As a physical therapist specializing in sports rehabilitation, I often encounter questions and concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of overhead shoulder exercises.
Today, I want to address these concerns and shed light on the importance of incorporating these exercises into your fitness routine. So let’s dive in!
The Power of Overhead Shoulder Exercises
Overhead lifting exercises, such as shoulder presses, pull-ups, and barbell snatches, have gained popularity among fitness enthusiasts and athletes alike. And for good reason!
They are fantastic for building muscle and strength in your shoulders, contributing to overall athletic performance.
Think about it – whether you’re reaching for something on a high shelf, loading your gear onto a roof rack, or hanging a picture frame, these daily activities often mimic the motion of an overhead press.
By incorporating overhead shoulder exercises, you can enhance your functional movement patterns and perform these activities with ease.
And its part of our design. Human shoulder complexes are designed to be able to function in a really big range of motion. That includes overhead.
Understanding the “It Depends” Factor
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: the notion that overhead exercises are inherently bad or should be avoided. They are not.
However, there’s more to it.
Whether overhead exercises are suitable for you depends on a variety of factors. I want to emphasize that I am not advocating for blindly performing these exercises despite pain or shoulder issues.
Therefore, to answer this question, we need to take a more pragmatic approach and consider the bigger picture.
Mobility Matters
First and foremost, you must have adequate overhead mobility. Can you fully raise your arm overhead without arching your back, shrugging, or experiencing any discomfort?
If not, it’s crucial to address any mobility limitations before attempting overhead exercises.
This lack of mobility may stem from various areas, including the shoulder joint, the scapula-thoracic joint, or the thoracic spine. While many people focus on the shoulder itself, often the scapular muscles and lats are bigger culprits.
Additionally, muscular imbalances can also contribute to limited overhead mobility.
Remember, if you can’t lift your arm overhead comfortably, it’s best to work on improving your mobility before diving into overhead presses.
Stability is Key
Another critical factor is shoulder and spine stability. To handle the demands of overhead lifting, you need adequate stability in your shoulder girdle.
This stability is achieved through a strong foundation created by your upper back, scapular muscles, rotator cuff, and even your trunk and core.
Muscular imbalances and stability deficits are common issues that can impact the shoulder girdle, so it’s important to address these through appropriate exercises and training techniques.
Remember, the heavier the weight you lift, the more stability your shoulder girdle requires.
Mastering Load Management
In the pursuit of optimal shoulder health and performance, many enthusiasts overlook the importance of load management.
Intensity (weight)
volume (sets and repetitions)
frequency (how often)
Even with excellent mobility and stability, improper load management can lead to soreness and shoulder discomfort over time.
It’s crucial to find the right balance and avoid overwhelming your body’s capacity to recover. Remember, depending on your goals, you may not need to lift maximal loads to get the benefits.
Just like pitchers monitor their pitch counts to prevent overuse injuries, you must understand that pushing too hard or too frequently can hinder your long-term fitness and performance goals.
The Art of Exercise Modification and Scaling
When it comes to maintaining shoulder health in the long run, understanding exercise modification, regression, and scaling is paramount.
Understand, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Each individual may have unique limitations or restrictions that require adjustments. Fortunately, any functional movement pattern can be modified or scaled to achieve the same goal of building strength and improving fitness.
For example, if a barbell overhead press feels uncomfortable, consider using dumbbells or kettlebells instead to allow more freedom of movement. Additionally, the use of a landmine setup can be an excellent alternative when a full overhead position is not possible.
The key is to find overhead lifting variations or positions that work for you while minimizing stress on the shoulders.
Whether you’re dealing with mobility restrictions, recovering from an injury, or experiencing shoulder discomfort, modifying and scaling exercises can help you achieve success while reducing excessive tissue stress.
To ensure effective modifications, regressions, or scaling, it’s advisable to seek guidance from a knowledgeable healthcare professional or fitness expert who can tailor exercises to your specific needs.
Embracing a Mindset of Control
In conclusion, let’s revisit our initial question: Are overhead lifting exercises safe? The answer is a resounding yes.
However, we must acknowledge that individual circumstances and factors come into play. It’s essential to take ownership of our bodies and understand that the exercises themselves are not to blame.
Instead, poor mobility, stability, and training habits are the culprits behind potential issues. By addressing these areas and seeking professional guidance, you can take control of your body’s capabilities and unleash your full potential.
Remember, if you’re new to exercising or currently dealing with an injury, it’s always wise to consult a qualified healthcare provider who can offer personalized advice based on your unique situation.
So, embrace the benefits of overhead shoulder exercises, focus on improving mobility and stability, manage your training load wisely, and don’t hesitate to modify or scale exercises when needed.
With the right approach, you’ll be on your way to achieving optimal shoulder health, enhancing your athletic performance, and enjoying the benefits of a well-rounded fitness routine.
Expert Advice for Parents and Coaches of Young Athletes and Athletes
Shoulder injuries can be a common concern in sports that involve repetitive overhead movements.
However, by understanding the importance of scapular control, you can significantly reduce the risk of shoulder injuries. In this article, we will explore the role of scapular control and provide valuable tips to help prevent shoulder injuries.
