I'm having stubborn RC issues. Oddly, I didn't recognize that I was having trouble till I returned to the pool after about 9-10 days away on a ski vacation (no injuries incurred on the slopes). I could justify living on Alleve through nats, but now I know I've got to get this under control.
I started back in on my RC exercises that I was given a few years ago. I'm sure they're the standard ones we've all been doing. What surprised me was that my wife (a non-swimmer with RC issues of her own) looked at me and said "What are you doing?". And in this case, I think she was right.
I was muscling up an 8# weight and doing around 15 reps for each exercise. She said that her therapist insisted that resistance for RC exercises should be low, since the muscles involved are small. As soon as you increase the weight, this logic goes, you start recruiting the bigger scapular stabilizing muscles and do nothing for the RC. She was told women start at 1# (or less), men 3#, but never more than 5#. Each repetition is held for about 2 seconds, and then repeated for up to 30 times.
I don't know where I went astray here. I've started doing my RC exercises with my wife's direction. My shoulder still hurts when I swim, but after doing the exercises, it feels, well, different. Maybe more stable.
Any thoughts?
Parents
Former Member
I collect RC exercise routines the way some people collect Olympian signatures on flags. :o
Tom, your wife is correct, at least according to everything I've read.
Years ago I saw an article in the local paper about the new trainer for the Kansas City Royals (NO JOKES PLEASE - IT WAS BACK WHEN THEY WERE, WELL, BETTER THAN THEY ARE NOW). The article was about how he had put all of the pitchers on an RC exercise routine as a sort of preventative thing.
I called the trainer and asked him if he would share his routine with me. He mailed me a copy of it. Here is what the introduction says:
"All players need to build and maintain strength in their throwing shoulder. This should be a year-round endeavor, adjusted to the demands of the season. All players should begin the shoulder routine about four weeks after the end of their season.
The routine that follows should be done daily until March. After this date you may cut back to five days per week, unless told otherwise by your trainer. Everyone should begin with 2-3 pounds and do 10 reps of all eight exercises. When this number is comfortable for at least a week, increase to 15 reps until that becomes comfortable for at least a week, before moving up to 20 reps, building back up with the same guilelines. You should reach a maximum of five pounds and one set of 20 reps. Please follow these guidelines and do not exceed what has been recommended unless given a different program by your trainer to address a specific injury."
So it sounds like even for professional male athletes they don't recommend going over five pounds.
I have another good routine that came out of the old "Fitness Swimmer" magazine. It's the one I do the most because it's simple - seven exercises that can all be done in front of the TV.
If you are interested in seeing either of these routines, I could try to scan them and e-mail them to you.
Also, there is a good article on the USA Swimming web site that contains lots of exercises:
usaswimming.org/.../ViewMiscArticle.aspx
Anna Lea
I collect RC exercise routines the way some people collect Olympian signatures on flags. :o
Tom, your wife is correct, at least according to everything I've read.
Years ago I saw an article in the local paper about the new trainer for the Kansas City Royals (NO JOKES PLEASE - IT WAS BACK WHEN THEY WERE, WELL, BETTER THAN THEY ARE NOW). The article was about how he had put all of the pitchers on an RC exercise routine as a sort of preventative thing.
I called the trainer and asked him if he would share his routine with me. He mailed me a copy of it. Here is what the introduction says:
"All players need to build and maintain strength in their throwing shoulder. This should be a year-round endeavor, adjusted to the demands of the season. All players should begin the shoulder routine about four weeks after the end of their season.
The routine that follows should be done daily until March. After this date you may cut back to five days per week, unless told otherwise by your trainer. Everyone should begin with 2-3 pounds and do 10 reps of all eight exercises. When this number is comfortable for at least a week, increase to 15 reps until that becomes comfortable for at least a week, before moving up to 20 reps, building back up with the same guilelines. You should reach a maximum of five pounds and one set of 20 reps. Please follow these guidelines and do not exceed what has been recommended unless given a different program by your trainer to address a specific injury."
So it sounds like even for professional male athletes they don't recommend going over five pounds.
I have another good routine that came out of the old "Fitness Swimmer" magazine. It's the one I do the most because it's simple - seven exercises that can all be done in front of the TV.
If you are interested in seeing either of these routines, I could try to scan them and e-mail them to you.
Also, there is a good article on the USA Swimming web site that contains lots of exercises:
usaswimming.org/.../ViewMiscArticle.aspx
Anna Lea
