I have been reading and watching posts and replies, on the General forum, as well as Coaching forum, that seem to dismiss the importance of having developed triceps. I may be wrong, but what I surmised is that even though having a longer stroke is of great importance (and I am an advocate of a longer sroke depending upon the distance and actual stroke being swum), that many people including Kaizen making statements that a long stroke is better, there is much conclusion that "finishing" the stroke lower on the leg has several problems: 1) it takes tricep strength so avoid it and 2) finishing shorter and closer to the waist area is the way to go.
Now granted, a 50 free sprint probably needs a lesser SPL than a 200 or 400, but my concern in this topic is that there may be a message to other swimmers that finishing later on the body requires more strength in the back of the arm (triceps) so avoid it. My Word: Wrong!!
Every great, great swimmer I have ever seen has the arms of Hercules, both in biceps, shoulders and triceps. And even at my older age and a fatter body, the one remaining muscle group that is ripped is the triceps on my arms because they have been trained over years and carry me through even now. Having these great muscles developed continues to aid in my powerfully finishing my stroke and setting up for the next one. Triceps DO provide propulsion in the stroke finish/recovery portion of the stroke, so making sure they are developed, as well as other components of your body, is extremely important. Just one swimmer's point of view....and open for discussion.....
donna
Parents
Former Member
hey Bud, good essay.
Please define: "an elbow first recovery"
In front crawl, after the pull/push, the arm is recovered by leading with the elbow.
If you finish with the arm all the way back (i.e. brush you thigh with your thumb), this is easy to accomplish.
I find this helps me keep the arm more relaxed in the recovery. It also helps me keep more balanced while moving forward, and keeps most of my energy going forward. Leading the recovery with the elbow allows you to fit in a narrower slot too, which is what helps with my balance in going through the water.
This technique also naturally gives you the desired “elbows high” position. I was doing “elbows high” for decades before I knew it was something desirable, so it kind of baffles me why “elbow first” is seemingly never mentioned anymore to attain that goal. The “fingertip drag” drill (grazing the surface with your fingertips), and especially the “zipper drill” (dragging the thumb up your side), effectively accomplish the same thing. These are all more easily done the more you finish out your pull/push.
Also, as pointed out earlier in this thread, it is the push portion of the stroke that more actively engages the triceps. I too am an advocate of long strokes (for a reduced stroke count per distance). It makes the most sense to me. Why burn all that energy on the recovery if you are not going to get the most out of the power portion of the stroke?
The most awkward recovery I see people do is more like a (rough?) butterfly recovery, with the arm exiting sideways, usually stiff and straight, which seems to cause unnecessary resistance (reduced streamlining) and throw the stroke way off balance (tossing a lot of energy sideways, rather than forward). Folks who use this recovery method in front crawl also generally tend to attack the water on the entry, while I prefer a smooth, relaxed entry.
My idea is that the whole recovery (especially in front crawl) should be very relaxed, as should any muscles that don’t help you go forward. This is one area where yoga and swimming have a LOT in common: Learning to relax the muscles you do need, and activating the muscles you do need for the task at hand. (While I reckon this concept is true for any athletic endeavor, it seems to ring especially true in swimming.)
(see some additional related thoughts here)
hey Bud, good essay.
Please define: "an elbow first recovery"
In front crawl, after the pull/push, the arm is recovered by leading with the elbow.
If you finish with the arm all the way back (i.e. brush you thigh with your thumb), this is easy to accomplish.
I find this helps me keep the arm more relaxed in the recovery. It also helps me keep more balanced while moving forward, and keeps most of my energy going forward. Leading the recovery with the elbow allows you to fit in a narrower slot too, which is what helps with my balance in going through the water.
This technique also naturally gives you the desired “elbows high” position. I was doing “elbows high” for decades before I knew it was something desirable, so it kind of baffles me why “elbow first” is seemingly never mentioned anymore to attain that goal. The “fingertip drag” drill (grazing the surface with your fingertips), and especially the “zipper drill” (dragging the thumb up your side), effectively accomplish the same thing. These are all more easily done the more you finish out your pull/push.
Also, as pointed out earlier in this thread, it is the push portion of the stroke that more actively engages the triceps. I too am an advocate of long strokes (for a reduced stroke count per distance). It makes the most sense to me. Why burn all that energy on the recovery if you are not going to get the most out of the power portion of the stroke?
The most awkward recovery I see people do is more like a (rough?) butterfly recovery, with the arm exiting sideways, usually stiff and straight, which seems to cause unnecessary resistance (reduced streamlining) and throw the stroke way off balance (tossing a lot of energy sideways, rather than forward). Folks who use this recovery method in front crawl also generally tend to attack the water on the entry, while I prefer a smooth, relaxed entry.
My idea is that the whole recovery (especially in front crawl) should be very relaxed, as should any muscles that don’t help you go forward. This is one area where yoga and swimming have a LOT in common: Learning to relax the muscles you do need, and activating the muscles you do need for the task at hand. (While I reckon this concept is true for any athletic endeavor, it seems to ring especially true in swimming.)
(see some additional related thoughts here)