Why Scapular Control Matters
The shoulder is a complex joint that allows for a wide range of motion. However, this mobility also makes it susceptible to injury, especially during sports that involve repetitive overhead movements like swimming, tennis, baseball, and volleyball.
The scapula, or shoulder blade, plays a crucial role in shoulder function and stability. It acts as a foundation for proper shoulder movement and helps distribute forces during athletic activities. Maintaining proper scapular control ensures that the shoulder joint operates smoothly and efficiently.
It is a foundation for proper movement and positions in overhead activities. If the shoulder blade is not rotating and elevating properly, there are consequences.
Overhead mechanics can be altered that impact performance and stress on the athlete’s body.
Compensations can occur in other body parts to get that arm overhead that contribute to impingement, tendonitis, and ligament strain.
Weakness or dysfunction in the muscles that control the scapula can lead to imbalances and increased stress on the shoulder joint, increasing the risk of injury. This is why scapular control is essential for preventing shoulder injuries and optimizing athletic performance.
Understanding Scapular Control
Scapular control refers to the ability to move and stabilize the shoulder blade effectively. It involves the coordination of several muscles, including the trapezius, serratus anterior, and rhomboids. These muscles work together to control scapular movement, positioning, and stability during sports activities.
The trapezius muscle helps retract, rotate and elevate the scapula
Serratus anterior muscle plays a crucial role in protracting and stabilizing the scapula against the rib cage.
The rhomboids assist in retracting and stabilizing the scapula.
Levator scapulae helps to rotate and elevate the scapula.
When these muscles work harmoniously, the scapula moves smoothly, allowing for optimal shoulder function and reducing the risk of injury.
However, if there is a muscle imbalance, weakness, or poor coordination, scapular dyskinesis can occur, leading to abnormal scapular movement patterns and an increased risk of shoulder injuries.
Tips for Improving Scapular Control
Now that we understand the importance of scapular control, let’s explore some practical tips to help improve scapular control and prevent shoulder injuries:
Warm-Up and Stretching
Begin every practice session or game with a proper warm-up routine to prepare the muscles for activity.Perform mobility exercises that target the shoulder, thoracic spine, and hips promoting flexibility and range of motion.Include exercises that activate the rotator cuff, scapular muscles, and the core.
Strengthening Exercises
Engage in specific exercises that target the muscles responsible for scapular control.
Include muscle that strengthen and integrate the scapular and shoulder muscles with the entire kinetic chain.
Technique Awareness
Emphasize the importance of proper technique and form during sports activities.
Sport coaches should provide guidance on sport specific mechanics so the athlete moves efficiently and safely.
Connected Training
Incorporate exercises that challenge the demands of the specific sport through the kinetic chain.
Engage in activities and exercises that challenge scapular control during whole body movements such as overhead kettlebell exercises and medicine ball throws.
Consult with Professionals
If there are concerns about scapular control or the risk of shoulder injuries, seek guidance from sports medicine professionals or physical therapists.They can assess and provide personalized exercises and strategies to address any scapular control issues and reduce the risk of injury.
Strengthening Exercises
This article focuses on strengthening the scapular muscles and connecting them to the kinetic chain. So, while mobility work and other areas need strengthening for overall performance and health, we’ll keep this limited to a few key exercises.
Strengthening Scapular Muscles with Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are an effective tool for targeting the scapular muscles through exercises such as Ys, Ts, and Ws. Let’s explore how to perform these exercises using resistance bands:
Ts: – Hold the band with an overhand grip, arms extended in front of you. – Begin by squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling the band outwards, creating a T shape with your arms. – Maintain the contraction in your scapular muscles and control the band as you return to the starting position. – Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Ys & As (Diagonals): – Hold the band with an overhand grip in front of body, one arm diagonally up and the other down. – Begin by squeezing your shoulder blades together diagonally and pulling the band outwards and upwards with one hand, and outwards and downwards with the other. – Maintain the contraction in your scapular muscles and control the band as you return to the starting position. – Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions of each diagonal or alternate.
Ws: – Hold the band with an overhand grip in front of body on one hand with the elbow at 90 degrees, the other arm other down. – Begin by externally rotating the shoulder moving the top hand up and out. – At the same time squeeze the scapula and move the upper back. – Maintain the contraction in your scapular muscles and control the band as you return to the starting position. – Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions of each diagonal or alternate.
Exercise Tips
When performing these exercises, keep the following tips in mind:
Focus on maintaining proper form throughout the movements.
Engage the scapular muscles by retracting and depressing the shoulder blades (…don’t let your shoulder come up by your ears).
Control the resistance band as you move through each exercise, avoiding jerky or rapid motions.
Perform the exercises in a slow and controlled manner to maximize their effectiveness.
Start with a lighter resistance band and gradually increase the intensity as your strength improves.
Incorporating Ys, Ts, and Ws exercises with resistance bands into your training routine can effectively target and strengthen the scapular muscles, promoting better shoulder mechanics and reducing the risk of shoulder injuries.
Strengthening the Serratus Anterior
The serratus anterior is a crucial muscle for scapular control and stability, playing a vital role in preventing shoulder injuries and optimizing athletic performance. Let’s explore some effective exercises that specifically target the serratus anterior:
Facing the Wall Slides with Thoracic Extension
This variation of wall slides not only strengthens the serratus anterior but also promotes thoracic (upper back) extension, further improving scapular control and mobility.
