Looking for gym exercises to help you with your swimming? Well, have a little scroll through this post. We've noted down some of the key exercises top class swimmers use to accompany the time they spend in the pool. These are the classics, they're a good place to start - so what are you waiting for?
1. The Barbell Military Press
The barbell military press is great for your deltoids, triceps and latissimus dorsi muscles. You can do it either seated or standing, but we recommend doing it seated to reduce the risk of injury, this can especially help if you have lower back problems.
How to do a barbell military press:
1. Grip the bar with your hands. They should be slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. Keeping your back straight, lift the bar into the ‘clean position’ e.g. lifting the bar to neck level.
3. Try to keep your head still and straight then press the bar up over your head without locking your arms out at the top of the press.
4. Lower the weight back down to the clean position and then repeat.
5. You should never lower the bar behind your neck.
2. Bicep Dumbbell Curls
The classic dumbbell curl is a great exercise for your biceps. It's probably the most common weight exercise you'll see in the gym. Your biceps are essential for power, especially in breaststroke.
How do i do a bicep curl?
1.Stand with back straight and your palms should face outward away from the body.
2. Keep the elbows just away from the body.
3. Perform the curl without any body movement whatsoever.
4. Hold and squeeze the bicep muscle at the top of the curl.
3. Tricep Cable Press
Your triceps are the bigger of the two main muscles groups in your arms. They are essential for swimming and generally get tired quicker than your biceps when your swimming - this is mainly true when you are swimming freestyle.
How do you do a tricep cable press?
1. Use an overhand grip.
2. Keep your arms tight to the side or the body.
3. Bend the arms only at the elbow.
4. Fully extend and squeeze the triceps at the bottom of the press.
5. Bring the arms back to 90 degrees at the top.
4. Gym Ball Crunch
The crunch is a classic core exercise. Using a gym ball is great because it makes you supporting muscles work too - when you do a crunch on the floor your not having to balance much so you are only working the main muscles in your abdominals.
How do you do a gym ball crunch?
1. Well first of all - grab a gym ball, then lie with your back on the gym ball.
2. Keep your feet wide and maintain stability.
3. Using a lightweight dumbbell, use both hands and hold it to the upper chest.
4. Perform a crunch by lifting your head and shoulders up and keeping your core tight.
5. When upright, start to press the dumbbell up and behind your head.
Squeeze hard at the top then slowly return to the start position.
5. Try A Hanging Knee Raises
So for this one your going to need a pull-up bar. It's a great exercise for your lower abs, they are usually the muscles that are hardest to train so this exercise is a must.
How do you do a hanging knee raise?
1. Start by hanging from the pull-up bar.
2. Powerfully drive your knees upwards towards your chin.
3. Concentrate on trying to round your back slightly as your drive up.
4. Hold your knees in place and squeeze at the top of the movement.
5. Return back down to the start position in a controlled manner.
6. Try not to swing your body too much. This creates momentum and takes away maximal muscle recruitment.
6. The Classic Barbell Squat
The squat is a very popular weight exercise at the moment. It's become fashionable because of celebs going on about their big butts. But the squat is great for overall leg strength and therefore great for swimmers. This works your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.
How do I do a barbell squat?
1. Rest the bar on your upper back, two inches below the neck.
2. Feet should be shoulder-width apart.
3. Keep your back straight at all times and your head up.
4. Carefully squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
5. Push up in an explosive but controlled style, driving through the heels.
6. Avoid locking out the legs at the top.
7. Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs
Work your trapezius muscles and latissimus dorsi muscles by putting in some big numbers with wide grip lat pull-downs. Most people use this gym machine really badly and do lots of backward leaning so just remember to stay still.
How to do a wide grip lat pull down:
1. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with your palms facing out.
2. Start each rep in a fully extended position at the top.
3. Concentrate on pulling from your elbows down and keeping your body still.
Hold at the bottom, then squeeze your shoulder blades together as if you were trying to grip a small ball between them.
5. Control the weight back to the top.
Grant says “This exercise is great for trapezius and latissiums dorsi.”
8. Dumbbell Flyes
Flyes are great for working your pectoral muscles. Pecs are essential for swimming fast. Flyes are another classic exercises.
How to do dumbbell flyes
1. Lie on the bench and keep your feet firmly planted on the floor.
2. Lift the weight directly overhead.
3. Keeping arms slightly bent at all times, slowly lower the weight to slightly below shoulder level.
4. Drive powerfully back up to the top.
5. At the top, concentrate on squeezing the chest muscles but also keep them tight throughout the entire range of movement.