Strength

What is one of the most under utilized lift or exercise in your opinion for swimmers?

Unlock Hidden Potential: The Most Effective Lift for Swimmers Revealed

Dr. Cunningham wants to know what is the most underutilized strength and conditioning exercise for swimmers? There's a bunch of different patterns I think swimmers can train that they're going to benefit from. Number one on my list, and simply because I believe that a lot of strength coaches who don't have experience working with swimmers, they're a little afraid to go overhead. But in my opinion, doing a landmine press in a bunch of different fashions is going to be something that there's going to be a lot of carryover with and checks a lot of boxes for what swimmers need. Strength and stability in an overhead position, upward mobility of the scapula, and just upper body strength, along with some anti-lateral flexion, anti-rotation core benefits. There's a bunch of different ways to do a landmine press, whether it's standing or half kneeling, or with some rotation along with that upward mobility of this gap. But I think that swimmers as a whole, as long as they are stable enough to be able to get up there, can challenge it with load.

The most underutilized strength and conditioning exercise for swimmers is the landmine press. It helps with overhead strength and stability, upward mobility of the scapula, upper body strength, and anti-lateral flexion and anti-rotation core benefits. Swimmers can challenge it with load as long as they are stable enough to do so.

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One of the most underutilized strength and conditioning exercises for swimmers, in my opinion, is the landmine press. Many strength coaches who lack experience working with swimmers may be hesitant to incorporate overhead exercises. However, the landmine press offers numerous benefits that align with swimmers' needs.

The landmine press helps develop strength and stability in an overhead position, which is crucial for swimmers. It also promotes upward mobility of the scapula and upper body strength. Additionally, this exercise provides core benefits by engaging anti-lateral flexion and anti-rotation muscles.

There are various ways to perform the landmine press, such as standing, half kneeling, or incorporating rotation while focusing on upward mobility of the scapula. As long as swimmers have the necessary stability, they can challenge themselves with different loads.

By incorporating the landmine press into their training routine, swimmers can tap into its many benefits and enhance their overall performance.

What is your favorite core exercise for swimmers? 

Unlock Your Swimming Potential with the Ultimate Core Exercise

Here, we have Duke swimmer. Catherine belyakov showing us a hollow. Hold. This is a regressed version, followed, by a stream line. Hold, then we add, in some lower body kicks, then from there, we go into a quarter-turn roll, trying to hold on to our brace and our core engagement. Then we go into a hollow Rock again, still trying to hold that core engagement. And then, lastly, we can add some load and some upper body drivers. This really translates. Great to the water both for under Waters. As well as stroke, the more we're able to find our core and maintain stability through our entire core. As we move our limbs, the better that will translate to the water. The course really involved in every single aspect of swimming. So it really winds up being involved in just about every strength and conditioning exercise. We choose when training swimmers of course really important as far as its ability to transfer power from upper to lower body and lowered upper body. While swimming it's really important as far as its Ability to create rotation through the core while swimming. It's also extremely important in its need to hold body positions and be stable in the water which makes you a more efficient swimmer. Which then in turn helps with injury prevention. That being said, I did kind of pull my swimmers high school college and master swimmers and ask them what they thought. My favorite core. Sighs was for them and the majority of them, chose the hollow hold bunch of different progressions or regressions within that. But they all seem to think that I love doing hold the reason why I love Halo holding all its iterations is the ability to find your core and the ability to hold a brace and hold a body position. And then challenged it in. A bunch of different ways is very much like a lot of Endeavors in the water.

Duke swimmer Catherine Belyakov demonstrates a hollow hold, which is a regressed version of a streamline. Lower body kicks are then added, followed by a quarter-turn roll while maintaining core engagement. The hollow rock is then performed with the same focus on the core to provide stability and power from upper to lower body while swimming. Swimmers at the high school, college and master level agree that the hollow hold is their favorite core exercise for its ability to find and maintain core engagement and hold body positions.

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My favorite core exercise for swimmers is the hollow hold. This exercise involves various progressions and regressions. We start with a regressed version of the hollow hold, followed by a streamline hold. Then, we incorporate lower body kicks and perform a quarter-turn roll while maintaining core engagement. After that, we return to the hollow rock position, focusing on core engagement. Lastly, we can add load and upper body drivers to further challenge the core.

The core is essential in swimming as it is involved in every aspect of the sport. It helps transfer power between the upper and lower body, creates rotation through the core, and maintains stability in the water, leading to improved efficiency and injury prevention.

I also asked my swimmers, including high school, college, and master swimmers, about their favorite core exercises. The majority of them chose the hollow hold, appreciating its ability to engage the core, maintain body position, and provide various challenges. It's a versatile exercise that mimics many movements in the water.

What are your favourite dryland exercises for swimmers?

