Swimming Anatomy

As you read through the remainder of the chapter you will see that several of the exercises involve movement at a single joint, the elbow, specifically targeting only the elbow extensors (triceps brachii) or the elbow flexors (biceps brachii and brachialis). These isolation exercises are best placed at the end of your dryland program to avoid fatiguing a single muscle group early in the workout program. A final consideration is that between the two muscle groups, the elbow extensors are more active during the swimming movements. Therefore, you should aim for a 2:1 ratio between exercises that target the extensors and the flexors.

When performing upper-body exercises, be sure to set the shoulder blades for stability before performing the exercise. For any exercise, set the core as well. See the sidebar below for instructions about how to do this.

Setting the Shoulder Blades and the Core

Setting the shoulder blades:When performing upper-extremity exercises, particularly those that target the shoulder joint, you should set the shoulder blades into a stable position. The setting movement involves pinching the shoulder blades backward and downward, as if you were trying to put your shoulder blades in the back pockets of your pants. In the process of setting the shoulder blades, avoid shrugging the shoulders upward because this action shifts the focus of the exercise from the lower fibers of the trapezius muscle to the upper fibers, which are typically already overdeveloped in most swimmers.

Setting the core:Before performing any exercise you should make a conscious effort to set the core. By setting the core you establish a foundation of support upon which the exercising muscles are able to exert their forces. You should also stabilize the low back, reducing the risk of injury. Setting the core involves simultaneously contracting the abdominal, low back, and gluteal muscles as if they are a corset that encircles the abdominal region. See chapter 5, page 87, for more information about setting the core.

Standing Double-Arm Triceps Pushdown

Execution

1. Stand facing a pulley machine with a high cable attachment. Grasp the handlebar at chest level using an overhand grip so that your hands are slightly less than shoulder-width apart.

2. Holding your elbows tight at your sides, extend the forearms until the elbows are almost locked.

3. Slowly lower the weight stack until it is 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the resting stack and your hands are back to the start position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Triceps brachii

Secondary:Anconeus, wrist and finger flexors

Swimming Focus

Although this exercise is effective at targeting the triceps brachii and will produce benefits across all four strokes, it is particularly valuable to breaststrokers because it mimics the final portion of the underwater pull performed off the start and each turn wall.

When performing the exercise you should maintain an upright posture and try to generate the force necessary to move the weight solely by tightening your triceps brachii. Because swimmers have a predisposition to a rounded-shoulder posture, you can easily develop the bad habit of leaning into the cable and cheating by bouncing your upper body at the start of each repetition.

VARIATION

Standing Double-Arm Triceps Pushdown With Rope

In the starting position your hands are at your midline. As the elbows are extended, the hands pull the ends of the ropes outward so that when the elbows are almost locked the hands are shoulder-width apart. The added lateral movement isolates the lateral head of the triceps brachii.

Dumbbell Kickback

Execution

1. Holding a dumbbell in one hand, support your upper body with your free hand and a knee on an exercise bench.

2. With your upper arm parallel to the floor and your forearm vertical, raise the dumbbell upward until the elbow is almost locked.

3. Lower the dumbbell back to the 90-degree bent-elbow position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Triceps brachii

Secondary:Posterior deltoid, latissimus dorsi, anconeus, wrist and finger flexors

Swimming Focus

Dumbbell kickbacks help strengthen the triceps brachii because they move the elbow through the final 90 degrees of extension, an important range when trying to enhance the propulsive forces generated during the final portion of the pull during freestyle, butterfly, and especially backstroke.