Stand facing a wall with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.Keeping your arms straight, slowly slide your hands up the wall while maintaining contact with your palms and fingers.
As you slide your hands up, focus on protracting your shoulder blades (bringing them away from the spine) and maintaining a gentle squeeze between your shoulder blades.
At the top of the movement, actively extend your upper back by arching slightly backward.
Return to the starting position by sliding your hands back down the wall, maintaining control throughout the movement.
Perform several repetitions of this exercise.
Scapular Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs)
Scapular Controlled Articular Rotations are excellent exercises for improving the mobility, stability, and strength of the serratus anterior and other scapular stabilizers.
Stand tall with your arms extended forward at shoulder height, palms facing down.
Slowly rotate your shoulders in a circular motion, focusing on maintaining control and feeling the activation in your serratus anterior.
Perform clockwise and counterclockwise rotations for several repetitions.
Straight Arm Pushups
Straight arm pushups, also known as scapular pushups, specifically target the serratus anterior and promote scapular stability.
Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders, arms fully extended, and body in a straight line.
Slowly lower yourself toward the ground while maintaining a stable scapula and keeping your arms straight.
Push back up to the starting position, focusing on protracting your shoulder blades and feeling the engagement in your serratus anterior.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Incorporate these exercises into your training routine will effectively target and strengthen the serratus anterior muscle, enhancing scapular control, stability, and reducing the risk of shoulder injuries.
Remember to perform the exercises with proper form and start with an appropriate intensity that challenges the
Connected Exercises Using a Kettlebell
In addition to the previously mentioned tips and exercises, incorporating kettlebell exercises can further enhance scapular control and shoulder stability. These are the most challenging because they coordinate more dynamic movements across more of the kinetic chain.
Kettlebells provide a unique training stimulus because of the “off-balance” design. Because of this, they challenge stability in the entire body, including the scapular muscles.
Here are some connected exercises using a kettlebell that can benefit athletes:
Turkish Get-Ups (TGU)
The Turkish Get-Up is a full-body exercise that promotes scapular stability and control throughout the movement.
Start by lying on your back while holding the kettlebell with a straight arm.
Gradually transition to a standing position while keeping the kettlebell overhead and maintaining a stable scapula.
Reverse the movement back to the starting position.
Windmills
Windmills target the shoulder stabilizers and promote scapular control through rotational and lateral movements.
Start with the kettlebell in one hand, raised overhead.Keep the arm extended and slowly hinge at the hips, lowering the opposite hand toward the ground.
Maintain a stable scapula and a neutral spine throughout the movement.
Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Halo
The Halo exercise targets the muscles surrounding the shoulder girdle, including the scapular stabilizers.
Start by holding the kettlebell upside down by the horns in front of your chest.
Slowly move the kettlebell in a circular motion around your head, keeping the scapula stable and engaged.
Perform the movement in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
Bottoms-Up Presses
Bottoms-Up Presses challenge scapular control and shoulder stability by holding the kettlebell upside down.
Start with the kettlebell in a bottoms-up position, gripping the handle with your palm facing upward.
Press the kettlebell overhead while maintaining a stable scapula and controlling the kettlebell’s instability.
Lower the kettlebell under control and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Incorporating these kettlebell exercises into your training routine can further improve scapular control, shoulder stability, and overall athletic performance.
However, it is crucial to ensure proper technique and start with an appropriate kettlebell weight that allows for proper form and control.
TL:DR Summary
Remember, scapular control plays a significant role in preventing shoulder injuries among young athletes.
You can improve this through;
Proper mechanics in sports (i.e. throwing, serving, hitting, and swimming strokes)
Strengthening the scapular stabilizing muscles
Build better function in the scapular muscles through kettlebell exercises that “connect” them to the torso and kinetic chain.
By implementing these tips and exercises, athletes can enhance their scapular control, reduce the risk of shoulder injuries, and optimize their performance on and off the field.
Are you an athlete who loves sports like baseball, volleyball, or tennis? Are you a parent or coach of a young athlete involved in these overhead sports?
If so, it’s important to understand how to prevent shoulder injuries, as they are common in these activities. In this article, we will provide you with some valuable tips and insights to keep your shoulders healthy and strong.
Understanding the Causes of Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries in overhead sports often occur due to a combination of factors. One crucial aspect is the capacity of the body to handle the demands placed on it.
When the forces generated during motion exceed what the body can handle, injuries can happen. Let’s dive into some key factors that contribute to shoulder injuries and how to address them.
Tissue Integrity: Keeping Your Ligaments and Muscles Strong
The strain on ligaments, like the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow, can be too great for them to handle. This strain often occurs during specific phases of motion, such as the cocking phase and deceleration.
To maintain tissue integrity, it’s important to work on strengthening the surrounding muscles and improving flexibility. This can help alleviate stress on the ligaments and reduce the risk of injury.
Increasing capacity can be as important as managing load
Strength and Endurance: Building a Solid Foundation
Proper mechanics rely on sufficient strength and endurance in the muscles involved in overhead movements. Lack of strength, especially in eccentric strength, can lead to inefficient energy transfer and increased stress on the shoulder.
