Top 5 Core Exercises for Swimmers Here is a quick list of my top 5 core exercises for swimmers. While doing an endless number of crunches might make you look good in the mirror, do they give you the strong posture necessary to power through the water? Nope. Instead, the goal behind any core strength program for swimmers should be to develop a strong, rigid posture in the water so that the swimmer can deliver the most propulsion possible. Here are 5 core exercises for swimming that will give you a rock-solid mid-section while also giving you more power and stability in the water– 1. The Plank. Simple looking in nature, this is probably the best all-around measure for core strength. The variations with which you can perform this exercise are nearly limitless. You can employ numerous different fitness aids to mix it up, including but not limited to – TRX straps, bosu ball, and swiss balls. For our purposes we are going to stick to the old-school, straight plank. How to Do It: support yourself on forearms and toes. Keep your elbows directly below your shoulders. squeeze your abdominals and your butt to achieve a straight, powerful spine-line. Beginners should aim for a 30 second hold. Increase in time as ability allows. Your mid-section will try to sag towards the floor – don’t allow it! The point of the exercise is to keep your body in a firm line – including your head. Don’t forget to breathe. 2. Hip Bridges This one might look very easy, but it is good for developing strength in your hip flexors, hamstrings, as well as your lower abdominals. You’ll find that doing this exercise will also help you build deadlift strength. You can progress to using weights – either on a bar or holding a plate on your pelvis – and also use a swiss ball or a bench as a variation to the floor. How to Do It: Get on your back, lay your arms down at your side. Keep your feet flat on the floor and raise your trunk towards the sky. Stop when you have achieved a straight spine-line. Don’t over-extend. Hold for a three-count, and slowly descend. 3. Superman While you may feel more like a beetle who has rolled over and is stuck on his back as opposed to a super-hero, fret not, for this exercise is fantastic for developing scapular stability (i.e. developing and retaining good posture), your glutes and back. How to Do It: Lay face down on the ground, arms straight above your head. Tighten your glutes and pull in your belly button. Lift your left arm while also raising your right leg. Hold for a three-count. Now do the same but with the opposite arm-leg combo. Don’t drop your arms and legs; you want a controlled movement throughout. 4. V-Sit Kicking This one is a little more challenging. Depending on where you are currently at you may want to start out with basic flutter kicking on your back. This exercise is tough, as it will challenge your lower back, hip flexors as well as taxing your abs. How to Do it: Sitting on the ground start fluttering your legs up and down. Focus on making small kicks – as close as possible to your actual kicking motion. Balance yourself and bring your arms above your head into a streamline position. Your body’s natural inclination will be to roll backwards – using your mid-section stabilize your body so that this doesn’t occur. Enjoy 5. Cable Push-pull One of my favorites – you will need a cable machine to make this work, or a couple stretch cords. The push pull is great for developing rotational power with your trunk, which is especially helpful for you freestylers and backstrokers out there. How to Do It: Set up the cables; you can either do one up high and one down low (this more approximates the freestyle action), or position both cables so that they are chest high. With one hand pull, and the other push. Make sure to focus on the rotation of the trunk, and not using your arms to push/pull the cables. Here is a video demonstrating the cable push/pull in action:
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 06:51:37 +0000