Getting your muscular tissues able to work effectively is extraordinarily vital earlier than a swim exercise however much more so earlier than a race. Using correct swimming warmup workouts will enhance your race efficiency and scale back your danger of damage. Whether or not you’re a newbie or in search of ideas to enhance the warmup you’ve been training for years, this text goals to show you the very best methods to organize your physique for a swim occasion.
First, we’ll take a look at the completely different levels of warming up throughout a swim meet and how one can loosen up on dry land and within the water. Then, we’ll cowl research-backed TRX suspension coaching warmups for the precise swim strokes.
The Levels of Warming up at a Swim Meet
Earlier than a swim meet begins, you’ll have time to carry out an preliminary set of swimming warmup workouts within the water. That is nice in the event you swim one of many first occasions, however for some swimmers, your occasion received’t come till a lot later, that means you received’t obtain all the advantages of your preliminary swim warmup. That’s why it’s vital to plan out a warmup routine that works finest on your schedule through the swim meet so you may keep away from beginning a race with chilly and contracted muscular tissues.
Let’s go over the levels of warming up throughout a swim meet so you may perceive how and when you need to get your blood stream going earlier than your occasion. We’ll cowl the dryland warmup, the final warmup earlier than the meet begins, and a fast warmup earlier than your occasion.
Dynamic Dryland Warmup
That is the primary stage of swimming warmup workouts you need to carry out earlier than you get within the water. It’s a good suggestion to apply a dynamic stretching routine earlier than your common warmup and your second race-specific warmup. The truth is, you need to all the time stretch out earlier than swimming, whether or not it’s swim coaching or competitors.
The aim of dynamic stretching workouts is to get your coronary heart fee up, improve your physique temperature, and get the blood flowing to your muscular tissues. Carry out dynamic stretching as a substitute of static stretching. Static stretching has been linked to efficiency reductions, whereas dynamic stretching adequately prepares the physique for athletic exercise.
Dynamic warmup actions for the higher physique embrace arm swings and arm circles. To get your coronary heart fee up, carry out leaping jacks and soar rope. To your decrease physique, loosen up your hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors with lunges and squats.
You can even carry out gentle band work and lightweight calisthenics to get the blood flowing to your muscular tissues. Simply make certain you don’t overdo it. You don’t need to carry out these workouts to the purpose of muscle fatigue.
Normal Warmup Earlier than the Meet
Earlier than the swim meet begins, you could have time to finish a full set of swimming warmup workouts within the water. What you select to swim primarily relies on what stroke you swim, what sort of distance you swim, and what your physique responds to finest for a warmup.
It’s a good suggestion to loosen up the physique, beginning at a comparatively simple tempo. Then, you would possibly select to carry out some drill work in your stroke to make sure your swim approach is able to go on your race.
Don’t neglect to loosen up your legs! Seize a kickboard and carry out some leg work particular to the occasion you swim.
Lastly, you would possibly carry out a handful of sprints to get your blood stream and coronary heart fee up. Solely swim sufficient to heat up your muscular tissues, and keep away from swimming an excessive amount of earlier than the swim meet so that you don’t tire your self out.
Second Warmup Earlier than Your Occasion
In case your occasion doesn’t come till later within the meet, you would possibly need to hop within the water 15 to twenty minutes earlier than your race. Regardless that you warmed up through the common warmup, your muscular tissues can get chilly after sitting round ready on your race, so it’s a good suggestion to run by means of a fast set of swimming warmup workouts.
Begin with one other fast spherical of dynamic workouts to get your blood flowing once more. Then, hop within the water and loosen up at a average tempo. Lastly, carry out just a few quick sprints to complete warming up your muscular tissues, so that you’re able to compete.
TRX Swimming Warmup Workouts for Every Stroke
Loads of analysis has been achieved about warming up muscular tissues, however sadly, most of it’s already outdated, partly as a result of swimming methods and biomechanics have modified. In the beginning of 2015, Jonas Martens reviewed the analysis into warming up muscular tissues within the pool, and his personal analysis produced some fascinating ideas for all of the completely different swim strokes.
