Strength

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

Unleash Hidden Potential: Plyometric Training for Swimmers

Hi, Brian. An underutilized form of training I find with swimmers is plyometric training-- so shock contact, jump training. Because of the nature of the sport being so concentric and there not being a very big eccentric demand, it's a form of training that often gets overlooked. Also, in a lot of cases, the swimming athletes don't really have the basic movement patterns sufficiently developed in order to be able to move on to that style of training. But if you can lay down the groundwork with some good jumping and landing mechanics and move on to some really low-level pogo hopping and very low hurdle hopping, I think it's a great way of helping the athlete to develop their awareness of how to interact with the ground and to move on dry land and to access the strength that they usually develop in the weight room.

Plyometric training (i.e. shock contact, jump training) is an underutilized form of training for swimmers. It helps the athlete to develop their awareness of how to interact with the ground and to access strength developed in the weight room.

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One of the most underutilized forms of training for swimmers, in my opinion, is plyometric training. This type of training involves shock contact and jump exercises. Due to the nature of swimming being primarily concentric in nature, there is often a lack of emphasis on eccentric demands and plyometric training.

Additionally, many swimmers may not have sufficiently developed basic movement patterns required for this type of training. However, if a solid foundation is established with proper jumping and landing mechanics, gradually progressing to low-level pogo hopping and hurdle hopping, it can greatly benefit swimmers. This form of training helps athletes develop their awareness of ground interaction and movement on dry land, while also accessing the strength they typically build in the weight room.

How do you program pull ups for swimmers? What set/rep ranges are you looking for? Thoughts on weighted pull ups and how to improve on it? Thank you!

Maximizing Pull-Up Performance: Program Design and Improvement Strategies

I Scott. Thanks for the question for me. Pull-ups are one of the three, The Big Three exercises for Summers and the big three being squat, bench press, and pull up / chin-ups. The difference between pull-ups and chin-ups is the position of your hands for pull-ups. You have what's called an overhand grip, so you grab the barrel, a dice for a chin UPS, have an underhand grip. So you grip the bar like that in terms of which one we prefer. I really don't care. To foresee on the detail of that particular point. The difference for me just isn't big enough to really stress, too much about that about that aspect. So what we let quite often do is very little bit, which one, which one will choose to do. And if one of the Summers has a preference for one over the other and we generally let them choose in terms of what set and rep ranges. We look for so, That will vary across the training cycle. Generally speaking. We start with higher rep ranges at the start of a training cycle and we progress towards Laurel branches. So you might start off sometimes at the at the start of the training cycle with three or four sets of Max reps where you just get the the athlete to grip, the barrel just do with money as they can just to accumulate some volume and some law that way. Very be when you do something like that, will do what it has just a body weight exercise. Then as the blocks progress thin, the the way that we lured us both in terms of the volume. And in terms of the, the additional law to their body weight would vary depending on the primary focus of the training blocks. Or for example, if we're moving to a max strength, black, the refs, my drop down to handsome from 12, maybe four repetitions and will increase the Lord accordingly. Generally, speaking for the swimmers that we are working with which are primarily Early wanted 200 M guys. The the standard that most of them will be at is that they're doing body weight plus about it, varies between maybe 145, even 55 Keynotes. And then as we get closer into competition will suffer in like a speed or power block will focus more under the speed of execution of the lift and we'll use chin UPS or pull-ups as a As a speed velocity based exercise. If you like and we'll measure the speed of which they're executing the, the movement using a gym wear, and we'll use that to when we measure that velocity will use that as a way of driving intent and a little bit of competition amongst the athletes. The other thing then as well to, in terms of how you improve your pull-ups through chin-ups. Basically, you need to create a progressive overload somehow. So you can do that either by increasing the I'm that they're executing or increasing the Lord. So, to increase the volume, you can look to increase the total number of sets or you can look to just increase the number of reps or doing percent generally speaking. The idea of increasing number of reps per set. It's a little bit more challenging and it can be trickier to to accumulate overall, Lord within the session. So what we might do is kind of work up to five or six sets of X amount of reps. So maybe, you know, maybe it rips the other way until we see create a progressive or Lord is just add, more weight, have more weight to those pull-ups and use that as a means of increasing the strength. Hope that's covers Us. And if you've got any other questions on this, please feel free to ask.

Pull-ups and Chin-Ups are both exercises in the Big Three for Summers, but the difference between them is the grip of your hands. We usually let the athlete choose which one they prefer, and we progress from higher rep ranges to lower rep ranges as the training cycle goes on. To improve pull-ups/chin-ups, you can increase the volume or add more weight to create a progressive overload.

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Thanks for the question! Pull-ups are an important exercise for swimmers, along with squats and bench presses. The choice between pull-ups and chin-ups (which differ in hand position) doesn't matter much to me. We often let the swimmers choose based on their preference.

