Swimming Anatomy

This exercise is a good way to transition from the hollow hold to a more challenging exercise when the primary focus is engaging the abdominal musculature to stabilize the low back. Again, monitoring the positioning of the hips and low back is important when performing the exercise. In both the starting and the ending position, the body should be held in a straight line from the ankles all the way to the tip of the head. If the hips begin to drop, the swimmer should be cued to focus on tightening the abdominal musculature. Monitoring the position of the head is also important because its position will indirectly affect the positioning of the low back. If the head is out of alignment with the rest of the body, holding proper body positioning will be much more challenging. As you become more proficient at performing the exercise, gradually increase the amount of time that you spend in each position. The goal is to reach 30 to 45 seconds.

This is an excellent all-around exercise for learning how to engage the abdominal muscles in a manner that will carry over to better maintenance of proper hip and low back positioning during all four strokes and when streamlining off starts and turns.

V-Up

Execution

1. Lying face up in a streamlined position, stabilize your core by tightening the abdominal musculature.

2. In unison, bring your arms forward and lift your legs until your hands are able to touch your feet.

3. Slowly reverse the movement, stopping when your hands and feet are just above the ground. Then repeat.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus abdominis (upper and lower fibers)

Secondary:External oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, serratus anterior, rectus femoris, iliopsoas

Swimming Focus

This exercise targets and strengthens the rectus abdominis through a wide range of motion, making it a useful exercise for freestylers or backstroke swimmers who are trying to improve the speed of their flip turns. Emphasizing the tight streamlined position after each repetition will benefit all strokes. When initiating the movement, avoid swinging your hands up and down to generate momentum; this is a form of cheating. The exercise can be made more challenging by holding the streamlined position with the hands and feet just off the ground for 3 to 4 seconds after each repetition.

Flutter Kicks

Execution

1. Lie on the floor with your arms at your sides and tighten the abdominal muscles to set your core.

2. Lift your shoulders 4 inches (10 cm) off the ground and your feet 12 inches (30 cm) off the ground, making sure to keep the low back in a neutral position.

3. Hold this position and flutter kick for 60 seconds or until you are unable to keep the low back stabilized in a neutral position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus abdominis (lower fibers), rectus femoris

Secondary:External oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, iliopsoas

Swimming Focus

This is a good exercise to transition to after mastering the hollow hold. As with the hollow hold, the main emphasis should be on keeping the low back in a stable and fixed position. If the low back begins to arch, the abdominal musculature is no longer holding the low back in a stable and fixed position and is being overpowered by the hip flexors. Incorporation of the flutter-kicking motion makes this exercise particularly useful to freestyle and backstroke swimmers.

To avoid relying on the hands to hold the upper body in its curled position, perform this exercise by holding your hands 1 inch (2.5 cm) off the ground.

VARIATION

Streamlined Flutter Kicks

A variation is to hold your arms in an overhead streamlined position. This variation increases the difficulty of the exercise and makes it more specific to swimmers. Because of the increased difficulty, be sure to keep your focus on holding the core tight and maintaining the low back in a neutral position.

Physioball Crunch

Execution

1. Begin in a bridge position with the ball positioned in the middle of your back. Your fingers should be touching but not interlocked behind your head.

2. Raise your shoulders toward the ceiling and bring your chest forward in a crunching motion.

3. Slowly lower your shoulders back to the starting position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus abdominis

Secondary:External oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, rectus femoris

Swimming Focus

Because the movement begins with the back in an extended position, this exercise strengthens the rectus abdominis through a range of motion not targeted by any of the other exercises listed in this chapter. This feature makes it a valuable exercise for both breaststroke and butterfly swimmers because it contributes to the undulating body movements that occur during both of these strokes.