Copyright © 2009 JTL

Competitive Training: Swimming

Whether it is because you train to be a competitive swimmer like Michael Phelps, starring in a commercial where you swim from the Mediterranean to the Statue of Liberty, or because you are just tired of the constant pounding of pavement under your feet, the use of swimming as a workout can be a very healthy exercise to keep your entire body in shape. Swimming is the type of exercise that anyone at any level can do, and can exploit for a variety of goals. A primary reason many people turn to swimming is because of the full body workout it can give you, and also because of the stress relief it can have on one’s mind and body. Many people swim for psychologically therapeutic reasons as much as they swim to stay in shape. Focusing only on the rhythm of your stroke and breathing can put one in a relaxed state of meditation that many use to alleviate their stress while working out. For those who are looking for a rigorous full body workout, swimming may be a great alternative because it can reduce the “impact stress” on the body’s joints and ligaments one may feel when they run or lift weights.

Note:
Pool workouts are not the most ideal workouts for losing fat, this is only because of the cooling effect the body undergoes while working out. When performing a similarly rigorous routine (such as running or cycling) the human body heats up and continues to burn fat up to 18 hours after the workout. One alternative to this however is proper diet and supplementation. With science advancing as it is today, eating correctly and taking a proper thermogenic (essentially boosting your body’s metabolism) can allow one to have the same post-workout effect 24 hours a day.

If you’re just getting into pool workouts (whether for the first time, or getting back into the pool after a hiatus) don’t worry too much about pushing your limits right away. Work on proper technique and if you’re serious about it schedule a few appointments with a personal trainer who should be able to look at you from a third-person perspective and tweak any bad habits you may have. When swimming laps always remember to count your strokes, it can be very therapeutic and can also give you personal goals to beat every time you’re in the pool; typically lowering your stroke count on a lap will reduce the time it takes to swim it!

Keeping a breathing pattern does matter. However you decide to breathe in the pool make it consistent. The two most typical breathing techniques are sustained (taking a breath every 8 strokes) and constant (every2-3 strokes). Recent studies have shown that there may not be a large difference in performance with regards to the two breathing techniques, but it is also shown that they can make a tremendous difference compared to someone who breathes irregularly.

Note:
If you find that your muscles are fatiguing before your lungs it may not be because you do not have enough strength. Try consuming an arginine based compound for a few weeks and see how that affects the flow of blood and oxygen throughout your muscles which should allow them longer durational activity.

There are many ways to build up one’s swimming stamina and speed but the best way to do either is to focus on them. If you want to increase your swimming speed then break down the distance you are traveling in the pool at one time into shorter “sprints.” Try to primarily do this at the beginning of the workout when you are fresh, and as you progress break down the rest period between the sprints. To help with your distance swimming, start with one mile of cumulative laps and go about as far as you can comfortably using the freestyle swimming motion. Once you start to get tired try switching up your form a little (breast stroke, back stroke) but try not to stop. As time progresses lessen the frequency of these non-freestyle laps until you can swim an entire mile with proper freestyle technique.

Note:
It may sound obvious but do not create any body movement while swimming that hinders your forward progress. Remember to keep your head aligned with your torso, do not extend your kicks beyond the width of your body, keep your arms straight as they come out of the water toward your next stroke, and stay relaxed; do not allow your body to tense up because it will exert much more energy and make you fatigue or even cramp.

Traditionally it is thought that lifting and strengthening one’s body will help that individual perform in an athletic event, and for the most part that is correct. However, studies have shown that typical weight training programs may have little-to-no gain when it comes to swimming (and in some cases have shown to hinder the athlete). Increasing one’s maximal strength is not a large concern for most swimming programs because the strength needed by the athlete is very fluid and continual. One program that has worked well for an undisclosed college is resistance through weight-assisted dips and pull-ups. This is focusing on the athlete’s upper-body strength, but it is important to note that these exercises simulate an intensity and motion that would be exerted on the muscles from swimming. The athletes using this training regime were using this resistance workout combined with core strength training. They were going 60 second sprints with each set and taking 20 second breaks in between.

The problem with other workouts (primarily regimes that try to gain maximal size and strength) is that for the swimmer the strength gained does not always transfer from the gym into the water. While it is still necessary for an athlete to train their whole body, I would suggest most who are thinking of competing in swimming to emulate a workout program that trains at a high intensity for upper body with plenty of core training. For the lower body train with explosive lifts (snatch, hang clean, power clean, jerk, etc) that use one’s entire body to do. This will tremendously assist in transferring the gains one makes in the weight room to the pool.