Maximizing Swimming Performance in the Gym: The Myth of Sport-Specific Training

/ Train Daly/

The most specific way to get better at your sport, is do your sport. The strength and conditioning coaches goal is to make you a better athlete using gym tools and skills that develop the entire body, reducing the risk of injury, and improving performance related fitness, regardless of the sport.

Swimming is an incredibly demanding sport, uniquely requiring full body mobility, endurance, strength, power, and cardiovascular performance. While pool training is essential, and the majority of swim development should be in the water, gym workouts can significantly enhance a swimmer's performance by training specific joint actions and muscle groups that are complimentary, and often times opposing to the actions and stimulus in the water. In this post, we'll delve into how certain compound exercises in the gym can effectively develop the muscles needed for different swimming strokes without the need for hyper specific exercises that attempt to mimic swimming strokes.

Understanding Joint Actions in Swimming

The body has a finite amount of joint actions it can perform, with specific muscles acting on those joints. Swimming involves those various joint actions, with strokes like butterfly and breaststroke (short axis strokes) utilizing shoulder and hip power with the joint actions shoulder flexion and extension and hip flexion and extension, connected through the core. This translates to bending forward and backward at the waist, reach and pulling with the arms, using both legs and arms (bilateral) simultaneously. On the other hand, freestyle and backstroke (long axis strokes) primarily utilize rotation in an alternating and single (unilateral) arm and leg action, connecting the opposite arm and leg through the core.

Best Compound Exercises for Swimmers

Short Axis Strokes (Butterfly, Breaststroke)

For these strokes, exercises that train joint actions with both legs and arms together are most beneficial. These include:

  • Deadlifts: This exercise targets the hip extension motion, crucial for the powerful undulation needed in butterfly and breaststroke.

  • Squats: Squats develop the leg strength necessary for a strong kick and improve overall lower body power.

  • Pull-Ups and Rows: These exercises strengthen the back, shoulders, and arms, essential for the powerful arm movements in these strokes.

Long Axis Strokes (Freestyle, Backstroke)

For these strokes, incorporating split stance, single or alternating leg and arm movements with rotation (or anti-rotation) is beneficial:

  • Split Stance Deadlifts: These mimic the alternating leg action in freestyle and backstroke and the anti-rotation benefits at the hip and core.

  • Rotation Exercises: Exercises like kettlebell arms bars and snatches help to develop the coordinated rotation of the hips, core, and shoulders while improving overhead stability and streamline.

  • Alternating Arm Exercises: These could include dumbbell rows or alternating shoulder presses, aligning with the arm action of freestyle and backstroke.

Why Compound Over Specific-Looking Exercises?

While it might be tempting to choose exercises that closely mimic swimming motions (like recreating the swim strokes with light dumbbells or bands), these often yield lower intensity and less strength and power gains. For example, pull-ups will develop strength more effectively than a double arm band pull, overhead pressing strengthens the rotator cuff and overhead position more productively than exercises just isolating or focusing on the rotor cuff. Similarly, and complexity with patterns like a squat and press combination might resemble the breaststroke motion, but performing squats and presses separately allows for greater strength development.

The Bottom Line

Effective gym training for swimmers is about understanding the joint actions and muscles involved in different strokes and selecting compound exercises that enhance these specific movements using the best solutions in the gym for developing strength and power in those primary muscles and joints. By focusing on exercises like deadlifts, squats, pushing, pulling, and rotation exercises, swimmers can develop the strength and power necessary for improved performance in the water.

Remember, specificity in training matters, but so does the intensity and overall strength development. Consulting with a coach or a trainer who understands the unique demands of swimming can further tailor your gym workouts to your specific needs as a swimmer.