The key to improving your swimming performance might not be just doing more laps. Instead, incorporating strength and mobility training into your routine could be the secret.
Strength training helps build durable, powerful muscles and stable joints, which translates to better performance, fewer injuries, and improved recovery.
Mobility work, meanwhile, is “going to unlock your body for the work you’re going to be doing, which helps with proper muscle recruitment, range of motion, and all the things that can help lead to injury prevention,” says NASM-certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist Carrie Boyle.
Incorporate these moves recommended by Mike Thomson, CSCS, a USATF-certified running and triathlon coach with Life Time, to help level up your performance.
Mobility
Thread the Needle
Warm up your thoracic spine with this movement before jumping into the water.
Full Instructions
- Set up on the floor in a tabletop position: neutral spine, palms flat with shoulders over wrists, and knees on the ground in line with your hips.
- On an inhale, lift your right hand and extend your arm toward the ceiling, following it with your gaze.
- Exhale and bring your right hand under your chest toward the floor. Thread it beneath your torso, allowing your right arm, shoulder, and side of your head to rest on the floor.
- Inhale to reverse the movement and extend your arm toward the ceiling. Do 10 repetitions per side.
Strength
Single-Arm Cable Lat Pull-down
Add this exercise to your routine two or three days per week.
Full Instructions
- If you have access to a lat pull-down machine that allows you to work one arm at a time, go for it. If not, set up a cable machine with a handle attachment. Adjust the height so you can kneel on the floor (facing the cable machine) and grip the handle with your arm fully extended. You could also use a resistance band; just be sure to anchor the band to a sturdy object.
- Squeeze your shoulder blade as you pull the handle down toward you until your elbow points behind you.
- Extend your arm to return to the starting position. Do three sets of 12 repetitions per arm.
More On the Moves
Rotating your torso in the water is essential for a more streamlined swim stroke. “Imagine swimming with your chest facing the bottom of the pool the entire time; [you would be] like a tank going through the water,” says Thomson.
But if you can twist from side to side, you’ll be able to generate more force and be more streamlined to cut through the water. To rotate efficiently, your thoracic spine must be mobile. Threading the needle can help loosen things up.
An essential area to target in strength training, meanwhile, is the latissimus dorsi, or lats. These are the large, fan-shaped muscles that occupy most of the territory in your back, spanning from your upper arm down to your pelvis and across your ribs. These muscles play a key role in your ability to pull yourself through the water. Thomson recommends single-arm pull-downs to work the lats one side at a time, mimicking the demands of a swimming stroke.
Level Up
From basketball to Zumba, discover the mobility and strength exercises that can enhance your favorite cardio workout and boost your overall performance. Learn more in “Level Up Your Favorite Cardio With These Strength and Mobility Moves,” from which this article was excerpted.
