Six Exercises for Swimmers

by Jackie Crosby

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 Strength and conditioning are a major part of a swimmer’s race. Whether swimming is recreational or competitive, building strength is essential not just for performance but for injury prevention as well. Looking at a competitive swimmer, their shoulders are broad, their torsos are lean, and their legs are powerful. A swimmer uses their shoulders in a much larger capacity than any other sport. Without proper strength training, swimmers and triathletes are more likely to be injured. Here are six exercises to build up a swimmer specific body.

1. Plank Row - The plank position activates the core, shoulders, and back muscles needed for that strong stroke pull thru. On a mat, have two free weights at arms length. Go into the plank position on your hands and feet. With the weight by your hand and holding the plank position, grab one weight and pull back arm into a row. Continue this movement for each arm.


2. Abdominal Workout - An athlete’s abs are literally and figuratively the core of all workouts. A strong core leads to a strong athlete. Here are some core exercises: crunches, plank, Russian twist, side plank, and toe touches.


3. Squat - A squat focuses on the strength in the legs that is needed for the kick. From the hip flexors to the ankles squats are an all-in-one leg workout. Standing up straight with your feet at shoulder length stance, go into a squat position, bending at your knees, keeping your head up and chest forward. Push that butt back. Try using a chair to give guidance when lowering the body down. When lowering try to barely touch the seat and then straighten back up.



4. Kettle bell swings - This exercise is similar to that of a squat, yet there is an addition to it. The kettle bell adds the swinging motion along with the squat. Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder length apart. Hold the kettle bell with two hands in front, start by swinging the kettle bell between your legs, and then slowly bringing it into full motion by swinging it to chest level. Push the hips forward, lock the knees, and tighten the gluteus and abs. Keep this continuous motion swinging between the legs and up to chest level.


5. Medicine Ball push-up - A medicine ball push-up is a more isolated motion. In the exact same position as a plank, the back is straight and the hand and toes are on the ground. One hand is positioned on top of the medicine ball. Begin the push-up motion and lower the body down into a 90-degree angle with one hand on the ground the other hand on top of the ball. Make sure to keep the back straight.


6. Shoulder Presses - A swimmer is more prone to shoulder injury then any other athlete. By focusing on strength training specifically in the shoulders this will not only help to eliminate the chance of injury, but also give more power to the stroke. Standing up or sitting on a bench, position dumbbells in hands on each side of the shoulders, and position the elbows under the wrists. Press the dumbbells upwards until arms are extended. When bringing the arms back down make sure to only lower to shoulder length.

These movements are just a sample of simple strength training exercises that can be essential to your improvement and injury prevention. Strength training is extremely vital to the success of all athletes. The combination of strength training and swimming is what will create the perfect athlete.