In terms of set and rep ranges, it varies throughout the training cycle. We typically start with higher rep ranges to accumulate volume, such as three or four sets of max reps. As the training blocks progress, we adjust the volume and load based on the primary focus. For example, during a max strength block, reps may drop to around four with increased load.

For the swimmers we work with, who are primarily 200m athletes, most can do body weight plus around 145-155 pounds. As we approach competition and focus on speed or power, we use chin-ups or pull-ups as velocity-based exercises. We measure the speed of execution using a gym wear device and use it to drive intent and competition among the athletes.

To improve pull-ups or chin-ups, progressive overload is key. You can increase the reps per set, total number of sets, or add more weight. Increasing reps per set can be challenging, so we often work up to five or six sets of a certain number of reps. Adding weight is another effective way to increase strength.

I hope this covers your question! If you have any more, feel free to ask.

Which exercises would you recommend for stretching and creating ankle flexibility within swimmers?

Unlock Your Ankles: Expert Advice for Swimmers

Why did you thanks for your question? Unfortunately, the more straightforward answers for you. As for two main reasons. The first one is when it comes to an ability or inability to move through a certain range of motion at a given joint. It's not always about the flexibility are about stretching that joint into that position to try and correct. Correct, the problem quite often. It's done, water, lack of strength of a lack of proprioception, or all the joint and therefore, an inability to Actually move into those positions. So it's not quite as simple as just identifying or two quick stretches for forgiving joint. The other main reason don't have a very straightforward answer for you, is that this probably isn't really my main area of expertise. There's another expert on the platform here. Called Brian Cunningham. He's good Irish guy. Who's been living in the states for a long time? Now, when he's in work with USA, swimming for the last 10 years, or thereabouts, And I would direct you towards him another resource that you could seek out if you if you wanted to is the prehab guys.com., That's the prehab guys.com. It's a resource that I often turn to for anyone looking to address things like this. They've got some excellent blogs in there. They'll be able to experience a bit more. What I'm made to do your ear in relation to and the need for flexibility versus the need for strength of proprioception training. They also submix Nurses around rehabbing and pre. Having certain joint complexes, like the ankle of the foot strike a bit more direct help, but hopefully, in the very least, sending in the right direction.

There is not a straightforward answer to this question. However, there are two main reasons why. The first reason is that it is not always about the flexibility or stretching of a joint to fix the problem but rather a lack of strength and proprioception. The second reason is that this is not my area of expertise and I would suggest consulting Brian Cunningham or the Prehab Guys website for more information on how to address such issues.

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Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, I don't have a straightforward answer for you. Ankle flexibility in swimmers is not solely about stretching or flexibility exercises. It can be influenced by factors such as lack of strength or proprioception in the joint, which affects the ability to move through a certain range of motion. It's important to address these factors rather than just focusing on stretching.

For more specific guidance on this topic, I recommend reaching out to Brian Cunningham, an expert on this platform who has worked with USA Swimming. You can also visit theprehabguys.com, a resource that provides valuable information on addressing joint issues and rehabilitation.

They can provide more detailed insights and exercises tailored to improving ankle flexibility and strength for swimmers.

What weight training do you recommend for freestyle and butterfly stroke training?

Key Weight Training for Freestyle & Butterfly Stroke

The weight training that I recommend within swimming, doesn't change or vary that drastically between the different strokes. It's more likely to remotely. See a greater variance based on the distance of the event that the summer is racing. So, broadly speaking if we assume for a second here that you've laid down a good foundation, on your fundamental movement patterns which are based around squatting patterns, pushing pulling Bracing hinging and single egg patterns, then the really key exercises in the gym. After that will be squats, bench, press and pull ups or chin-ups either, or so it's one is an overhand grip to an overhand grip with that. The other one is their number and group like that. They're the three really big rocks in any strength program for a swimmer. In any straw the degree to, which you would emphasize, maybe one of those exercises or with the other will depend on the specific weaknesses of a given a thing. They may also depend on as I said before, the distance of the event of the summer specializes in, For freestylin butterfly. You're obviously in more upper body dominant stroke then restaurant. For example, assume I put a greater emphasis on my clean, the volume of work that you're doing more towards likes of bench-pressing, pull-ups. And then after that, then again, with will soon as across the board, quite a large volume of work that is dominated by external rotation of the shoulder. So a lot of horizontal pulling Style Style work or vertically. Icing or tag the shoulder maintenance work. You're typically rotator cuff. Endurance type of these pieces are really, really important for maintaining healthy shoulders and violence, anterior to posterior hope that helps

Weight training for swimmers should include squats, bench press and pull-ups/chin-ups. Depending on the stroke and distance of the event, emphasis can be placed on certain exercises. Shoulder maintenance work such as external rotation exercises and rotator cuff endurance work should also be included in any weight training program.

