Swimming Anatomy

2. Holding your elbows in 30 degrees of flexion, pull the bar down to your thighs in an arcing motion.

3. Bring the bar to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of touching your thighs and then slowly return to the starting position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major

Secondary:Lower trapezius, teres major, triceps brachii

Swimming Focus

Similar to the lat pull-down, the standing straight-arm pull-down is beneficial for swimmers because the start of the exercise targets the latissimus dorsi in an overhead elongated position, thus strengthening the initial portion of the pulling phase. An added benefit of the straight-arm pull-down is that it takes the arms through a much larger range of motion than do chin-ups, pull-ups, and lat pull-downs. By helping to strengthen the muscles through the entire pulling motion, the exercise is more specific to the demands of swimming.

A key to isolating the latissimus dorsi during the exercise is to maintain the elbows in a fixed position and to keep the elbows high during the entire motion. Allowing the elbow position to change during the exercise shifts the demands of the exercise from the lats to the triceps brachii. Holding the torso still is also important. Bobbing or dipping of the torso is a form of cheating.

Double-Arm Seated Machine Row

Execution

1. Sit on a bench facing a pulley machine. Grab the pulley handles so that your palms are facing each other.

2. Keeping your back perpendicular to the floor, pull the handles in toward your lower chest.

3. Pinch your shoulder blades together and pause in the ending position.

4. Return to the starting position by slowly lowering the weight.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Latissimus dorsi

Secondary:Trapezius, rhomboid major, rhomboid minor, teres major, posterior deltoid, biceps brachii

Swimming Focus

This exercise builds strength in the latissimus dorsi. It can be particularly beneficial to the breaststroker who wants to increase the strength of the latter half of the pull when the hands are brought together in the midline of the body. By targeting the secondary muscles, particularly the scapular retractors, the exercise enhances the scapular retraction that takes place during the final portion of the breaststroke pulling phase as well as the scapular retraction that is vital to an efficient recovery phase during butterfly. Strengthening of the scapular stabilizers also helps to stabilize the scapula, which generates a stronger base of support for the entire shoulder girdle.

Altering the weight used during the exercise shifts the emphasis to different muscles. Lighter weights allow a greater degree of scapular retraction, thus placing more focus on the rhomboid major, rhomboid minor, and trapezius. In contrast, increasing the weight places more demand on the latissimus dorsi at the sacrifice of decreasing the amount of scapular retraction that is performed. To isolate the muscles of the shoulder girdle and arms, avoid leaning backward while performing the exercise.

Bent-Over Single-Arm Row

Execution

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

2. Keeping your spine straight, pull the dumbbell upward to your torso.

3. Raise your elbow as high as possible and pinch your shoulder blade back.

4. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Latissimus dorsi

Secondary:Trapezius, rhomboid major, rhomboid minor, teres major, posterior deltoid, biceps brachii, brachialis

Swimming Focus

Similar to the seated row, this exercise is valuable for the breaststroker who wants to strengthen the second half of the pull. It is also a good general strengthening exercise that any swimmer can use to develop the strength of the latissimus dorsi.

When performing the exercise with a lighter weight, more emphasis is placed on the scapular retracting muscles. Using greater weight shifts the focus to the latissimus dorsi. Head positioning during this exercise is important. As with swimming, looking upward drops the hips and arches the low back, whereas looking downward toward the feet rolls the shoulders forward. To maintain the correct positioning, focus on a spot on the floor that is in line with the hand that is bracing your upper body. To help protect your low back, set your core muscles while performing this exercise. Doing this helps prevent excessive rotation of your upper body, which is a form of cheating.

Standing Zeus

Execution

1. Stand sideways to the pulley. Begin with both hands pointing upward at the pulley, although only one hand will be grasping the stirrup handle.

2. Keeping one hand stationary, pull the handle toward your upper chest while simultaneously rotating your chest backward.