Why swimmers need to train for power outside the water
Former Member
Bottom line is that we can improve our power more on land than we can just doing sprint sets and power racks in the water. Training for power in the water is essential for swimmers but should be complimented with a solid dryland/strength program.
Strength training does not have to include heavy lifting (in fact if you go to heavy, you move to slow and that is not ideal for increasing power output). Try simple bodywieght exercises such as squatting, lunging, pull - ups and of course a lot of core and rotational work. Once you master the basics you can progress to more explosive movements such as squat jumps, split jumps, and explosive pull - ups.
Of course there is much more to get into on this topic. It is just my opinion that to many swimmers and coaches use the "high rep to increase muscular endurance" philosophy in the weight room. Don't you think we get enough muscular endurance from all the volume we do in the pool?? I feel it is better to use our dryland time focusing on explosive movements, power is something that to many swimmers lack.
What are you thoughts out there?
Parents
Former Member
What are you thoughts out there? Controversial. Nothing is either black or white with this topic.
On the one side, ground evidences says it works. On the other side, scientific evidences says it doesn't work.
My take? Weight resistance stuff is a tool. It doesn't own a brain. Therefore it can't be good or bad. It is *there*. Period.
On the other hand, what swimmers and coaches (those who own the brain) decides to do with it, can be good or bad.
Tell me how and why you use this brainless tool, and I'll be able to tell you if it's good or bad.
@Chris @Knelson.. +1. For the large majority of us, our performance over sprinting events is limited by the amount of time spent training at race pace. 1 exception maybe, these strange animals who only commit to 50m long events and that couldn't care less about their performances over 100.
@Knelson, if there's one thing I am convinced about weights in general (to increase power, to increase strength whatever), is that doing just a little makes a huge difference compared to doing none. Especially for swimmers, since as you smartly point out, the actual power requirement while swimming is very low. Although I am a little new to Power applied to swimming, I think that a swimmer (a great one) won't even go over the 100w barrier.
What are you thoughts out there? Controversial. Nothing is either black or white with this topic.
On the one side, ground evidences says it works. On the other side, scientific evidences says it doesn't work.
My take? Weight resistance stuff is a tool. It doesn't own a brain. Therefore it can't be good or bad. It is *there*. Period.
On the other hand, what swimmers and coaches (those who own the brain) decides to do with it, can be good or bad.
Tell me how and why you use this brainless tool, and I'll be able to tell you if it's good or bad.
@Chris @Knelson.. +1. For the large majority of us, our performance over sprinting events is limited by the amount of time spent training at race pace. 1 exception maybe, these strange animals who only commit to 50m long events and that couldn't care less about their performances over 100.
@Knelson, if there's one thing I am convinced about weights in general (to increase power, to increase strength whatever), is that doing just a little makes a huge difference compared to doing none. Especially for swimmers, since as you smartly point out, the actual power requirement while swimming is very low. Although I am a little new to Power applied to swimming, I think that a swimmer (a great one) won't even go over the 100w barrier.
