Swimming Anatomy

3. Without letting your hips drop, pull your heels toward your buttocks.

4. Straighten your legs until your body is in a straight line extending from your ankles to your shoulders. Then repeat.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus

Secondary:Erector spinae

Swimming Focus

Breaststrokers who want to strengthen their hamstrings will find this a useful exercise. This exercise is also valuable because it targets the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, and erector spinae, which contribute to holding a tight streamlined position. Those who do not have access to a formal weight room will find this a good exercise for the hamstrings because the only equipment needed is a physioball.

Before implementing this exercise, you must first master the physioball bridge exercise described in chapter 6 (page 138). To maintain proper body position, the core muscles must be activated during the entire exercise. Failure to recruit the core stabilizers will cause the hips to drop downward and decrease the effectiveness of the exercise. To avoid placing undue stress on the neck and head, make sure that you maintain shoulder contact with the ground.

VARIATION

Single-Leg Physioball Hamstring Curl

Because the isolation to one leg requires increased balance and core strength, this advanced variation should be used as a progression only after you are adept at performing the double-leg curl. The primary focus should be on holding the body in a straight line from the ankles through the knees, hips, and shoulders.

Leg Curl

Execution

1. Lie facedown on a hamstring curl machine and hook your heels under the roller pads.

2. Pull your heels toward your buttocks in an arcing motion.

3. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus

Secondary:Gastrocnemius

Swimming Focus

Although the hamstrings actively contribute to the kicking motions performed during all four strokes, their involvement is greatest in the recovery phase of the breaststroke kick as the heels are drawn toward the buttocks. Swimmers tend to be quad dominant, resulting in a strength imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstrings. To address this imbalance, swimmers should incorporate exercises that isolate the hamstrings.

Breaststrokers should rotate the toes outward to mimic more closely the movements performed in the water. This positioning also increases recruitment of the biceps femoris. Avoid lifting the hips off the bench when performing the exercise. Perform the movements in a slow, controlled fashion. Do not try to kick the roller pads toward your buttocks; pull them instead.

Leg Extension

Execution

1. Sit on the leg extension machine and hook your ankles under the roller pads.

2. Extend your legs until your knees are straight.

3. Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis

Secondary:None

Swimming Focus

This exercise directly targets the quadriceps muscle group and the rectus femoris in a manner that helps to strengthen the propulsive kicking phase of all four strokes. The same muscles also contribute to the lower-extremity movements that take place during starts and when pushing off a turn wall.

To maximize the benefit of the exercise, you must fully extend the knees in the ending position and lower the weight in a slow, controlled manner. When performing the exercise, focus on pushing the roller pads as opposed to trying to kick them toward the ceiling.

SAFETY TIP

Swimmers who are currently experiencing knee pain or have a recent history of it should avoid this exercise because it can place increased stress on the patellar tendon and the undersurface of the patella (kneecap) as it glides over the femur.

Band Lateral Shuffle

Execution

1. Stand with a slight bend in the knees and with the feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Keeping the trailing leg stationary, step to the side 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) with the lead leg.

3. After placing the lead foot on the ground, move the trailing foot.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you cover a set distance or number of repetitions.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Tensor fasciae latae, gluteus medius

Secondary:Gluteus maximus, rectus femoris

Swimming Focus