I know the focal point of a swim should be the use of your tricep and back muscles, but does anyone else get sore biceps after a long hard/fast swim?
Is this just reaffirming what I already know (poor form) or is it telling me something I have been trying to deny (giant pansy)? Or both?
It could be a manifestation of poor technique - I take it that you are experiencing normal muscular tiredness after training? No injury-like feeling?
My guess would be to make sure you have a higher elbow during your catch - this allows your big lat and pectoral muscles to be recruited during this phase of the stroke. If your elbow is lower than your wrist during this phase, you only use your arm muscles, which are smaller and get tired more quickly. I can’t see your stroke, so I can’t be certain of this.
Always aim to use your back muscles most when swimming, your arms are just for stability and leverage.
How can your elbow be lower than your wrist unless you are basically pointing towards the sky?
Before the catch, your arm enters the water in a line (relative to your body). From the poolside - ie horizontal axis - you need your bodyparts in the correct alignment in order to generate a powerful catch. If your elbow is below your wrist, as can happen to beginners during the glide after the arm has entered, you will have little power when the catch phase is begun. Likewise, if the elbow is higher than the shoulder, you will not be able to use certain muscle groups. This is why flexiblity is so important - the more flexible you are the more you can generate power in seemingly awkward positions.
So the correct alignment is wrist lower than elbow, elbow lower than shoulder - you feel like you use your lat and chest muscles more easily.
For example, at a table or desk at under shoulder height, place your hand face down. Push hard. Now more your wrist, elbow and shoulder into different alignments and feel which one is strongest. It will be clear then. (Obviously if the object is too high up your back will be too low to use as you are standing up.)
Thank you for that. I was having trouble understanding. And I just made a fool out of myself trying to do that drill at my work desk :-).
Try to swim more with your whole body than just the arms.
Try to focus on rythm from hips (body roll), that’ll save your arms to a point (but some pain is normal, no pain no gain).
No probs!
As Diabolo says, use your whole body, specially your core.