Is Terry Laughlin Right?

Is RC rotator cuff? What types of exercises should we be doing? RC is rotator cuff. Check out this article from the USA Swimming website: www.usaswimming.org/.../ViewMiscArticle.aspx

No, I wasn't kidding. I've never done any rotator cuff exercises and I know I probably should. I doubt I have iron shoulders. I've probably just been lucky so far. Or you have perfect technique or physiology. Although you've been swimming so long and swum so much yardage, you'd think you'd have a little twinge now and then. I guess you're not suffering from loosey goosey tendons! On the technique issue, I did see a 12 year old girl go a 1:02 in the 100 meter LC free last weekend, which struck me as extremely fast for that age. She had a straight armed windmill style. But unlike Janet Evans her hand and wrist were way way above her elbow, literally almost at a 90 degree angle from her body pointing to the sky on her recovery. I just kept thinking she would be having shoulder problems soon ... But who knows ... Take care of that creaky left shoulder, lanehog! I didn't start lifting weights until I was 17 (I think). Made a huge difference. Everything seems to start younger and younger.

While I was rehab'ing my shoulder this past winter, due to a swim injury, I was amazed at the number of children/teens that were receiving services. I asked my physical therapist why he thought this was - he replied poor coaching and conditioning, overuse/no down time - esp with some sports year round and unrealistic training regimes. It is one thing to see an old fart like me in rehab it is another to see children and teens due to sports injuries. Redbird - I think there needs to be more parents like you. Bravo!! :banana: Tom: I agree with you, of course. It's what I've said all along, and my own docs tell me my labrum issue derives principally from past overuse. I just worry seeing so many kids with shoulder issues. Chickadee notes this trend too. I'm sure some injuries may be due to poor coaching, but when you've got a gaggle of kids in the water, it's hard to correct strokes for every one on every lap -- unless you're George. I'm sure some injuries are also due to heavy training. I know an 11 year old who swims about 10 x week. But I think early RC education would be the key toward combating the problem whatever it's origin. (Not to be controversial, but I would also note that in my limited experience, I have not run across that many PTs who are super knowledgable about swimming injuries. I've heard many of them prescribe "rest" and that is not the answer -- unless it's the usual rest of 2-4 weeks or whatever between seasons. It's better to see someone who has at least a sub-specialty in swimming.) At the beginning of the SC season, all kids in the senior groups on my daughter's team were required to attend an all day seminar on swimming where they were lectured and got instruction on all aspects of swimming, including conditioning, injury prevention and nutrition. This would seem like a good start. Although it's tough to get kids to grasp the concept of injury "prevention." They only tell you once it hurts. And unfortunately, I think some confuse normal soreness with injury pain.

In Soccer, they don't like the kids to play full field until they are older because of the wear and tear. The more advanced teams spend more time on skill mini-game with their young players rather than the old school of making them play 90 minutes on full fields all the time. I know. Mini-Fort had chronic ankle problems playing on a D1 travel soccer team. Soccer kids blow out their ACLs all the time too. I guess all youth athletes are all injured all the time? Very depressing. But I'm talking shoulders, dude. This is an SR thread! Oddly, I don't remember being injured as a kid or having tendonitis. I did blow out my shoulder in college from mega yardage. And I just heard of another former AAU teammate that did the same thing.

Tom: Very good points. But I bet most coaches have had shoulder injuries/surgeries. Most coaches are former swimmers. Just speaking for my daughter's current coaches over the last couple years, I know 4 with major shoulder issues or surgeries. They are keenly aware of what swimming can do to shoulders. The lecture was just a season opener. They do some of the RC/scapular stuff at practice in drylands, remind their swimmers to do their exercises regularly. The team even has a PT swim expert that many go to. And they're always doing drills and stroke correction. Still, injuries happen. As for dancing around the yardage question, this is a toughie, I think. The fact is, for girls, as you're heading into adolescence, if you want to be good, you have to up the yardage. I've heard 12 for girls is a "window" for cardio endurance training. Obviously, many swimmers aren't on an elite track or are just swimming for the sheer fun of it, which is fabulous. But for those that are "serious" (and remember Elizabeth Beisel was only 13 or 14 at worlds) or semi-serious, you have to swim some yardage. I see a lot of elite kids. They're slamming out 400 IMs like there's no tomorrow. No way is that minimal yardage. Personally, I've tried to be very cautious, ramping up my own kid's yardage gradually and having her play other sports. She swam only 2x a week during the school year until she was 11. She only swims 5x a week now at 12. That's what I swam, easily. Her friends swim more. The key to sustaining the yardage, according to you and Gull and others, is to do the shoulder health exercises. I guess it's just internal motivation, but as you say, adolescents have other things on their mind. At the adolescent age, moreover, it's tough for parents to force their kids to do yardage. I don't think you can. They have to want to work hard themselves at that point. If they're working hard, trying to correct their strokes and still injured, that's flat out discouraging. George: Masters should all swim 500 and then stretch. But for kids, the warm up/ warm down thing just isn't as important. They should do it to build good habits though. Everyone should stretch. I should go stretch now.

I don't know any programs where 11 years olds do weights. That would give me pause. But I know my 12 year old does some drylands. A lot of it is scapular/core stuff though. But I was under the impression that some elite girls start lifting at 14-15. Eleven seems really young! I did dryland exercises -- crunches, running, pushups, stretchcords, etc. -- throughout middle school, and at 14 I started lifting weights with the other girls. (And I was far, far from elite.) Our coach didn't let the boys near the weight room until they were at least 16, I think. I'm 25 now, so that was 10-15 years ago. (My, how time flies!) I've learned to be really careful with increasing yardage, as my left shoulder starts to bug me if I step it up too quickly. I've been working on technique, and I definitely need to start doing those rotator cuff exercises. I fear this may catch up to me in a few years.

NOTE to dude and blondie… While your digs are meant in good fun, others have reported the comments as taunting/baiting. Please remember that others may be reading these threads and they may not understand your relationship. p.s. Feel free to shoot the messenger.

NOTE to dude and blondie… While your digs are meant in good fun, others have reported the comments as taunting/baiting. Please remember that others may be reading these threads and they may not understand your relationship. p.s. Feel free to shoot the messenger. Shoot, that was a good point. I did really resemble being called blondie. :rofl: Stop that Rich. Can we carry on with the epidemic of shoulder injuries in girls? What's it due to?

This is an interesting discussion about the rc. When I was training for powerlifting (before getting back into swimming), I'd work the snot out of my rc's when training chest (did it after bench pressing), as strong rc's was supposed to help you with your bench. Glad I did it, and I'm glad I still do. So far after a year of getting back into swimming my shoulders have been ok. This being said, I'm not banging out mega yardage like the age groupers, so who knows. Now here's a banana and a bouncing thing. :banana::bouncing:

Fort you are not talking to the same experts I have been talking to. The ones I have been conversing with suggest no stretching. I hope you noticed I have been using periods at the end of sentences. No stretching ever? What does one do with overly tight muscles then? Oh, good periods and no typos. Colin: I love how you end every post with a banana and bouncy thing! That avatar of yours make me worry about injury though.