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Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance.
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I've been making stuff up as I go and kinda following Jason Lezak's program that I found on bodybuilding.com, but I'm looking at mixing things up.

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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I remember you were using Bridge Athletic from a post a few years back. What caused to you change/leave?
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [David Swafford] [ In reply to ]
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That wasn’t me. I may have looked at it previously, but I’ve never used their program before.

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Oh, got it.

That's another option. It's a bit pricey though, but I've been using it (their swim focused strength program) off/on for 2+ years now.

If you just need some ideas, they rotate between phases. I'm in their power phase right now and that has me doing things like deadlifts, medicine ball throws, one handed dumbell bench press, cable chops, with lots of stretching and mobility stuff.
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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I'd look for a TRX program. The use of body weight through range of motion seems to me the best way to go. Almost every one of the exercises hits the core, which you know is so important. A local here teaches it and was a high level D1 coach and NCAA medalist in 200 free. She swears by it.
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Jason-this is the one I use-it's arduous but seems to give me the strength I need to hold my position.

on another note-while swimming this morning I was thinking about how much you have helped my swimming. Just little reminders, different ideas-like the one about strength to hold position. NOT many people think about what they are doing or just don't know what they do while swimming-so THANK YOU
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [frenchfried] [ In reply to ]
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frenchfried wrote:
Jason-this is the one I use-it's arduous but seems to give me the strength I need to hold my position.

on another note-while swimming this morning I was thinking about how much you have helped my swimming. Just little reminders, different ideas-like the one about strength to hold position. NOT many people think about what they are doing or just don't know what they do while swimming-so THANK YOU

link???

Thanks for the feedback. It's nice to know that someone is getting a benefit from my rambling...

Oh, I'm also looking for low cost. Not a lot of spare cash these days with 2 kids in daycare.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
Last edited by: JasoninHalifax: Feb 21, 19 9:59
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [David Swafford] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks guys.

I just did a search of what's at my local library, one of the branches has Dave Salo's book available for checkout. I think I'll go pick that up and try it out for a few weeks. If I like it, then I'll buy a copy for myself.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Could you please post back if you like it, Jason? I've actually been thinking about some strength training as well, but haven't the first clue about where to start.
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [frenchfried] [ In reply to ]
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frenchfried wrote:
sorry-here it is-

https://www.bodybuilding.com/...sprint-swimmers.html

Ah, gotcha. That’s the one I’ve been using so far. It does seem to be good, but I am looking for additional ideas. I don’t really like doing the same thing over and over, I’m not wired that way.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [gord] [ In reply to ]
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gord wrote:
Could you please post back if you like it, Jason? I've actually been thinking about some strength training as well, but haven't the first clue about where to start.

I’ve flipped though the book to get a feel for it, and the plan is to do my first session tomorrow when I hit the gym at lunch. The stuff in there seems reasonable at first glance, and covers off core and foundational strength as well as stroke specific dryland.

The library also had a copy of Janet Evans’ book, grabbed that for some swim practice ideas.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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One workout done. A heck of a lot of core stability work on the stability ball (more than I've ever done...), and more reps than I would typically do. It's a nice change. It also comes with a DVD to demo the different exercises. Most of the movements I can do in the hotel gym that I usually work out in.

The nice thing is that Salo provides a base template for a workout, then you can pick and choose from a ton of different exercises from the categories in the template. So you won't get bored, and you get the chance to tailor it to specific weaknesses or strokes. (and he goes over how to assess those weaknesses).

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Honestly P90X is not that bad. It's a lot of pushups, pullups, etc and there's no heavy lifting, so it's very much like a dryland circuit we used to do on the pool deck when all we had was a pullup bar, dip bar, the ground, and some bleachers. I am pretty sure you can find the exercise lists online somewhere. There aren't any real power lifts, but you could sprinkle those in somewhere if you want them.

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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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You can strength train a bunch of stuff and hopefully maybe improve some of the muscles needed in some of the ways you use them, or you can strength train the exact muscles you need in the exact way you use them while swimming:


Find a cable pull machine and set the cables and handle to pull from as high up as possible.
Grab a cable and start backing way up and then get on your knees and straighten out your arm, so your hand is stretched out flat, arm and back are flat, hand out in front of you like you are about to engage a stroke pull.
With your head down and back flat like you are swimming at where the cable is coming out of the machine, pull the cable back with a high elbow, exactly like a good swim pull stroke.
You should use enough weight only be able to repeat the pull about 12 times. If you can only do 10, drop some weight. If you can do 15, add some weight.
Repeat on the other arm.
Repeat both arms for 3 sets the first time you ever do it, wait a couple days, do 4 sets then on out.

For those thinking that doesn't do core, try it and watch what happens to your midsection when you try to pull and then push a cable from far above your head to past your waist on one side of your body, then the other.
Last edited by: ZenTriBrett: Feb 22, 19 13:40
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [ZenTriBrett] [ In reply to ]
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Similar to some exercises I used to do back when I was in college.

Couple of things though.

1). I’m nterested in strength programs, not individual exercises.

2). While replicating the stroke has a place in a strength program, I’m not convinced that it necessarily transfers tio the water any better than general purpose strength exercises. If you think about it, a stroke specific movement like that is going to be inherently limited by whatever part of the movement has the least leverage, and the part of the movement that has the most leverage will be under-loaded.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Jason,

You might want to check out Volt Athletics. You can get it for about $65/year or $10/month. You can select a swimming specific. I've been using it for a while and it's good. If you have any questions, let me know.

Tim

http://www.magnoliamasters.com
http://www.snappingtortuga.com
http://www.swimeasyspeed.com
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Re: Swimmers - I need a good strength training routine for sprint / middle distance. [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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JasoninHalifax wrote:
frenchfried wrote:
Jason-this is the one I use-it's arduous but seems to give me the strength I need to hold my position.

on another note-while swimming this morning I was thinking about how much you have helped my swimming. Just little reminders, different ideas-like the one about strength to hold position. NOT many people think about what they are doing or just don't know what they do while swimming-so THANK YOU

link???

Thanks for the feedback. It's nice to know that someone is getting a benefit from my rambling...

Oh, I'm also looking for low cost. Not a lot of spare cash these days with 2 kids in daycare.

I second that you keep the rambling going. At least there are two here on ST who are benefiting. I have enjoyed learning all about a new sport. Swimming all 4 strokes to make second or sub second improvements is a completely different sport from triathlon swimming with the equivalent of a rubber paddle board to float and and knowing your can bank on a fast T1 to minimize the impact of not swim training.....then you have the bike and run to totally negate the existence of the swim leg at least in age group tri.
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