Broken down into basic terms, swimming can be divided into four key phases. Those phases are the start, the free swim (i.e., when the feet are not in contact with the blocks or the wall), turns, and the finish. The responsibility of the strength and conditioning coach is to provide a program that optimally assists performance in each of those four areas. The purpose of this article is to provide information to the strength and conditioning coach to help them accomplish that goal.
Benefits of Strength Training for Swim Performance
It is important to acknowledge that swimming is unique compared to other sports in that participants compete while partially submerged in water. Further, swimming also differs from other sports in other ways. For example, swimmers are in a prone, horizontal position; both arms and legs are used to propel through the water; being submerged results in pressure on the body affecting breathing; other than during starts and turns, while away from the blocks and the wall forces generated from the athlete are only applied to a moving element (i.e., water).
Older studies often discounted traditional strength training as a way to enhance swimming performance. Typically, swim coaches predominantly prescribe high-volume work in the pool, usually neglecting the role of strength training altogether. It was common for swimming coaches to advise against lifting weights, with the belief that strength training would have the effect of making you bulkier and thus less buoyant. However, that idea is incorrect according to newer research. Muscle mass drives strength, and greater muscular strength allows you to produce more force to propel yourself forward faster.
Swim performance continues to improve with the inclusion of strength training as a part of the overall program. The improvements in swimming performance are primarily related to training methodologies where the emphasis has shifted from purely in-water high-volume training to a more balanced approach that includes dry land training in the strength and conditioning facility. Studies have shown that strength training improves muscle power, stroke efficiency, and overall swimming speed. It is now well accepted that swim performance can be improved not only as a result of training in the pool but also with dry land training in the weight room. At this point, it is widely accepted that developing muscular strength and power are critical in elite swimming performances, and it is widely accepted by coaches and athletes that strength training is an important part of preparing for competition.