Building Strong Swimmers: Key Dryland Exercises for Success

What are your favorite dry land exercises for swimmers? I love this question and yet, it's very broad. It really depends on what summer working with age physical maturity, and what they need within that season and within their macro micro Cycles. As far as their training, is concerned at a younger age. I like exercises that are teaching them, how to be athletes, especially they only do swimming. So teaching them basic foundational movement patterns, but also teaching them how to be a Thanks how to run, how to land, how to jump, how to find their core, very basic, teaching them how to be an athlete because they spend so much time buoyant and water that they don't really understand how to react to the ground as they get older. I put a bigger focus on them getting stronger. Obviously, I love things like squats split squats. I like doing some version of a deadlift whether it's like an R DL, or a hinge. Really teaching them that pattern because a lot of swimmers have a hard time finding a hinge pattern or X bar deadlift. I also like doing upper body strength, a lot of rows, landmine pressing external rotation of the shoulder and more progressed abdominal and core exercises. So that they can really make sure that they're stable through their trunk. They can also move powerfully through their trunk and that they're an efficient swimmer. They're not battling Body positions in the water and it's becoming an inefficient swimmer. Really? With all of that, the most important thing is a strength coach is to make sure that you relate the exercises back to swimming so that they understand the importance at an early age and that they buy into the process and really kind of engage in the process rather than just doing it and not understanding why they're doing the exercises they're doing.

Favorite dry land exercises for swimmers include foundational movement patterns to teach them how to be athletes, squats, split squats, RDLs, hinge patterns, upper body strength such as rows, pressing and external rotation of the shoulder, and more progressed abdominal and core exercises. It is important that a strength coach relates these exercises back to swimming so that swimmers understand the importance of the exercises and buy into the process.

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My favorite dryland exercises for swimmers vary depending on the individual's age, physical maturity, and training needs within their specific season and cycles. For younger swimmers, I focus on teaching them foundational movement patterns and how to be well-rounded athletes. This includes basic exercises that improve their running, landing, jumping, and core stability.

As swimmers get older, I prioritize strength training. I love exercises like squats, split squats, and various forms of deadlifts to help them develop overall strength. Many swimmers struggle with proper hinge patterns or deadlift form, so I emphasize teaching them these movements. Upper body strength exercises like rows, landmine pressing, and external rotation of the shoulder are also important. Additionally, I incorporate more advanced abdominal and core exercises to enhance stability and power through the trunk, ensuring efficient swimming technique and body positioning in the water.

However, the most crucial aspect as a strength coach is to relate these exercises back to swimming. It's important for swimmers to understand the relevance and importance of each exercise at an early age. By doing so, they can fully engage in the process and comprehend why they are performing specific exercises to improve their swimming performance.

Could you suggest some dryland exercises for young age group swimmers?

Building Athletic Foundations for Young Swimmers

Britt was wondering if we could suggest some exercises for dry land for younger age group swimmers. I think this is vitally important, most swimmers especially if they're spending the majority of their time in the water and not performing other sports, don't really get the opportunity to expose themselves to other athletic attributes or other athletic Endeavors. So I think the first step is to make sure that we're trying to make them better athletes. Making sure they understand the relationship between their body and the ground. So running jumping Landing Is that nature in multiple different forms? And Fashions is a great place to start. I like the idea of teaching them, basic movement patterns, hinging, squatting, some form of an upper body, pull some form and upper body push and we can actually do multiple forms of these as long as they are progressing. Well and their bodies are getting it. I think this is kind of the low hanging fruit stuff that I think could certainly pay dividends as they grow up and as they start to get more exposed. To strength and conditioning program. But at the onset, I really like these as like a good place to start, as well as making sure they can find kind of a brace in their core, make sure they understand how to plank, how to side plank, things of that nature, dead bugs. I think are a great idea, making sure they can kind of identify their core and make sure that they understand how that can translate to body position in the water and where the benefits will come in the water right away.

To help younger age group swimmers with dry land exercises, the suggestions are to focus on teaching them basic movement patterns such as hinging, squatting, upper body pulls and pushes; as well as bracing their core, planking, side planking and dead bugs. These exercises will help them understand how their body moves in relation to the ground and how this can improve their body position in the water.

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If you're looking for dryland exercises for young age group swimmers, I have a few suggestions. It's important to focus on developing their overall athleticism, especially if they spend most of their time in the water without engaging in other sports or activities.

Start by introducing exercises that help them understand the relationship between their body and the ground. This can include various forms of running, jumping, and landing. Teaching basic movement patterns like hinging, squatting, and upper body pulling and pushing is also beneficial. You can incorporate different variations of these exercises as long as they progress well and the swimmers understand the movements.

Additionally, it's essential to help them develop core stability. Exercises like planks, side planks, and dead bugs can help them engage their core and understand how it translates to body position in the water.

By starting with these foundational exercises, young swimmers can improve their overall athleticism and set a solid base for future strength and conditioning programs. These exercises can also directly benefit their performance in the water.

