McLeod - Swimming Anatomy - 2010

Muscles Involved

Primary:Rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis

Secondary:Latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus

Swimming Focus

This core-strengthening exercise is particularly useful for breaststrokers. It can help them develop confidence when the body is in an elongated position at the start of the pulling phase. Additionally. the exercise targets the abdominal muscles in a way that will carry over to strengthening the undulating body movements that occur during breaststroke and butterfly.

more difficult because you will be able to roll the ball farther away from the body.

Start positiQn,

Execution

1 . Sit on a physioball and slide down into a bridge position with your neck and shoulders balanced on the ball. Point your arms toward the ceiling.

2.While keeping your hips straight and your spine in a neutral position, rotate your upper body to one side.

3.Pause and then rotate to the opposite side.

Muscles Involved

Primary:External oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis

Secondary:Serratus anterior, rectus abdominis, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus

Swimming Focus

The rotational movements performed during the exercise are useful for strengthening the oblique muscles, which in turn will help to strengthen the linkage between the legs and arms during freestyle and backstroke. This exercise also improves awareness and control of hip position, which can help a swimmer who is having trouble keeping the hips elevated when swimming backstroke.

The degree of rotational movement performed during the exercise depends on the ability to keep the hips straight, meaning that the shoulders should be rotated until the hip position can no longer be controlled. When just learning how to perform the exercise or for those with weak core musculature, the best approach is to keep the rotational movements small and focus initially on maintaining the bridge position for a 60-second hold. As proficiency with the exercise increases, the focus can be shifted toward increasing the rotational movements of the upper body and performing a set number of repetitions.