Virtual Lesson for Older Children and Adults

Hello Everyone!

Working on this session has proved to be the most challenging. Researching the internet for exercises for swimmers usually provides some quite difficult and muscle pumping exercises So we decided to look at ourselves. Did we really want to be doing Jumping Jacks for 3 minutes as a warm up? The answer was a definite and resounding NO!

Swimming requires suppleness and stretching. The muscles we build are long and lean rather than big and bulky! Resistance is key to this. In the pool we are working against the water, which provides the resistance, so we needed to find resistance on dry land. This is where resistance bands come in! They are cheap to buy on places like Ebay and Amazon, plus they are shipped to your door if you are self isolating!

Apparently according to one website, some elite athletes carry their resistance bands with them, and they are able to complete a full pool workout with the bands if there isn't a pool available. The bands themselves really help to replicate the motions you make while swimming. So let's get started!

Exercise 1~ Bicep Curl

Bicep curls are an excellent way to strengthen the bicep tendon and help your body compensate for the overdeveloped shoulder adductors often seen in swimmers. Swimmers shoulders are typically rolled forward from the constant forward motion exerted on them. Keeping your bicep tendons strong will help keep them in place and reduce rolled forward shoulders, therefore lowering the risk of a shoulder injury.

Perform this exercise slowly, inhaling during the eccentric contraction (this is where the muscle is lengthening) and exhaling during the concentric contraction (this is where the muscle is shortening). Start out with 3 sets of 20 reps (10 reps on each side) and progress as you get stronger!!

Keep this breathing pattern and the same repetition for all exercises listed below.

Photo: Swim Outlet

Exercise 2 ~ Pulls for Internal Rotation

When you work your shouder's internal rotators you will feel the muscles on the front of your chest and shoulder contracting. Make sure the resistance band is taut, but not too strenuous.

Stand with your arm lying at your side, then bend the arm towards your other arm across your body to a 90 degree angle. This position is crucial as it is your starting and ending point. Then proceed to pull the resistance band inward across your body until it is gently touching your upper abdomen.

Slowly bring the arm back to that 90 degree angle creating positive tension on your rotators, but make sure NOT to go past that starting point!

Exercise 3 ~ External Rotation

It’s easy to injure muscles and tendons near your rotator cuff due to the nature of swimming. When you work your shoulder external rotators, you will feel the muscles on the back of your shoulder and the top of your back contract.

Keep that same 90 degree start and finishing point that you have with internal rotation, but now pull the band outward across your body. When you externally rotate your shoulder, you turn your arm and hand away from the centre of your body so your palm faces outward.

Exercise 4 ~ Flaps for Deltoid and Lateral Muscles

Your lateral and deltoid muscles are key muscles for swimmers. Grip the two ends of the band with both hands, holding it above your head with straight arms. Then proceed to pull downward while engaging your shoulders and keeping your arms straight.

Photo: Swim Outllet

Resistance band exercises can certainly help with bone, joint and muscle strength. Start off slowly with a lighter resistance, before progressing to a higher resistance level. Just do 10 to 15 minutes a day of these band exercises and you will feel the results both in and out of the pool.                                                                                                                                                                   

Now you can recover on the sofa and watch a video

Today we  have chosen front crawl for you!     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

You will be pleased to know that we will be doing these exercises ourselves!

©Solent Swim School 2020

We accept no liability for any illness or injury resulting from over exertion of or precipitation of any medical condition caused in participating in our virtual lessons. It is your responsibility to ensure you are fit to exercise and to check with your GP if necessary.