How Swimmers Can Improve Their Performance Through Training

Swimming Strength Training

Just like athletes in any other sport, swimmers will benefit from developing high levels of strength and power. What they don't need is bulk, so weight training programs should be carefully designed to avoid any unnecessary size.

Core and hip power should be central features of training, along with upper body strength. Plyometrics and some Olympic lifting should be incorporated into the plan, as well. Swimming uses all the muscles in the body, so careful emphasis should be placed on creating a balanced program that only spends extra time on weaker points.

Consideration must be given to how stressed the shoulder joint is when combining sport practice with training. Swimmers are, generally speaking, at lower risk for injury than most sports unless workouts add too much stress to the upper body.

Those who compete in endurance events would get extra benefit from some higher repetition weight training plans. Those in sprint events should stay with lower repetition, higher intensity training.

Swimming Speed Training

Other than for cardiovascular purposes, building better sprint and agility techniques on land has almost no carryover effect in this sport.

What swimmers can benefit from, though, is a lively and challenging dryland fitness program. This will add much needed variety into training, lessening the potential for burnout. (If you are interested in having Power Source run a fitness program specifically for your swimmers, feel free to send us an e-mail to discuss how we can help your athletes).

Injury Prevention for Swimming

This likely the safest sport we train athlete for. Having said that, swimmers are not 100% immune from injury.

Ligament strains and tears can come up, particularly from the unnatural leg motion in the breast stroke. Care should be taken with respect to training volume as the primary step to protect the knees. Further stability can be gained from lower body strength, stability, and mobility work for the hips.

A secondary problem that may stem from this is that the muscles on the outside of the leg become stronger in relation to those on the inside, which eventually will pull the knee cap to the side of its natural track. Training can definitely help here, as a concerted effort to strengthening the muscles that pull inward on the patella (knee cap) should be undertaken for those in need.

Most other swimming-related injuries come from tendonitits in the shoulders, which is often a combination of high volumes of swimming combined with a poorly thought out approach to training. Exercises for the upper body should be chosen carefully to limit the strain on the shoulder region.

Youth Swim Training Considerations

For overall athletic development, coordination, and general fitness, young swimmers should mix up their mode of exercise as often as possible. Careful consideration should be made to make sports participation as fun as possible at all times, but particularly for those age 12 and under. This will lower the risk of burnout in otherwise dedicated and talented performers.

As far as specific physical needs, they should partcipate in high energy activities often to help stay in good shape. Flexibility is important, but at younger ages this is not a major focus of training. Kids are naturally flexible before they hit growth spurts later on in their early teen years.

Youth swimmers should also build a good base of strength, particularly through their core (or midsection). This will increase their power output now, but even more so in the future.

Mental Toughness Development for Swimming

Are your athletes self-motivated?

Do they demonstrate the kind of self-discipline they'll need to succeed at higher levels of the sport?

Swimmers looking to maximize their talents should consider enhancing their mental approach to training and competition.

Those in and around Massachusetts will soon have access to a powerful new program to develop mental toughness in sport. Check back for Power Source Training's Fall 2010 launch of our Sports Axiology program.

Swim Training at Power Source

Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire swimmers may want to consider training in our elite programs for middle school and high school/college age athletes. We'll help you address your greatest needs with an individualized workout plan that focuses on performance enhancement, injury prevention, and long-term health.

We can also help younger swimmers get a jump on their future success with our Young Athlete Development Program, a unique opportunity for Central Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire kids ages 7-10. We focus on all the skills that can be improved at this age, like balance, coordination, and athleticism.