McLeod - Swimming Anatomy - 2010

VARIATION

Single-Arm Lat Pull-Down

Isolating the exercise to one arm allows you to add a rotational trunk movement that more closely mimics the movements performed while swimming. Single-arm isolation also allows extra emphasis to be placed on scapular retraction.

Execution

1 . Stand facing the pulley machine. Using an overhand grip, position your hands slightly wider than the width of your shoulders.

2.Holding your elbows in 30 degrees of flexion, pull the bar down to your thighs in an arcing motion.

3.Bring the bar to within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of touching your thighs and then slowly return to the starting position.

Muscles Involved

Primary:Latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major Secondary:Lower trapezius, teres major, triceps brachii

Swimming Focus

Similar to the lat pull-down, the standing straight-arm pull-down is beneficial for swimmers because the start of the exercise targets the latissimus dorsi in an overhead elongated position, thus strengthening the initial portion of the pulling phase. An added benefit of the straight-arm pull-down is that it takes the arms through a much larger range of motion than do chin-ups, pull-ups, and lat pull-downs. By helping to strengthen the muscles through the entire pulling motion, the exercise is more specific to the demands of swimming.

A key to isolating the latissimus dorsi during the exercise is to maintain the elbows in a fixed position and to keep the elbows high during the entire motion. Allowing the elbow position to change during the exercise shifts the demands of the exercise from the lats to the triceps brachii. Holding the torso still is also important. Bobbing or dipping of the torso is a form of cheating.

Rhomboid minor

Rhomboid major

---Trapezius"'--- I --Te'-rils!major

latissimus dorsi

Execution

1 . Sit on a bench facing a pulley machine. Grab the pulley handles so that your palms are facing each other.

2.Keeping your back perpendicular to the floor, pull the handles in toward your lower chest.

3.Pinch your shoulder blades together and pause in the ending position.

4.Return to the starting position by slowly lowering the weight.