Gradually building strength and endurance in key muscle groups is essential. This can be achieved through targeted exercises and regular training. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a strong and healthy shoulder!
Recovery: Giving Your Body the Rest It Needs
Fatigue plays a significant role in reducing force capacity and increasing injury risk. Inadequate recovery time between practices, matches, or pitching outings can be detrimental.
It’s crucial to prioritize sufficient rest and recovery to allow your body to heal and recharge.
Coaches and parents should ensure that athletes have appropriate rest periods between intense training sessions or competitions.
Avoiding “Too Much, Too Soon”: Gradual Progression is Key
In the world of sports, understanding the relationship between workload and injury risk is essential.
Athletes who abruptly increase their training load without allowing their bodies to adapt are more prone to overuse injuries. This is particularly true at the beginning of a season when there’s a rapid change in workload after a period of reduced activity.
Gradual progression, giving your body time to adjust and adapt, is crucial for injury prevention.
The Role of Scapular Stability
Imagine trying to shoot a cannon from an unstable canoe. It’s not going to work well, right? The same principle applies to your shoulder during overhead motions.
The scapula, or shoulder blade, acts as the stable platform for energy transfer from the lower body to the arm.
Weak scapular stabilizing muscles and dysfunctional scapular movement can negatively impact throwing mechanics and increase the risk of injury.
Building Scapular Control: The Foundation for Healthy Shoulders
Strong scapular stabilizing muscles create a solid platform for the shoulder. This platform ensures that the scapula remains stable during throwing motions, allowing efficient energy transfer from the lower body to the arm.
Clinical studies have shown that many throwing athletes, from youth to professional levels, have weak scapular muscles and scapular dyskinesis (dysfunctional movement).
Strengthening these muscles through targeted exercises can enhance scapular control and reduce the risk of shoulder injuries.
The Importance of Eccentric Strength to Prevent Shoulder Injuries
Eccentric forces, particularly during the deceleration phase of overhead
athletic movements, play a crucial role in the overall performance and health of overhead athletes. Eccentric forces refer to the lengthening of muscles under tension, and they are responsible for controlling and decelerating the arm after a powerful throw or serve.
Insufficient eccentric strength can contribute to injuries in the following ways:
Micro Damage: Protecting Your Musculoskeletal System
Repetitive overhead movements place significant stress on the tendons, muscles, and ligaments involved in deceleration.
Over time, this can lead to the accumulation of micro-damage in these structures, surpassing the body’s repair capabilities.
This breakdown of tissues can increase the risk of injuries such as tendon tears or strains.
Eccentric loading can cause changes in the pliability of tissues, especially tendons. Excessive eccentric forces can make tendons stiffer, compromising their ability to absorb and distribute forces effectively.
This stiffness can disrupt the natural load-bearing capacity of tendons, making them more susceptible to injury. To counteract this, maintaining flexibility through regular stretching and mobility exercises is crucial.
Range of Motion: Balancing Mobility and Stability
Repetitive eccentric loading can affect an athlete’s range of motion, particularly in the opposite direction of the eccentric forces.
For example, excessive eccentric loading during the deceleration phase can lead to a decrease in shoulder internal rotation or abduction range.
This limitation in range of motion can increase the risk of shoulder injuries. Incorporating exercises that promote both stability and mobility can help maintain a balanced and functional range of motion.
The Path to Injury Prevention
Preventing shoulder injuries in overhead sports requires a proactive approach. Here are some practical tips for athletes, parents, and coaches:
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to any warning signs, such as persistent pain or discomfort in the shoulder. If you experience any symptoms, consult with a sports medicine professional to address them early on.
Gradual Progression: Avoid sudden spikes in training load or intensity. Gradually increase your workload and allow your body to adapt and recover. Consistency and patience are key.
Strength and Conditioning: Incorporate strength and conditioning exercises into your training routine. Focus on developing overall strength, including eccentric strength, and improving muscle balance. Consult with a sports rehabilitation expert to design a program tailored to your needs.
Proper Technique: Work with a qualified coach or trainer to ensure you are using correct mechanics and form during overhead movements. Proper technique minimizes stress on the shoulder and optimizes performance.
Rest and Recovery: Prioritize rest days and recovery strategies such as adequate sleep, hydration, and nutrition. Your body needs time to repair and rebuild to stay resilient and injury-free.
Scapular Stabilization Exercises: Incorporate exercises that target scapular stability into your training regimen. These exercises can help improve control and positioning of the scapula, optimizing energy transfer and reducing injury risk.
Remember, injury prevention is a shared responsibility. Athletes, parents, and coaches must work together to create a safe and supportive environment for overhead sports. By implementing these strategies and staying proactive, you can enjoy the game you love while keeping your shoulders healthy and strong.
These are the 5 “rules” we consider when we’ve designed training programs for swimmers. No matter whether we are talking about the developing swimmers, Collegians, or Olympic Gold Medalists we’ve trained at Velocity Sports Performance, these rules always apply.
Swimming Is Unique
An elite competitive swimmer is like any other athlete in many ways. They need a good foundation of coordination and basic strength throughout the entire body. This base of athleticism is useful for coordinating general motion and basic physical health.
