McLeod - Swimming Anatomy - 2010

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique Secondary:Psoas major

Execution

1 . Position yourself so that when you are kneeling, the high pulley is diagonally behind your shoulder.

2.Reaching up and back, grasp the handle with both hands.

3.Initiate the movement with your abdominal muscles. The arms should act as an extension of the torso.

4.Using an arcing movement, guide the handle downward toward the opposite knee.

5.Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique Secondary:Serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major

Swimming Focus

Because it starts with the arms and trunk in an elongated and stretched position, this exercise helps swimmers develop confidence and strength in their stroke during the initial portion of the pulling phase of all four strokes. Another key to this exercise is that the actions performed recruit the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major, which helps to link their activation with that of the involved abdominal muscles. This coordination in muscle activation helps swimmers generate more power with their arm movements by linking them to the core.

When performing the exercise, the head should follow the movements of the hands. This action links the movements of the arms to the movements of the torso, which in turn targets the abdominal muscles. Not doing this poses the risk that the movements will be performed predominantly with the arms rather than the trunk, thus negating most of the benefits of the exercise.

Execution

1 . Using your forearms, support your upper body on a physioball. Support your lower body with your knees and toes.

2.Set your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine in a neutral position.

3.Roll the ball out slowly, allowing your arms to move with the ball and your knees to straighten.

4.Pause in the ending position and then return to the start.