3 SIMPLE EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR ARMS
Exercises to strengthen the arms that can be done in the
water or by the pool.
We have already seen in another article how to work the
lower body with exercises that can be done in and out of the water with the Lifeguard training. Today we are going to propose a similar method for the upper
extremities. The arms produce most of the driving force in swimming, so it's
important to keep them strong
Here are a few
exercises.
1. Push-ups
and sprint
This exercise focuses on chest and triceps. You should start
with a series of push-ups, and when you're done, get in the water and swim a
sprint in whatever style you prefer.
We remind you how to do push-ups well:
Lie face down on the floor.
Rest your body weight on your toes, keeping both feet
together but not touching.
With your hands at the sides of your chest, push yourself up
off the ground.
Use your core to keep your back straight, not rounded or
arched.
Look down and keep your head and neck in line with your
trunk
If you can't lift your body weight you can "lighten
it" by getting on your knees and lifting your feet.
5 series of 10 push-ups + 25 m sprint + 75 m active recovery
swimming easy.
2. Pull-ups and sprint
Same but replacing push-ups with pull-ups. At the end of the
series, get in the pool and swim a sprint.
The exercise works the back and biceps.
For pull-ups you need a bar, and if there is no bar in the
pool, the best alternative is the TRX.
This is how
you do a pull-up:
Get under the bar in a centered position.
Hold on to the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and
facing forwards or backwards.
Raise your body until your chest touches the bar.
Lower slowly until your arms are extended and ready to
repeat the movement. In the position of extended arms do not relax the
shoulders. Keeping the flexion at all times makes the exercise more effective.
5 series of 8 pull-ups + 25 m sprint + 75 m active recovery
swimming easy.
Endurance swimming with pullbuoy
There are
several versions of the exercise.
The basic idea is to swim with an object that increases the
resistance of the water. There are different resistance accessories, such as
elastic bands. A good homemade alternative is a t-shirt, an unzipped fanny
pack, or a plastic bag.
If you want to make sure you work only your arms, you can
use a pullbuoy so you don't move your legs.
4 sets of 100m easy swimming + 25m sprint.
All the exercises also admit the use of paddles to increase
the work of the arms.
3 LEG
EXERCISES TO DO IN THE POOL
Here are some exercises to strengthen your legs that you can
do before entering the pool or directly into the water.
We have already talked about the importance of the legs for
swimmers. The propulsive force they provide is vital, especially when we want
to pick up the pace in a sprint. Therefore, it is convenient to dedicate part
of the training sessions to strengthening the lower body. Today we are going to
propose three exercises to do by the pool and in the water.
Squat and
sprint:
Place your feet on the edge of the pool with a board in your
hands. The exercise consists of a series of squats followed by a 15 or 25 meter
sprint in the water. We remind you how to execute a squat correctly:
1. Foot Position:
Feet should be shoulder-width apart or slightly wider apart.
2. Back: It has
to be kept in a neutral position during the entire downward and upward
movement.
3. Keep your heels
off the ground and push through the heel and balls of your feet. A very
common mistake is to push with your toes and therefore end up lifting your
heels.
4. Knees: Another
common mistake is bending your knees too far forward, which puts pressure on
your joints. Move your hips back as if you were sitting on an invisible chair,
being careful to never extend your knees past the imaginary toe line.
5. Always try to
squat parallel or, in other words, so that your hips are at the same level
as your knees at the end.
Use the board to improve your balance as you squat, and as
you launch into the water immediately begin to push yourself hard with your
legs. If you want to work on the breaststroke kick, do the squats with the
balls of your feet facing out. If you're looking to toughen up the exercise,
hold the board perpendicular to the surface and sink it at least halfway to
increase resistance.
5 sets of 10-12 squats + a 15/25m sprint. 50/100 m of easy
swimming between series to recover or a rest of 1'30”.
Jumps in
the water:
The pool must be between 1.20 and 1.50 m deep to perform
this exercise. It simply consists of jumping as high as you can, and doing it
half-submerged in the water reduces the risk of injury. Use your arms to propel
yourself when jumping.
5 series of 12 jumps with 50/100 m of easy swimming,
propelling only with the legs between series.
3. Vertical
Legs:
For this exercise you need at least two meters of depth. It
consists of offering resistance to the force of gravity using only the legs.
This means that your body is in a vertical position, instead of the horizontal
position typical of swimming, and you do not move from the site with American Lifeguard USA.
You can perform a butterfly, front crawl or breaststroke
kick depending on your needs and ability. To harden the exercise, raise your
arms: the more they stick out of the water, the greater the effect of gravity
will be.
For
starters you can use fins.
4 series of 30” and 1' rest or 6 series of increasing
duration (2×10”, 2×20”, 2×30”) also with 1' rest.
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