However, swimming is unique among athletic movements. No other sport is performed in another substance and without contact with the ground.
Yes, there are sports like rowing or kayak which propel a vessel through water. There are also sports like skiing or snowboard where athletes ride over snow. Or speed skating, hockey, and skeleton which slide over ice.
First, in all those other sports you get to breathe. You have to get your face out of the water to breathe in swimming.
Second, there is the fact that almost everything else has movement produced or controlled by producing force and directing it through the feet into the ground.
A swimmer propels themselves through water primarily with the upper body instead of through the legs into the ground. They have to manage the laws of not just physics, but specifically hydrodynamics to swim.
1. The Pool Rules
Since humans are not native to the water, swimmers need to spend a lot of hours in the pool. They need to be in the water developing and maintaining their feel for the for it and efficiency moving through it.
For all training, that becomes the priority. They need to be in the pool.
While an athlete’s sport is always the priority, it’s even more true for a swimmer. It is more important than any dryland, core, conditioning, or strength program. They don’t get the same “cross-training” benefits from doing something on land.
Other ground-based athletes have the advantage that daily locomotion and lifelong development give them.
It’s an added foundation for most athletes’ sporting movements. They are used to being on the ground, with-in gravity, and producing forces, and getting kinesthetic feedback.
Swimmers aren’t that fortunate. To get those benefits, they have to be in the water.
Hours upon hours in the pool are required for developing the movement skill and specific conditioning need to excel in the sport. When designing and delivering performance training for swimmers, this always has to be kept in mind.
One of the strongest Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for swimmers can be as simple as healthy hours in the pool swimming.
That brings us to the 2nd priority. Keeping them healthy.
2. Stay Healthy
If a swimmer is injured and can’t swim, they have broken rule number one. Keeping them in the pool is the priority but keeping them injury and pain-free goes beyond just being in the pool.
Shoulder Pain In Swimmers
Shoulder pain, injury, and dysfunction are prevalent in swimmers.
“Shoulder pain is the most frequent orthopedic injury in swimmers, with a reported prevalence between 40% and 91%… Swimmers at the elite level may swim up to 9 miles per day (more than 2,500 shoulder revolutions). Muscle fatigue of the rotator cuff, upper back, and pectoral muscles caused by repetitive movement may result in microtrauma due to the decrease of dynamic stabilization of the humeral head.”
Epidemiology of Injuries and Prevention Strategies in Competitive Swimmers Sports Health, May 2012
These microtraumas, in turn, can lead to a swimmer’s shoulder symptoms.
That’s because the majority of propulsion in swimming strokes is from the upper body. Only the breaststroke or the underwater dolphin kick (the fifth stroke) have significant contributions to propulsion from the lower body.
A ground-based athlete produces a ground reaction force with the lower body. It is directed through the center of mass to take sports actions.
A swimmer instead will generate forces against the water that must propel them. In most strokes, the majority (80-90%) of propulsion is generated by the upper limbs.
The shoulder is unique. It has a huge degree of mobility. In fact, the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body.
This allows for an extensive range of motion through multiple planes of motion. Unfortunately, the shoulder is also inherently unstable due to this mobility.
Conversely, since it’s highly mobile, this joint also needs lots of stability. The shoulder complex has to transfer all the force generated in the upper extremity into the torso. That means all of the small muscles that stabilize the glenohumeral and scapula-thoracic joints need to function well.
For a swimmer’s shoulder to function well those muscles need to fire in a coordinated manner, have enough strength to stabilize and transfer force, and the endurance to do it for thousands upon thousands of repetitions.
That’s a big ask and part of why there are so many painful shoulders in swimmers.
3. Streamline
Dryland training for swimmers should emphasize torso and pelvic control to maintain a streamline position
Athletes and coaches need to understand that technique trumps strength. The amount of drag in the water is a bigger factor in swimming velocity than propulsion.
Think about that for a moment. Minimizing drag, which requires maintaining the body’s streamlined position, is more important than propulsion.
Hydrodynamics tells us why.
The faster a swimmer goes, the more drag there is. It goes up exponentially. So anything that breaks the streamline and creates drag has an exponential impact to slow the swimmer.
On the other side of this problem, is the fact that propulsion gets harder as you swim faster.
The faster a swimmer’s hand moves through the water, the more resistance the water creates. It’s also exponential.
So the faster you go, the more drag slows you down and the harder it is to push the water.
Training for A Swimming Streamline
To minimize drag in the water, athletes should strive to maintain an elongated spine and streamline position, as well as display advanced lumbopelvic control.
Staying streamlined and minimizing drag in the water is primarily the realm of the pool and the swim coach.
However, on dryland, we can create the prerequisites the swimmer needs for this.
For the prone strokes of freestyle, butterfly, and breast, this requires the entire posterior chain to help the lower half of the body from dropping. The posterior chain includes all the muscles along the back of the body from toes to the head.
Exercises that link the entire posterior are key for swimmers.
Swimmers also need a foundation of strength and stability in their pelvis and torso.
The “core” of the body can be defined in many ways. For the purposes of the swimmer, we are defining it 360 degrees from the pelvis through the scapula.
