Swimmer Mags article on stretching ...

Unless I miss some pages, this article is very incomplete as: - it doesn't provide with any valid reason for condemning typical swimmer stretching exercises But it does. It says clearly (as does NKMD) that the typical swimmer stretches target cartilage and ligaments ("static stabilizers"), and that flexibility in those structures is more likely to cause injury than to prevent it. There are a few stretches that one can do to loosen the muscles that hold the shoulder together (the "dynamic stabilizers"), although shoulder-injury treatment and prevention focuses a lot more on strengthening those dynamic stabilizers than on stretching them. #1,any stretch that involves pulling on my head to stretch my neck makes me nervouse as heck. Seems like it's too easy to overdo it/misuse it. Try it. You will love it. You are in total control of how hard you pull to stretch. Also, you can vary the muscles you target with that type of stretch by looking either ahead or down, and by keeping the arm on the stretching side either down or at shoulder height. This type of stretch is excellent for swimmers, and especially for swimmers with desk jobs.

But it does. It says clearly (as does NKMD) that the typical swimmer stretches target cartilage and ligaments ("static stabilizers"), and that flexibility in those structures is more likely to cause injury than to prevent it. There are a few stretches that one can do to loosen the muscles that hold the shoulder together (the "dynamic stabilizers"), although shoulder-injury treatment and prevention focuses a lot more on strengthening those dynamic stabilizers than on stretching them. Oh I see. I'm not about to buy this though. The main reason being that for me, stretching is a way to indirectly get you swim faster. I have never really seen these as ways to reduce the incidence of injuries. For anyone that is not overly concerned with performances though, and that seeks for ways to prevent injuries I now understand little better the relevance in this article.

Yes. Is there such a thing as a nice gentle *** stroke kick? I instituted my current 6 minutes of daily stretching after mildly pulling my groin doing the *** stroke leg of an IM set several times. It, of course, took several times before I thought I might prevent some pain with a little stretching. For your general health, you probably need to do stretching just to maintain your flexibility. You should be able to pick things up off the floor without fear, and swimming is not going to maintain that kind of flexibility. Yes there is a nice gentle breaststroke kick and I do it in every warm up.To start practicing an easy BR kick it is easier to do with a snorkel as then you can breath without worrying about momentum.I just do the full stroke really slowly working on range of motion especially in the ankles.I do about 100 of this before moving up to slow BR then easy BR and finish with 200 pace BR for the end of my warmup.I do this as the last part of my warmup after easy free,easy flutter kick,easy dolphin kick,and more easy free.

I also agree with the best warm up being what I am doing- swimming. It is winter, it is cold on deck and the pool is a bit chilly at 79 degrees when I first jump in. To get warm, I swim faster than warm up pace to generate heat for the first 500 yards or so. This is probably not the best warm up.

They are the same stretches published by USA swimming a few years ago. After many years of running and not stretching, I am making a concerted efforts to work on my flexibility. I thought it was a great article.

I showed the article to my coach this morning and he said when he leads us in stretching and doing the ones that are in the "no-no" part of the article, we are not doing static stretches. We are moving as we do them. Often when he leads, though, it is in the afternoon practices which I do not attend so I don't get the benefit of his leading.

Yes there is a nice gentle breaststroke kick and I do it in every warm up.To start practicing an easy BR kick it is easier to do with a snorkel as then you can breath without worrying about momentum.I just do the full stroke really slowly working on range of motion especially in the ankles.I do about 100 of this before moving up to slow BR then easy BR and finish with 200 pace BR for the end of my warmup.I do this as the last part of my warmup after easy free,easy flutter kick,easy dolphin kick,and more easy free. Thanks Allen, maybe I can incorporate more breaststroke in my training without injuring myself now.

I’ve enjoyed reading the comments in this thread! As Michael Quinn pointed out well (thread #8)…..swimmer’s have been completing the same five shoulder stretches since the “dawn of swimming”. There is no published rationale for the group of stretches marked with an “X”. Swimming has been incorrectly categorized into a sport that requires exceptional range of motion / flexibility. Current research along with the help of under water videography reveals that there is no one point in the four competitive strokes that requires extraordinary range of motion to have a fast, efficient stroke. This article establishes a guideline for all swimmers. The advice is based on the latest evidence. Please see this link below for the full text version with references to support the recommendations or via the link on Schmatz's thread #17: Stretching is sport specific and athlete specific. Follow these three simple guidelines: 1. Eliminate stretches that target the static stabilizing components of the shoulder 2. At the appropriate time employ stretches that target muscle tissue 3. Incorporate a dynamic (active) shoulder warm-up prior to workout, competition and between races (if your meet does not have a warm-down pool). If you or your coach believe you have a range of motion deficit that negatively impacts your ability to complete a fast and efficient stroke, make contact with a sports medicine professional that truly understands the sport of swimming so that they can evaluate your shoulder and develop a routine specific to your needs. Per Hedgehog’s comments on thread #31, please re-read the article. You’ll see suggestions for a dynamic (active) shoulder warm-up on page 24 and 25. Details are on the full text version linked above. I have received positive feedback from swim clubs across the country that have made the cognitive shift and embraced this new approach and have appreciated dramatically decreasing episodes of shoulder pain! They can focus on swimming fast! George T. Edelman

there is no one point in the four competitive strokes that requires extraordinary range of motion to have a fast, efficient stroke. While I agree with the general notion of what you are saying, what constitutes "extraordinary range of motion" might be a little different for a masters swimmer (particularly an elderly one) than a college-age swimmer. I have definitely seen a number of masters swimmers whose performance has been negatively impacted by a lack of flexibility (eg, not being able to hold a streamline; not being able to fully engage core muscles; lack of full range of shoulder motion; not being able to assume a proper starting position on the blocks, just to name a few). Many youngsters could probably get away without any stretching at all, but it might be more important for aging swimmers. Which makes the advice in the article all the more useful.

For anyone that is not overly concerned with performances though, and that seeks for ways to prevent injuries I now understand little better the relevance in this article. I have received positive feedback from swim clubs across the country that have made the cognitive shift and embraced this new approach and have appreciated dramatically decreasing episodes of shoulder pain! They can focus on swimming fast! Precisely. When I was unable to lift my left arm over my head, my performance suffered rather seriously. If I had a coach today, or if my kid had a coach, who encouraged any technique that emphasized immediate performance gains over long-term health, I'd ditch that fool in a heartbeat.