What strength training exercises can you recommend for a swimmer with a shoulder injury?

Preventing Swim Shoulder Injuries: Key Exercises & Tips

I want to be a little cautious with this answer, just to make sure that we're not crossing the PT versus strength and conditioning line here. And without knowing what the actual injury is kind of hard to provide exercises. That being said, with swimmers that obviously, it is an overuse injury type of sport. A lot of the injuries are based off of one of three causes not symptoms, either lack of thoracic rotation. Jurassic Mobility instability at the shoulder or the lack of strength and external rotation, obviously, tons of internal rotation in swimming during all Strokes. So typically a lot of the stuff that will put in as far as prehab to try and prevent shoulder injuries are going to be shoulder stability positions, where we're trying to address stability and multiple planes, a lot of external rotation, At the shoulder again in multiple planes of motion and then through a secure Mobility, both extension flexion and rotation hope that helps. And if you need any more specific information, feel free to message me and we can kind of dig into what the actual injury is, and what the possible causes may have been cheers.

To prevent shoulder injuries in swimmers, exercises to focus on include shoulder stability in multiple planes of motion and external rotation at the shoulder. Mobility exercises in flexion, extension, and rotation can also help.

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I want to approach this answer with caution, as it's important to consider the distinction between physical therapy and strength and conditioning. Without knowing the specific shoulder injury, it's challenging to provide exercises. However, for swimmers who often experience overuse injuries, there are three common causes to address: lack of thoracic rotation, shoulder instability, and lack of strength in external rotation.

To prevent shoulder injuries, prehab exercises can focus on shoulder stability in various positions, emphasizing external rotation in multiple planes of motion. Additionally, exercises that promote shoulder mobility in extension, flexion, and rotation can be beneficial.

Please note that this is a general recommendation, and for more specific information, it would be best to message me with details about the injury and possible causes.

What is your favorite device for  enhancing performance recovery?

Unlock Peak Performance with Proper Hydration & Nutrition

What is your favorite device for enhancing performance and Recovery, sorry to disappoint here. But I think the number one go-to is going to be proper hydration and proper nutrition. And I think if you don't have those two pieces in Place, Recovery becomes a real uphill battle, that being said, going back to the question. If you're looking for specific things, I think that foam rolling and trigger point therapy, are things that I get something out of at the same time, I can find a lot of science that discredits or Rooms that are effective. But I think if used correctly and trying to gear them towards what you actually need, I think they do have a positive effect, and a lot of times, it really is more about the athlete and what they psychologically believe is working for them and helping rather than you know, the actual science behind it. So I think they're in a proper mindset of this is helping and it feels good, then then it's a hit. I think that ice baths are great for. Anti-inflammatory and I think that they definitely have their place massage therapy. I think is fantastic and I love it. The challenge with that just becomes the affordability of the for a lot of people on the accessibility of it but I love massage therapy. As far as both mind and muscle getting some form of recovery from them and relaxing tissue. That may be a little fired up and then you've got some other things you know you've got the Guns and things of that nature. Again that kind of goes back to the same thing of it feels good. And it feels like it's working for the athlete. Then it's a hit, but normally devices and all the other stuff. I think that the first thing is really dive into nutrition and hydration and make sure it goes pieces are really in place and being handled correctly.

For enhancing performance and recovery, proper hydration and nutrition are key. Foam rolling, trigger point therapy, ice baths, and massage therapy can help but the psychological effect of believing they work may be just as important. Other devices such as guns may also be beneficial if they make the athlete feel good.

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When it comes to enhancing performance and recovery, my favorite go-to is proper hydration and nutrition. Without these foundational elements in place, recovery becomes an uphill battle. However, if you're looking for specific devices, I find that foam rolling and trigger point therapy can be beneficial. While there may be conflicting scientific evidence, when used correctly and tailored to individual needs, they can have a positive effect. The psychological belief and satisfaction of feeling good can play a significant role.

Ice baths are great for their anti-inflammatory properties and have their place in recovery. Massage therapy is fantastic for both the mind and muscles, although affordability and accessibility can be challenges for some individuals. Other devices like massage guns can also provide a sense of relief and effectiveness based on the athlete's perception.

However, I believe that before relying on devices, it's crucial to prioritize nutrition and hydration. Ensuring these foundational aspects are properly addressed and handled is key to optimizing performance and recovery.

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Lee Sommers is a strength and conditioning coach who works with elite athletes like Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Katie Ledecky. Lee worked with Ledecky for the 4 years leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where she 5 Medals (4 x Gold, 1 x Silver). Lee has carved out a niche working with swimmers in the Washington, DC area. He is a servant leader, wanting to make his athletes as strong as possible. He has started his own business, Purpose Personal Fitness, and is part of Healthy Baller. He is currently working with two swim teams in the DR area - Nation Capital and RMSC. 

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