STRENGTH TRAINING IN SPORTS

SWIMMING
The principles that should be applied in strength training for swimming. Sport specific exercises may look similar to swimming actions but they will provide little overload when compared to other typical strength training exercises. We want to use exercises with allow us to train the similar muscle groups used in swimming but that provide opportunities to affectively stress the body to adapt.
What Muscles/Movements?
Strength training for swimming is not about replicating the work with is being completed in the pool. When elite swimmers are completing 20 hours per week of swimming it is unlikely that trying to mimic what is being done in the pool for an extra 2/3 hours per week will make a significant performance improvement.
The main propulsive muscles used during a swimming race are the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major and quadriceps. We therefore want to use exercises which allow us to sufficiently overload these muscles. Remember the aim of strength training is not