training, making swimmers and coaches feel more at ease and in sync with their bodies.

Conclusion

Like the laps that put the engine in the car, strength training sculpts the vessel, refines the technique, and develops the body so it is ready to apply power. A swimmer is as good as the weakest link in their armour. Prudent enhancement of those connections with a well-orchestrated dryland regimen/podium hinders one from getting injured and, at the same time, opens up a fresh dimension in the pool.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does weight lifting make you grow big and slow like a bear?

Swimmers do not train to have big muscles as bodybuilders do; thus, they do not lift weights to the degree that would result in this. Moderate loads with higher reps produce lean muscle endurance needed in water without the bulk.


2. Is there anything wrong with having young swimmers strength train?

Yes. Safely, even children the age of 8 years can do bodyweight exercises under the supervision of a coach to enhance body awareness, balance and stability among swimmers. Subsequently, at about 16 years old, light weights can be added to complement the bodyweight exercises.


3. Which is more effective, in your opinion: Machines, free weights, bands or Calisthenics?

The best program will include all these modalities depending on the training phase and the specific weaknesses in the area. Bands offer some form of resistance for power production while using free weights, which helps enhance stability through various ranges of motion.


4. If I start strength training, do I have to reduce the frequency of my swim sessions?

No. While the extra work may require the implementation of more hours with water, make sure to include more land work. I will deliberately incorporate dryland training into the program to ensure strength work and swimming interrelate. Flexibility to work more than usual may require special measures such as extra recovery involving stretching.

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