Personal training for swimmers

what are sdks? I would do stuff to work on rotator cuffs, glutes, calves, trapezoids/rhomboids

Recommendations? I think you are doing fabulously well on your own. There are not all that many people who can train themselves to a national top ten time in an endurance event. You are already a pretty fit customer. What value added does a personal trainer bring to the party? If you know someone who is really, really good, who understands your athletic goals, and can cost effectively design a set of efficient and effective exercises to help you reach them, then maybe you can justify the cost. But pretenders are all-too-common in the personal trainer business, and you can easily wind up wasting your money. Caveat emptor. Personal trainers who understand swimming are rare. If you can find someone knowledgeable and trustworthy, then maybe they can help. Personally, I'm skeptical.

I can't speak for personal training, but I can give you some exercises to do on your own that will help out. Some will have a direct impact on your swimming, some will have an indirect impact (ie, general leg strengthening, etc), but all will benefit you in the long run. Legs Squats Streamline squat jumps Forward/backward lunges Side lunges Stair steps Stair/box jumps Jump rope Crunches Wall sits Stretch Cords Internal/external shoulder rotations Tricep pulldowns Lateral raises Reverse woodchops Chest flies Butterfly pulls Freestyle pulls Breaststroke pulls Right/left hip abductor Right/left hip adductor Medicine balls Basketball squat jump throws (squat and then jump to throw the medicine ball like a free throw) Chest passes - fast Chest passes - hard Overhead passes Granny passes Oblique handoffs Crunches with medicine ball held overhead Abs/core Pushups Flutter kicks Leg holds (hold your straight legs 6" off the ground) Leg lifts Oblique crunches Streamline crunches Crunches Dive bombers Plank Right/left plank Bridge Diamond pushups Wide grip pushups I started a dryland group on my team and we've been doing dryland three times a week for about a month now. We've been focusing a lot on the stretch cord, medicine ball, and leg exercises and I can really feel their impact. My focus events are backstroke and the IMs, and I can feel the difference in the water between now and a month ago. Can't speak for how it would impact distance freestylers, but it's sure helping me out!

The book Swimmming Anatomy by Ian McLeod (Amazon or B&N) provides a good soource of basic information and exercises specific to muscles and strokes, and it would provide you with some background info before engaging a trainer and also allow you to "truth-test" the program and to be sure it's what you want- Knowledge is Power. I agree with Swimosaur that it might be hard to find a personal trainer that knows swimming, can evaluate your needs, and set you on the right track, but not impossible. Probably not avaialble at the average gym, and perhaps you're more likely to find such a trainer in and around college swimming program and/or recommended by a college coach. I think using a trainer would be helpful in designing a program specific to your needs, tracking/testing response, checking dryland techniques, motivating you, and could eliminate trial and error. Might also prevent injury or over training. From what i've read, there really isn't one-size-fits-all training, as everybody responds differently- having someone that can adjust the program as you go along to your response would be pretty helpful, i think.

Good points, and something I had thought about a little bit. I actually just returned from a meeting over at the Rec and as I had a few extra minutes I talked to my friend who is the exercise physiologist there. She said that she doesn't know much about swimming and she didn't think offhand that any of the current trainers have much experience with it. I am very fortunate to have found a physical therapist who happens to be a breaststroker on GAJA! I had my first appointment with her yesterday and she was quickly able to identify muscle imbalances and prescribe exercises to correct them. We're starting with my shoulders and will cover lower body next appointment. Hopefully, I will finally be able to do something with my right leg, so I don't keep injuring it swimming breaststroke! I agree with Sojerz about Swimming Anatomy. It is an excellent book! Good luck, ekw. And, congratulations on your preliminary Top Ten! :applaud:

what are sdks? SDK = submerged dolphin kicks I'm mostly interested in improving them for backstroke starts and turns to maximize my underwater distance.

Man I wish more people who held top 10 times would be as motivated as you are! Maybe that will rub off on me!!! My goal is after next weeks meet I'll start doing more dryland work! having said I am fairly strong upper body and back from presses and deadlifts. My legs are naturally more explosive than most from all the jumping I've done for track... but my cardio is where I really lack. As is my core.

I think you are doing fabulously well on your own. There are not all that many people who can train themselves to a national top ten time in an endurance event. You are already a pretty fit customer. What value added does a personal trainer bring to the party? If you know someone who is really, really good, who understands your athletic goals, and can cost effectively design a set of efficient and effective exercises to help you reach them, then maybe you can justify the cost. But pretenders are all-too-common in the personal trainer business, and you can easily wind up wasting your money. Caveat emptor. Personal trainers who understand swimming are rare. If you can find someone knowledgeable and trustworthy, then maybe they can help. Personally, I'm skeptical. The book Swimmming Anatomy by Ian McLeod (Amazon or B&N) provides a good soource of basic information and exercises specific to muscles and strokes, and it would provide you with some background info before engaging a trainer and also allow you to "truth-test" the program and to be sure it's what you want- Knowledge is Power. I agree with Swimosaur that it might be hard to find a personal trainer that knows swimming, can evaluate your needs, and set you on the right track, but not impossible. Probably not avaialble at the average gym, and perhaps you're more likely to find such a trainer in and around college swimming program and/or recommended by a college coach. I think using a trainer would be helpful in designing a program specific to your needs, tracking/testing response, checking dryland techniques, motivating you, and could eliminate trial and error. Might also prevent injury or over training. From what i've read, there really isn't one-size-fits-all training, as everybody responds differently- having someone that can adjust the program as you go along to your response would be pretty helpful, i think. Preliminary top ten! Good points, and something I had thought about a little bit. I actually just returned from a meeting over at the Rec and as I had a few extra minutes I talked to my friend who is the exercise physiologist there. She said that she doesn't know much about swimming and she didn't think offhand that any of the current trainers have much experience with it. I didn't have to go any farther than the floor above my office to find that Swimming Anatomy book, so I'll take a look at that. Mostly my desire to have some training sessions is to make sure I'm not doing an exercise completely wrong.

Thanks, everyone. Some great and very thoughtful advice. My current thinking is that continuing to work my core and getting some exercises to work on my leg strength (as I can really feel a lack of it now on turns and breaststroke kick) would be a good place to start. I may end up just getting an equipment orientation at the gym rather than training sessions unless I can find a trainer who really knows swimmers.

I think the best reason for doing any conditioning outside the pool is to avoid injury and stabilize your core and joints; it may not improve performance, but if it keeps you from sitting out half a season with a shoulder or knee injury then it's worth it.