During each swimming stroke, they have to manage rotational forces from the upper body and into the torso. They have to keep their streamline from the head, through the torso, and down into the pelvis and lower body. Any break in this chain will lead to increased drag.
This is why comprehensive core training is key. There is a place for isolated exercises of the core and pelvis, but it’s the multi-muscle/joint exercises that build connectedness need for swimmers.
4. Starts/Turns
Starts are an important part of the race that dryland training can greatly influence
Whether it’s swimming, sprinting in track & field, or a BMX event, everyone wants a great start.
In swimming, the opportunity to push off the blocks, overcome inertia, and generate horizontal momentum can be incredibly important. So we need to consider this when designing training programs for swimming.
Turns are the same.
Each turn is an opportunity to use the large muscles of the lower body to generate propulsion and build speed. Unlike sprint distances that have few turns, long-distance races have many, each an opportunity to gain speed.
Entering the water off the start, and coming off the turns are the fastest velocities during any event.
Starts are the fastest, and turns are second. To maximize the benefit, swimmers need power in their lower bodies to be explosive in both.
For sprints, the start (to 15m) makes up a large portion of the entire race and drops as the distance increases. In shorter sprints, this can be over 25% of the race so you better get it right.
Turns on the other hand (5m in, 5 m out), take up a larger portion the longer the race is. This makes sense because the longer the race, the more total turns there are. In a 1500m race, the turn time can be 30-40% of the race.
So making the most of these is critical in a sport where hundredths of a second make a difference.
Explosive Training For Swimmers
The swim start, and a good turn, require the athlete to explode from a static or relatively static position. In this position, the ankle, knee, and hip are all bent and ready to explode off the wall.
Although the swimmer is horizontal in the water, their alignment and force vector is like a vertical jump.
During turns the position and biomechanics are very similar to a vertical jump
We need to highlight the static position here because there are differences in the strength qualities required when exploding from static positions.
The static muscle contraction
In many athletic movements, the athlete will perform a counter-movement first. This is the bending of the knees and hips while they dip down before a vertical jump. This occurs before they begin pushing back up explosively, and it gives them added force into the ground.
For a start, the swimmer is in their start position, knee and hips bent, and muscles tensed ready to fire. They need to immediately explode forward on the gun so they don’t waste valuable time.
It’s a static position.
They cant take advantage of that added force from the countermovement.
A turn is essentially the same. If they execute the flip turn well, their feet are near/touching the wall, with the knees and hips already bent. They don’t perform a countermovement sinking closer into the wall.
When they have contact with the wall they need to instantly generate high levels of force to explode off the wall. All of this has an impact on their training needs.
This lack of countermovement means when training for explosiveness in the lower body means they will need to have a high rate of force development.
Rate of force development is the ability to turn on the muscle quickly to achieve high forces in a small time. It can be developed with explosive exercises including plyometric jumps, medicine ball throws, and explosive weight training.
5. Propulsion
Ground-based athletes develop forces from the ground up, in a coordinated extension of the hips, knees, and ankle. The summation of these forces propels them forward.
Similarly, swimmers must develop a coordinated, multi-segment flexion from the upper body through the hips to summate the highest propulsive forces.
The dryland training of swimmers needs to include elements that emphasize the coordinated application of strength from the fingertips through the core and to the toes.
This is the “tip to toes” connected concept.
A key feature of “connected” exercises for swimmers is that the core and hips are controlled for stability at the same time while the upper extremity generates power in pulling and pushing moments. This goes back to the earlier rule that streamline is more important than propulsion.
So in dryland training, we shouldn’t sacrifice core control and body position for more power. We also strive to develop the forces and power with full-body control.
For an exercise to develop “connectedness” the following qualities need to be developed;
Athlete exhibits pelvis and spinal control during movement
Athlete demonstrates scapular control during strength application
Athlete develops pulling tension across multi-segmental, muscle/fascial lines
To achieve this swimmers should emphasize multi muscle/joint exercises. Gymnastic type fundamentals on rings and parallettes are a great way to build a solid foundation and always connect the core and shoulder complex.
Kettlebell exercises also are a great tool to emphasize the connection and develop stability in the shoulder girdle.
Training Smart for Swimmers
To design an effective training program for swimmers, you have to first understand the demands of the sport. Many of the same training methods used for other athletes will pay dividends for swimmers as well.
However, there are unique aspects to swimming we have to consider as swimmers reach higher levels.
Hydrodynamics are the driving factor and only when we understand their impact on the swimmer can a program be “swimming specific”.
The key concepts are;
The time in the pool rules all else
Healthy swimmers are in the pool and capable of efficient technique
Maintaining a streamline is more important than greater propulsion
The starts and turns are the faster parts of the race and make up large portions of it
Propulsion in swimming develops from the fingertips and connects through the core
Building training for a swimmer begins at a young age by developing all-around athletes. On top of that athletic foundation, dryland then continues to become more swimming-specific by following the rules above.
There are many ways to train swimmers, but to be effective, the rules need to be followed.
Of course a swimmer wants swimming-specific exercises. Every athlete wants exercises and training methods that give them the most bang for their buck. In a sport as unique as swimming, this is even more important.
While it seems like common sense that sport-specific exercises are needed, there is more to consider. The key is to find the proper blend of general and specific exercises. This is true in every level of swimming.
