Swimming Anatomy

Like the arm movements, the kicking mechanics can be divided into a propulsive phase, consisting of outsweep and insweep components, and a recovery phase. The propulsive phase begins with the feet hip-width apart and the knees and hips in a flexed position. The outsweep is initiated with outward rotation of the feet, which is accomplished by a combination of movements at the hip, knee, and ankle. After the foot has been turned outward, the outer sweeping motion is continued by extension of the hip and knee. The gluteal musculature and the hamstrings function to extend the hip, and the rectus femoris and quadriceps act to straighten the knee. At the transition from the outsweep to the insweep, the knees and hip are still not completely extended, so the respective muscle groups continue their action into the insweep component until the knees and hip are fully extended. At the start of the insweep the legs are in an abducted position, generating an opportunity for force production through rapid adduction of the legs. The legs are brought back together by contraction of the adductor muscles that run along the upper portion of the inner thigh. To minimize drag during the final portion of the insweep, the calf muscles are activated to bring the foot and ankle into a pointed position. Recovery is accomplished by recruitment of the rectus femoris and iliopsoas, which serve to flex the hip, and recruitment of the hamstrings, which serve to flex the knee.

Dryland Training Programs

Although this book is not intended to give full program design details and guidelines, it does provide you with an understanding of how each exercise can directly benefit you as a swimmer, which in turn can help you make better decisions when choosing exercises for a specific program design. For example, if your program calls for an exercise that targets the triceps, you have many to choose from in chapter 2. We will, however, lay out some general principles and ideas for training programs here.

You should be aware of several considerations when designing a dryland program. The repetitive nature of swimming predisposes swimmers to developing muscle imbalances. Muscles such as the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major become overdeveloped in relation to the smaller muscles that make up the scapular stabilizers (particularly the middle and lower trapezius and the rhomboids). In the lower extremity the quadriceps and hip flexors often become dominant over weaker hamstrings and gluteal muscles. These muscle imbalances not only lead to strength imbalances but also may create flexibility and postural imbalances that can predispose you to injury and inhibit optimal performance. So when designing a dryland program you should include a flexibility component. Recent findings in the realm of flexibility training are that dynamic stretches and movement patterns are an effective way to prepare for an exercise session. Dynamic movements and stretches can be designed to incorporate whole-body movements that can serve as an effective low-intensity warm-up while also addressing areas of inflexibility. Further attention can be given to tight muscle groups through static stretching at the conclusion of the dryland program.

Careful consideration needs to be given to selecting the proper exercises. Two concepts that can help guide exercise choice are transference and isolation. Transference is the ability of an exercise to strengthen muscles in a manner that will benefit a certain skill or task, in this case swimming. Transference can be further divided into direct and indirect forms. Direct transference involves choosing an exercise because the associated movements are directly related to a certain component of one of the major strokes. An example would be using the physioball prone streamline exercise (see page 136), because it directly mimics the streamlined position that swimmers hold off their starts and walls. Indirect transference involves choosing a certain exercise because the targeted muscle groups are similar to those used during a phase of one of the major strokes or choosing a certain exercise because it can transfer to a certain stroke component. An example would be selecting the lat pull-down exercise (see page 120) because it targets the latissimus dorsi muscle, which is a prime mover of the arms in each of the major strokes. Isolation involves choosing an exercise that emphasizes a certain muscle or muscle group with the goal of strengthening an area that (1) may be underdeveloped because of muscle imbalances, (2) is important for injury prevention, or (3) has been identified as an area of weakness by something in the swimmer’s stroke profile.