McLeod - Swimming Anatomy - 2010

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus abdominis (upper and lower fibers) Secondary:External oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, serratus anterior, rectus femoris, iliopsoas

Swimming Focus

This exercise targets and strengthens the rectus abdominis through a wide range of motion, making it a useful exercise for freestylers or backstroke swimmers who are trying to improve the speed of their flip turns. Emphasizing the tight streamlined position after each repetition will benefit all strokes. When initiating the movement, avoid swinging your hands up and down to generate momentum; this is a form of cheating. The exercise can be made more challenging by holding the streamlined position with the hands and feet just off the ground for 3 to 4 seconds after each repetition.

Rectus femoris

Rectus a1:Jdomims

Execution

1 . Lie on the floor with your arms at your sides and tighten the abdominal muscles to set your core.

2.Lift your shoulders 4 inches (10 cm) off the ground and your feet 12 inches (30 cm) off the ground, making sure to keep the low back in a neutral position.

3.Hold this position and flutter kick for 60 seconds or until you are unable to keep the low back stabilized in a neutral position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus abdominis (lower fibers), rectus femoris Secondary:External oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, iliopsoas

Swimming Focus

This is a good exercise to transition to after mastering the hollow hold. As with the hollow hold, the main emphasis should be on keeping the low back in a stable and fixed position. If the low back begins to arch, the abdominal musculature is no longer holding the low back in a stable and fixed position and is being overpowered by the hip flexors. Incorporation of the flutter­ kicking motion makes this exercise particularly useful to freestyle and backstroke swimmers.

To avoid relying on the hands to hold the upper body in its curled position, perform this exercise by holding your hands 1 inch (2.5 cm) off the ground.

VARIATION

Streamlined Flutter Kicks

A variation is to hold your arms in an overhead streamlined position. This variation increases the difficulty of the exercise and makes it more specific to swimmers. Because of the increased difficulty, be sure to keep your focus on holding the core tight and maintaining the low back in a neutral position.