Athletic Foundations
An elite competitive swimmer is first and foremost an athlete. Therefore, they need a good foundation of general strength and coordination throughout the entire body. This base of athleticism is relevant in coordinating general motion and basic physical health.
Working with elite swimmers in the US and internationally, we see this fact reinforced time and again. It impacts the training for a young developing swimmer. General strength and athleticism are the foundation. They build overall capacity and resiliency to injury.
Unlike most other athletes, the swimmer operates in a non-ground based environment. The main force they battle is not gravity. This is unique.
The swimmer’s movement challenge is maximizing propulsion in the water and minimizing drag. Because of this, there are some unique challenges for training the swimmer.
A human who is foreign to the water environment. Subsequently, they need maximum exposure to the water to optimize their “feel”.
Feel for the water is a hard-to-define quality. It’s the ability to generate the largest propulsion with the body extremities against the resistance of water. The laws of hydrodyamincs mean the faster you move through water, the harder it is to push.
Summation of Forces
Most athletes produce a ground reaction force. This force is directed from the feet and legs through the center of mass. The swimmer is the opposite. The force is applied through the hands and then transfers through the upper body to the center of mass.
That force is not applied against a solid mass like the ground. A swimmer must generate forces against the water that must will propel them. In most strokes, the majority (85-90%) of propulsion is generated by the upper limbs.
Ground-based athletes focus on developing summation of forces and triple extension from the ground up. Swimmers must develop this same coordinated, multi-segment flexion from the upper body down through the hips.
Connected
Dryland training of swimmers needs to emphasize the coordinated application of strength. It should be coordinated from the fingertips, through the core, and to the toes. This is the “tip to toes” connected concept.
A key feature of “connected” exercises for swimmers is that the core and hips are controlled for stability. This happens at the same time the upper extremity generates power in pulling and pushing moments.
Connected is as much an intention in the exercises as an outcome. To train this quality of coordination, athletes need to actively bring it into each exercise. For an exercise to develop “connectedness” the following qualities need to be developed;
Exhibit pelvis and spinal control
Demonstrate scapular control
Develops pulling tension across multi-segmental, muscle/fascial lines
Sample Connected swimming specific exercises:
Gymnastic Ring and Bar exercises – front levers, L-hangs, pullup variations
Cable based pulling/chops/lifts with whole body engagement
Isometric whole body holds – prone, supine, sidelying.
Core
The “core” of the body can be defined in many ways. For the purposes of the swimmer, we are defining it 360 degrees from the pelvis through the scapula.
Athletes need to be able to control their spine and pelvic position. Whether it’s disturbed by internal muscle forces or external. This is core stability.
A swimmer’s actions in the upper and lower body connect back to the core. Without adequate core stability, the spine and pelvis can be pulled out of place.
Many athletes need to develop core stability in isolation first. They needs this before they can produce it during multi-segmental movement. This is one reason why core stability is both a foundation and ongoing focus for swimmers.
Swimming-specific exercises should strive to maintain an elongated spine and streamline position. This is paramount in the pool when they apply force. As a result, it should be a goal in many of the dryland and strength exercises.
Even in upper body exercises, this can be included. While performing upper body work, athletes should maintain lumbopelvic control as well.
Swimming specific exercise for core strength & stability
Fundamental breathing patterns & resets
Ground based animal patterns
Active mobility & joint resiliency – scapula, spine, pelvis, hips
Anti-Rotation core exercises
Pilates
Scapula stability
Training the Swimmer
Swimmers of all levels need dryland training. They need a balance of both general and swimming specific exercises. Swimming-specific exercises are much more than exercises that just look like swimming.
To summarize, for exercises to produce swimming specific improvements, they need to address the core functions and be connected. Strength and power developed in this manner helps transfer to improvements in the pool.
When you speak about strength or being strong, what do you imagine? An athlete hoisting a barbell loaded with heavy weight in a Squat or Bench Press? How about an Olympic weightlifter explosively moving 400 pounds from the floor to over his head in a single movement?
These types of things are often considered “strong,” but what about other sporting actions? How about sprinting at full speed, jumping high, or throwing and kicking? Most people become unsure whether or how strength is part of these movements.
Defining Strength
What is strength in general and specifically for athletes? Strength is all about physics, and we are talking about Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion: in a nutshell, Force is equal to Mass multiplied by Acceleration.
Strength is a way of talking about the application of force. An athlete can apply force to the ground, to an opponent, to a ball or other piece of sports equipment, or even internally to his or her own body.
Mass & Magnitude
The mass in this equation is what’s being moved. As an athlete that could be things like:
a ball or stick in your hands, to
your own body weight (jumping, sprinting and cutting)
a 300-pound linemen
500 pounds on a barbell
Acceleration and Time
One thing most people recognize is that in sports, doing things quicker is usually an advantage. Athletes don’t have unlimited time to apply force.
Acceleration is how fast something increases its speed. The faster the acceleration, and thus the speed, the shorter the time.
In sprinting or agility, your foot is in contact with the ground for a limited time. In jumping, there is limited time, and doing it faster than your opponent can be key. When throwing or kicking a ball or swinging a racket, bat or stick, you want it moving as fast as possible.
