Looking for some advice on a shoulder problem. I just recently increased my yardage from 6000-8000 per week to 11,000 per week. I was doing some breaststroke pull with paddles and the next day right shoulder was hurting a bit. It hurts quite a bit when I move through internal rotation so I think it is a rotator cuff/anterior deltoid. Any advice on rehabing? Do I stop training, or just back off?
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I don't know. Dropping the paddles seems like the most obvious solution, especially if you are already having shoulder problems. Even assuming your stroke is perfect, a siginificant increase in yardage leads to fatigue of muscles intended to KEEP your stroke perfect. Once these are cooked in a practice your stroke may get sloppy (as mine did this week doing a pyramid set) and your shoulder becomes vulnerable to injury.
Adding paddles after that point, even if for a short set, may cause big problems. As a sprinter I may not have the endurance to keep a proper stroke through the whole workout, so maybe you have another issue, but I'd suggest dropping the paddles, at least temporarily, and strengthening your shoulders with surgical/stretch cord tubing as discussed previously until you get used to the new yardage.
Greg, I agree with everything Speedo says above. Lay off the paddles until your shoulder gets better. If cutting back on swimming doesn't work, stop swimming. Once your shoulder is back to normal, introduce stretch cords and build your yardage back up. All good suggestions from previous posts.
But if you enjoy using paddles, and you know how to use them intelligently, no need to give them up permanently.
If your stroke becomes sloppy, and you continue to swim, you can cause yourself problems with or without paddles. Paddles don't kill shoulders, people kill shoulders.
I don't know. Dropping the paddles seems like the most obvious solution, especially if you are already having shoulder problems. Even assuming your stroke is perfect, a siginificant increase in yardage leads to fatigue of muscles intended to KEEP your stroke perfect. Once these are cooked in a practice your stroke may get sloppy (as mine did this week doing a pyramid set) and your shoulder becomes vulnerable to injury.
Adding paddles after that point, even if for a short set, may cause big problems. As a sprinter I may not have the endurance to keep a proper stroke through the whole workout, so maybe you have another issue, but I'd suggest dropping the paddles, at least temporarily, and strengthening your shoulders with surgical/stretch cord tubing as discussed previously until you get used to the new yardage.
Greg, I agree with everything Speedo says above. Lay off the paddles until your shoulder gets better. If cutting back on swimming doesn't work, stop swimming. Once your shoulder is back to normal, introduce stretch cords and build your yardage back up. All good suggestions from previous posts.
But if you enjoy using paddles, and you know how to use them intelligently, no need to give them up permanently.
If your stroke becomes sloppy, and you continue to swim, you can cause yourself problems with or without paddles. Paddles don't kill shoulders, people kill shoulders.
