#swimmingtips

Sun is Shinning, Let Get Swimming

Here is a 2km Breast Stroke Focused Session

Warm Up

200m Front Crawl

200m Back Crawl

Main Set

8x50m Butterfly Kick with Breast Stroke Arms to Breathe

150m Slow Front Crawl

4x100m Breast Stroke Drill Two Kicks One Breathe

50m Slow Front Crawl

4x25m Breast Stroke Kick Hands to Bum

50m Slow Front Crawl

200m Breast Stroke Full and Fast Build each 50m

Cool Down

50m Scull

50m Front Crawl Kick

150m Front Crawl Swim

Diving head first into our first blog post of what is hoped to be a space to share tips, tricks and more of all things swimming. There is so much we want to share from swimming essentials to drills and workouts. 

We are so excited for what is to come!

Swimming workouts utilize almost your entire body. In order to prevent injury, stretching is very important. When stretching, you should make sure you cycle through all parts of your body. This guide covers the main stretches that you should use for your arms, back, and legs. For each stretch, hold the position for 30 seconds, and repeat for both sides.

Elbow Pull for Your Arm Pit: In swimming, you’re constantly using the muscles that surround your armpit. Every pull you take — for all four strokes — uses these muscles which include your triceps, lats, and various shoulder muscles. Make sure you stretch them out really well. Here’s how: 1. Place your right hand behind your head, and point your elbow straight up. 2. Take your left hand and place it on your right elbow. 3. Pull your right elbow inward with your left hand. 4. Hold this position. Then switch arms, and repeat.

Wall Press for Your Front Shoulder: The front of your shoulder is always a hard place to stretch. The wall press is a great way to access those hard to reach muscles. Follow these steps for a good wall press: 1. Place your right hand on a wall at shoulder height. Place your palm on the wall so your thumb is facing upward. 2. Slightly bend your right elbow. 3. Twist your body to your left — away from the wall. 4. Hold this position. Then switch arms, and repeat.

Wall Lean for Your Calves: This stretch is great after long kicking sets. After you feel that burning sensation in your calves, wall leans are a great way to loosen them up. Here’s how to do a wall lean: 1. Place your hands on a wall at about shoulder-height. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart. Lean against the wall while facing toward it. 2. Scoot your right foot back as far as it can reach without straining it. 3. Place your right heel on the ground. 4. Keep your right leg straight. 5. Hold this position. Then switch legs and repeat.

Pretzel Stretch for Your Buttocks: Believe it or not, you use your buttocks a lot in swimming. You use it while you kick. You also use it every single time you push off the wall. Think about how many turns you do in every practice! You’ll soon realize how much these muscles are utilized when you begin this pretzel stretch. Follow these steps for a good pretzel stretch: 1. Sit down on the ground. 2. Bend your right leg, and place the sole of your foot flat on the ground. 3. Lift your left leg up, and place your left ankle on your right thigh. 4. Push your left knee away from you. If you’re not feeling the stretch, scoot your right foot in closer to your buttocks. 5. Hold this position. Then switch legs, and repeat.

Butterfly Stretch for Your Inner Thighs: There are a fair amount of groin injuries that occur in swimming: Especially in breaststroke. To help prevent inner thigh and groin injuries, make sure you stretch them out really well. 1. Sit up tall on the floor. 2. Bend your knees and relax your calves against the floor. 3. Press the soles of your feet together. 4. Hold your feet so that they remain touching. For a deeper stretch, press down on your knees.

Model Pose for Your Laterals: Swimmers tend to have very defined laterals for a reason. You are constantly overworking these muscles in practice. The model pose is a fantastic stretch to loosen up your overused laterals. 1. Sit on the floor. 2. Bend your left leg, and place your left foot flat on the ground. 3. Straighten your right leg. 4. Cross your left foot over your right leg. 5. Take your right elbow and press it diagonally against the outside of your left leg. 6. Push against your leg, and twist your torso. 7. Hold this position. Then switch sides and repeat.

Child’s Pose for Your Lower Back & Hips: The child’s pose will feel so good after practice! Your lower back can feel increasingly sore after practice. This stretch does a great job of accessing those lower back and hip muscles. Follow these steps for a good child’s pose: 1. Kneel down so that your whole shin is touching the floor. 2. Touch your legs together. 3. Rest your thighs on your calves. 4. Lean over your thighs so your belly touches your legs. 5. Lay your forehead on the ground. 6. Stretch your arms out in front of you with your palms facing downward.

These stretching techniques are great before or after your swim, especially if you are using your pool for fitness/exercise!

When you’re done with your workout, take just a few minutes to stretch out your muscles. Think about it as a warm-down. Stretching will help you loosen up, and let your body repair for your next workout.