I swam with my ‘arms’ for the longest, and not wanting to be a great swimmer I don’t want a coach, I just want to make it through the swim to ride and run. But lately, after doing some adventure races, I’ve swam with keeping my arms more strait and pulling with the core. My weak ass arms aren’t as tired, is this ‘proper’ techique? Or am I just a dumb ass who still can’t swim?
Dig up some Doug Stern threads:
Hmmm… I don’t know which is right, but I pull with my arms almost at a 90 degree angle (elbows high at the catch and through the stroke) using mostly my lats and back.
Right now images of olympic swimmers are rolling through my mind… Janet Evans, Ian Thorpe, Michael Phelps… all of them had HUGE lats and incredible backs.
For what that’s worth…
Jodi
The primary muscles for swimming free are the pecs and lats, triceps to a lesser extent. I don’t think you can actually pull with your abs, although good ab strength is still important for maintaining a solid base to pull from and to maintain a streamlined profile in the water.
The primary muscles for swimming free are the pecs and lats, triceps to a lesser extent.
You got that mixed up. It’s lats and triceps, pecs to a lesser extent.
As to the OP… I am kind of lost, how do you pull with your abs?
you haven’t seen my triceps!!
Can you post a video of this ab swimming on youtube please?
I can see that there is a certain amount of core/hips at work with both the drive and keeping your body planing on top of the water.
Sure, but the op mentioned something about pulling with the abs. I want to know how you can do that. Right now I’m imagining someone periodically bending at the waist and somehow propelling himself in the water.
Right now I’m imagining someone periodically bending at the waist and somehow propelling himself in the water.
That’s funny. It would be one of the stranger attempts at propolsion I have ever seen.
EDIT: But my first attempt at butterfly probably didn’t look too far off!
Arms and abs!
If you were trying to push barrels on either side of you behind you, one after the other after the other, you wouldn’t just use your arms, you’d engage your core muscles and twist your body a bit.
This is the same with swimming.
Yeah, thats kinda what I mean, but I more less move my arms just a little and pull with the core(ie back/lats/chest/stomach).
I was reading and I don’t know what the catch means, so I’ll try to do the barrel thing and focus on using the lats(the 2 fibers that I have:) )
Oh, and bending at the stomach to swim…like a crawdad, it works for them!
Sure, but the op mentioned something about pulling with the abs. I want to know how you can do that. Right now I’m imagining someone periodically bending at the waist and somehow propelling himself in the water.
Paulo,
This is how u do it using your abs to power through the swim.
holy cow!!
That was amazing!!! Did you see him pull ahead of the guy who was butterflying next to him? Wow I think he hit his head at the end though
He should have been DQ’d for not doing a 2 handed touch at the end.
You might find it easier to engage your lats by pulling with a straight arm - windmill style.
It is really not a very efficient way to swim. You are feeling your abs because they are holding everything together whcih means you are working harder than youshould. Straight arm down means your upper body rises which means your legs sink.
Best to bend at the elbow and pull with a forearm-wrist-hand paddle. Focus on getting your lats to engage with the bent arm (maybe you need to widen your pull) and relaxing your shoulders that should help releive the tired arm feeling.
Scott
frickin hell…that’s insane!! and the impact at the touch…ouch
Paulo…
No response to the video?
Just curious.
daved
Do you see anyone pulling there?
Just curious.