Speed of movement matters.
Muscle Action
In physics, force is what we call a “vector.” This means it has a magnitude (how much?) and a direction (which way?). Direction matters because forces can be applied in different directions for different effects.
One thing to consider about direction is whether the muscle is lengthening or shortening during the contraction. When it’s contracting and getting shorter (e.g., bringing the bar up in a Bicep Curl), it’s called a “concentric” action.
If you’re applying force while the muscle lengthens (e.g., while slowly lowering the bar in the 2nd half of the Bicep Curl), it’s called an “eccentric” action.
Types of muscle contractions:
CONCENTRIC = Shortening
ECCENTRIC = Lengthening
Eccentric and concentric strength are not the same. The same muscles may be used, the same structures and contractile proteins, and the same lints moved. Yet, the brain uses different motor control strategies. For the same action concentrically or eccentrically the motor control is different.
Physiology & Motor Control
Another important thing to understand about strength for athletes is where it comes from. Often people equate strength with bigger muscles. This is for good reason, because they are related, although not perfectly and not for all types.
Generating force with your body is a combination of the structure of your muscles (size and biological content) and your neuromuscular control. The muscle is your engine to develop horsepower, but your brain is the driver that decides how hard you push the pedal.
Sport-Specific Strength
When we analyze an athlete in his or her sport, we observe various forms of movement. Speed, agility, jumping, throwing, kicking, hitting, twisting, landing and so on are movement caused by how an athlete generates force.
It follows that all types of athletic movement are based on how you generate and apply strength.
Still, how can everything be about strength? Is what your muscles do squatting a full barbell different from what they do when you throw a baseball that only weighs ounces?
The answer to understanding strength is actually composed of different combinations of Newton’s 2nd Law. Force = Mass multiplied by Acceleration
Playing with the Equation
In different movements we manipulate the 3 parts of the equation—Force, Mass and Acceleration (Speed & Time). The we consider the direction of contraction (eccentric or concentric). Now we have a way to analyze sports movements and strength types.
We use this movement-based approach to simplify complex biomechanics into 6 specific types of strength.
6 Types of Strength
Max Strength
This is the basic capability of the muscle to produce a forceful contraction. In application it also involves coordinating multiple muscle groups across multiple joints. The amount of force that can be generated regardless of the time it takes to develop and apply it is called max strength. This is what we call this type of strength even when he or she is under sub-maximal loads.
Using a car analogy, imagine a big industrial dump truck. It may not move fast, but it can move big loads.
Eccentric Strength
As mentioned before, motor control is different if the action is concentric or eccentric. The capacity to develop high levels of eccentric force is key in sports. Actions such as landing from a jump, stopping, changing direction, winding up to throw a ball and swinging a bat are all eccentric in nature.
When we come to cars, think brakes. Eccentric strength is like having great brakes on a car to handle those high speeds. An F1 racer has to have great brakes so he or she can go into turns as fast as possible before braking.
Strength-Speed Power
Most sports applications of force involves doing it quickly. Faster is usually better. This is where power comes in. Power is equal to the velocity times the force. Increasing either force or the speed its applied will lead to more power.
When an athlete applies force rapidly to a larger load (e.g., blocking another lineman or pushing a bobsled), it’s what we term Strength-Speed Power. “Strength” is first in the name because it’s the bigger component in generating the power. This is like a NASCAR racer who can apply a lot of torque (force), moving the car even at high speeds.
Speed-Strength Power
Here it’s the “speed” of movement (or short time of force application) that is the larger factor in generating the power. Think of an athlete swinging a bat, throwing a ball, or applying force to the ground during high velocity sprinting.
The racing analogy is more akin to motorcycle racing—still applying force at high speeds (like NASCAR), but against much lighter loads.
Rate of Force Development
This is the drag racer. In a drag race, the goal is to go from 0 mph to full speed in as little time as possible. This is the same quality that creates quickness in an athlete. Rapid movement of the limbs, a quick release of the ball throwing or a shot in hockey, fast feet for soccer. Being able to rapidly generate force, regardless of whether the force level is high is known as Rate of Force Development.
A drag racer coming off the line and getting up to speed as fast as possible is a good car analogy.
Reactive Strength
This one’s a combo. It’s a fast eccentric action coupled with a high RFD force. Think of rapid footwork, or a quick step to change direction and juke an opponent. Or the second quick jump when a basketball player comes down and goes back up quickly to get a rebound.
We use a motocross bike as the analogy. Because it has high Rate of Force Development with eccentric-type landings of bumps that gives it that “springy” quality.
Developing Strength that’s Functional
At the end of the day, athletes want the type of strength that will help them perform at the highest level and gives them the resilience to stay healthy.
Every athlete needs a base across all six types of strength. While it seems to make sense to go straight to the specific type of strength for your sport, it’s not the best strategy.
Doing that actually limits development and long-term potential. During early stages of strength training, a broad base of strength is important. Even at the elite levels of sport, athletes mix strength types during different parts of the year.
As you progress in your development and level of competition, you begin to focus on the specific qualities. Focusing on the strength types more important to your sport, your position, and even your individual genetics and style of play.
Strength is much more than how much you can lift on the barbell.