Every stroke in swimming makes use of completely different muscle teams. Beneath, we’ve highlighted which muscle teams are used throughout every sort of swim stroke primarily based on the analysis. Then, we offer a swimming warmup train you may carry out utilizing a TRX body weight suspension system.
Pairing all these workouts collectively in a circuit makes for an incredible full-body warmup. Simply ensure you don’t exert your self an excessive amount of and trigger muscle fatigue earlier than your race; you’re warming up, not performing a energy coaching train.
Additionally it is a good suggestion to apply the under TRX workouts just a few occasions earlier than a coaching session, so you understand how your physique responds to the actions. If it really works properly for you, go forward and check out it earlier than a race.
Freestyle
For the freestyle swim, the arm actions carry the higher trapezius, supraspinatus, and deltoids into play (as your arm enters and re-emerges from the water and likewise through the restoration part). Your chest muscular tissues work hardest through the pull part, whereas through the remaining part, it’s your massive dorsal muscle that’s exerted most. After all, we additionally want to think about the usage of each the biceps and triceps through the preliminary catch part and the pull part.
TRX Suspended Pushup
Stand together with your shoulder blades dealing with and lined up with the purpose the place the straps are hooked up. Grasp the handles, place your ft dealing with ahead, and together with your physique leaning gently ahead and your arms prolonged, carry out a pushup by leaning additional ahead after which returning to the beginning place. Carry out 2-3 units of 10 reps.
Backstroke
When swimming the backstroke, the principle muscular tissues concerned are the deltoids and higher/entrance trapezius. Your scapulothoracic muscular tissues additionally assist hold your scapula in place to cut back any pressure through the thrust part. The subscapularis and teres muscular tissues are used through the pull part.
TRX Suspended Pullup
Face the purpose the place the straps are hooked up and grab the handles. Place your ft ahead and lean gently backward together with your arms prolonged in entrance of you. Pull together with your arms to carry out a pullup, and decrease your self again to the beginning place in a managed movement. Carry out 2-3 units of 10 reps.
Butterfly
When swimming the butterfly, you employ your deltoid, supraspinatus, and subspinatus muscular tissues as your palms enter the water. Your chest and huge dorsal muscular tissues then present many of the ahead drive, whereas the teres minor and subscapularis assist with inner rotation and stability.
Let’s not neglect the vital function performed by the decrease physique. Your hips and knees assist present a full leg kick, whereas your rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, and rectus abdominis muscular tissues do many of the work through the thrust part.
TRX “T” Deltoid Fly
Begin in the identical place as for the suspended pullup described above. Beginning together with your palms in entrance of you, start to separate them in a lateral movement. As you separate your palms, your physique will increase up and ahead. Cease the motion when each arms are prolonged at both facet of your physique. On this place, your physique will make the form of a “T.” In a gradual and managed movement, return your self to the beginning place. Carry out 2-3 units of 10 reps.
Breaststroke
The pectoralis main and latissimus dorsi muscular tissues present many of the ahead propulsion when swimming the breaststroke, with the teres minor and subscapularis serving to with inner rotation and stability. The supraspinatus and higher and decrease trapezius muscular tissues assist you to keep scapular stability through the arm restoration part of the breaststroke. Don’t underestimate the significance of your decrease limbs, since your tibialis muscular tissues assist with the leg kick. It has been famous that extra environment friendly swimmers even have extraordinarily sturdy muscular tissues round their torso and hips.
TRX Suspension Squats
Face the TRX suspension straps and stand far sufficient away from the purpose the place they’re related to create average pressure on the straps. Bend your elbows and maintain the strap handles at about chest top. Don’t lean too far again for this train. As a substitute, consider the straps as a stability level to assist you in performing squats. Squat down as little as attainable to attain a full vary of movement. Then, stand again up into the beginning place. Carry out 2-3 units of 10 reps.
Take Your Warmup to the Pool Deck
Check out these swimming warmup workouts earlier than your subsequent race. With a superb warmup, you’ll be able to carry out your finest. Earlier than you hop within the water, incorporate dynamic workouts just like the TRX suspension actions, stretching, or gentle calisthenics. Get in a superb pool warmup earlier than the meet begins and one other earlier than your particular occasion.
Want swim tools for race day? Remember to go to area’s on-line retailer on your aggressive wants.
