No matter how much you practice the pull and kick if you don’t have the strength to produce the desired force you will be at a disadvantage.
How to get stronger?
Dryland training is a great way to develop swim technique and strength. You take out the element of water so you can focus on the movement.
Bands:
Practice pull technique and increase pull strength with band pulls.
Anchor the bands to a fixed stable object. Get into the athletic stance with your body hinged forward slightly at the hips. Practice the pull from the outstretched glide position. Both sides together and then one side at a time. Alternate sides. It’s best with bands to avoid the high elbow recovery return we would normally do in the water and instead just keep the hand low as you return it to the front starting position.
Sample Band Pull Workout:
3 x 30 sec. double arm pull. Rest 30 sec.
6 x 15 sec half pull, working on high elbow catch. Rest 30 sec.
3 x 30 sec. single arm pulls, alternating arms. Rest 30 sec.
6 x 15 sec. tricep kickbacks. Rest 30 sec.
Load:
Resistance training applies load to working muscles and is the most effective way to get stronger: it strengthens connective tissues required when joints are loaded.
Strength Exercises:
1) Straight arm pull down with bands or weighted pulleys (single or double arm) are the most specific movement we can mimic in the weight room apart from band pulls.
2) Lat pull-downs, pull-ups, and rows all provide general strength movements for the same pull muscles.
3) Planks (front, side, and back) develop core strength required in swimming.
Reps, sets, and loads:
The purpose of strength training is to get stronger. We gain endurance out in the field training, so we don’t need to build endurance in the weight room. Keep the load high and the reps low: 5 sets of 5, 3-4 sets of 6 will do the trick.
Specific Strength: fins and paddles.
The most specific strength we can gain is in the water. Use paddles and fins regularly (but not entirely). Both increase resistance against the water so ease into using them by starting with a few sets after a good warm-up. Pull back if you’re feeling it in the joints. If they ache, they are telling you to slow down the progression while incorporating these tools.
Pull Sets:
Use a pull buoy between your legs to shift the focus to the upper body and trunk. Add paddles when you are ready for a greater strength application.
Kick Sets:
Put on the fins for kicks on your side, back, front, and dolphin kick. Take the fins off for breast kick drills