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The weight training I recommend for freestyle and butterfly stroke training doesn't vary significantly between the two strokes. The variation is more likely to be based on the distance of the event the swimmer is racing.

Assuming a good foundation has been established in fundamental movement patterns such as squatting, pushing, pulling, bracing, hinging, and single-leg patterns, the key exercises in the gym would be squats, bench press, and pull-ups or chin-ups.

These three exercises are essential in any strength program for swimmers. The emphasis on each exercise may vary depending on the specific weaknesses of the swimmer or the distance of the event they specialize in. 

For freestyle and butterfly, which are more upper body dominant strokes compared to breaststroke, there may be a greater emphasis on exercises like bench pressing and pull-ups. Additionally, a significant volume of work should focus on external rotation of the shoulder, such as horizontal or vertical pulling exercises, as well as shoulder maintenance work like rotator cuff exercises.

These exercises and shoulder maintenance work are crucial for maintaining healthy shoulders and preventing injuries.

I hope this information helps!

Should a swimming strength program be based around Olympic lifts (clean, snatch) or power lifts (bench, squat, deadlift)? Or is a mix of both best?

Choosing the Right Exercises for a Swimming Strength Program

When choosing exercises for any sort of a strength program, it's important to recognize is that all exercises are simply tools in the toolbox. So whether it's Olympic lifts or the power lifts, they all serve a different purpose. What you have to try and figure out is what's the best to to complete the job that you're trying to do. So for the likes of your cleans, your snatches, they can be more and variations. Of digging more involved. In development things like pink Power already Force development type characteristics. Whereas the like savior powerless bench squat deadlift. Would more often than not be used to develop things like absolute strength or Mac strength, but the reality is that the way in which you load any of those exercises will dictate what the outcome would be. And quite often, you can serve quite a broad spectrum using in all of the exercises. So you have to take into consideration, other factors such as the experience of the athlete, what they're comfortable doing, what you're comfortable as a coach teaching that I see to do and you make a decision from there more often than not in a program that I write. I try to use a mix of all of the above was ultimately bench. Squat and pull-ups will be amongst the really key strength. Exercises are agrees will do and we will as much as possible try to use cleans and variations of cleans along with weighted jumping tasks to drive power development. What that else?

When creating a strength program, you have to consider the experience of the athlete, what they are comfortable doing, and what the coach is comfortable teaching. Generally, a program will include a mix of exercises like bench squats, pull-ups, cleans, and variations of cleans along with weighted jumping tasks to drive power development.

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When designing a swimming strength program, it's important to understand that exercises like Olympic lifts (clean, snatch) and power lifts (bench, squat, deadlift) serve different purposes. They are tools in the toolbox, and the choice depends on the specific goals of the program.

Olympic lifts such as cleans and snatches can be more involved and focus on power and force development. On the other hand, power lifts like bench, squat, and deadlift are often used to develop absolute or maximal strength. However, the way you load and program these exercises will ultimately determine the outcome.

It's essential to consider factors such as the athlete's experience, their comfort level with different exercises, and your own coaching preferences. In my programs, I typically incorporate a mix of all these exercises. Bench, squat, and deadlift are key strength exercises, while cleans and variations, along with weighted jumping tasks, are used to drive power development.

Ultimately, the best approach is to find a balance and tailor the program to the specific needs and goals of the swimmer.

Do you recommend lifting weights during taper?

Maintain Weightlifting during Taper for Optimal Performance

Lifting weights and taper is a really interesting one. I know that some people get a little bit little bit nervous about doing it, but I certainly recommend maintaining that work in your taper and quite close to competition. What the sessions will actually look like with the content. Looks like the intensity the Lord in all of those types of things will vary from person to person depending on a whole hope, whole heap of factors especially what the Rain and has looked like in the lead-up to that particular taper, obviously, the nature of the event. The nature of the individual will be the primary decider of what that looks like. But for the most part, as we get closer to the competition, the Lord's decrease, the targeted speed increases, and the overall volume within the session, also decreases. So you getting a sense of freshening up, which are maintaining a stimulus and the Lord within the overall training. To ensure that you're avoiding a detraining effect.

During a taper, it is recommended to maintain weight lifting workouts with decreasing intensity and volume, as well as increasing speed, to ensure the body does not detrain.

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Maintaining weightlifting during a taper period is recommended. The specifics of the sessions will vary depending on factors such as the individual, the event, and the training leading up to the taper. As competition approaches, the load will decrease, targeted speed will increase, and overall volume within the session will decrease. This allows for a sense of freshness while still providing a stimulus and avoiding detraining effects.

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Paul Talty is Head of Physical Preparation for Swim Ireland. He delivers S&C support for full-time athletes and Senior National Teams. He holds a degree in Sport & Exercise Sciences from the University of Limerick and a Masters in Sport & Health Sciences from the University of Exeter. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Salford, he was previously an S&C coach at Coventry University and the Sport Northern Ireland Sports Institute.

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