Training & Sports Just Dive Right InIn the heat of the summer, the cool of the pool can feel good. Besides the sultry bounce from moving through water, swimming is a total body workout that just keeps on giving. Without joint stress, water resistance fuels the same muscle overload as weight training, but swimming maximizes muscle growth without injury. Unmatched as an aerobic workout, swimming also stimulates both fast and slow twitch muscles; works the core, upper body and lower body; and swimming delivers long, lean bodies with narrowed waists and hips that are perfect for looking great in the cling of our summery clothing.
You may not be half dolphin like Michael Phelps, and your energy may not be as ageless as Dara Torres’, but by improving your freestyle, the latest research says you’ll enjoy a longer, healthier life.
1) Don’t do a Cavic: Keep your head down with your eyes on the bottom of the pool. Lifting your head will force your hips to drop and Michael Phelps will beat you by a nanosecond reach.
2) Do a proper power stroke: extend your leading hand straight ahead and let it sink 6-8 inches before you start pulling it back. Make sure your thumb goes in the water first. Pull back by drawing an “S” in the water. No windmills here. Draw the “S” as if you were wrapping your arm over a barrel and pushing it behind you. Don’t let your hands cross an imaginary center line, drawn invisibly from head down to toe. If you find yourself fishtailing, your hand is crossing that center line. Keep your hands to themselves.
3) Get the right kick out of it: Bend your knees slightly; point your toes; and keep your ankles flexible and loose. It’s this flexibility that determines kick speed, so relax and let your muscles work it.
4) Allow your body to twist or roll as you breathe and reach out the resting arm. It’s this trunk rotation that strengthens the core, and it’s the strength of the core that determines a swimmer’s power.
Adding swimming to your weekly workout plan can only add strength, endurance and flexibility to the mix. You may not be able to eat the famous 10,000 calorie MP daily diet, but lapping up a protein shake within two hours of doing laps could be just the splash of muscle food you need.
You may not be half dolphin like Michael Phelps, and your energy may not be as ageless as Dara Torres’, but by improving your freestyle, the latest research says you’ll enjoy a longer, healthier life.
1) Don’t do a Cavic: Keep your head down with your eyes on the bottom of the pool. Lifting your head will force your hips to drop and Michael Phelps will beat you by a nanosecond reach.
2) Do a proper power stroke: extend your leading hand straight ahead and let it sink 6-8 inches before you start pulling it back. Make sure your thumb goes in the water first. Pull back by drawing an “S” in the water. No windmills here. Draw the “S” as if you were wrapping your arm over a barrel and pushing it behind you. Don’t let your hands cross an imaginary center line, drawn invisibly from head down to toe. If you find yourself fishtailing, your hand is crossing that center line. Keep your hands to themselves.
3) Get the right kick out of it: Bend your knees slightly; point your toes; and keep your ankles flexible and loose. It’s this flexibility that determines kick speed, so relax and let your muscles work it.
4) Allow your body to twist or roll as you breathe and reach out the resting arm. It’s this trunk rotation that strengthens the core, and it’s the strength of the core that determines a swimmer’s power.
Adding swimming to your weekly workout plan can only add strength, endurance and flexibility to the mix. You may not be able to eat the famous 10,000 calorie MP daily diet, but lapping up a protein shake within two hours of doing laps could be just the splash of muscle food you need.
