Swim Cords

Swim cords;  I believe they are one of the biggest assets to your swimming training and development . I use them, I rave about them. Why?  Read on…

I wrote briefly about swim cords mid last year, now here we are at the start of 2012 and I still find myself introducing swim cords to swimmers and hearing their positive reaction when they realise how much of an asset this simple, cheap but very effective training tool can be.

Muscle balance and stabilisation; swim cords can be utilised to develop back muscles offsetting the pectorial development present in swimmers. Sore shoulders are often the result of stabilisation issues within the rotator cuff muscle group. A daily routine of 3- 5 minutes can help develop and stabilise the shoulder and can dramatically reduce the risk of developing a swimming shoulder injury.

Going travelling and have limited time or no access to a pool? Swim cords pack easily in your travel case, they weight next to nothing. You can set them up inside or outside on a lamp post or tree. You can complete repeat sets mirroring your swim stroke gaining resistance and cardio benefit reducing the effects of your time away from the water.

Resistance training ; Swim cords can be used to perform a simple but effective resistance workout using a combination of isolation exercises such as triceps, biceps and row exercises (back muscles) along with body weight exercises such as the press up, burpees and plank.

Pre swimming warm up; You can use swim cords as part of your warm up routine, using swimming related movements to help increase blood flow and prepare the body for higher intensity activity.

Swimming technique; You can use swim cords to practice sections of your stroke such as the pull phase, ensuring a high elbow and maximising catch. Using Swim cords to practice this phase of the stroke prior to getting in the water helps develop your nuero pathways (your nervous system learns to ‘recognise’ the correct movements), helps strengthen appropriate muscles and can assist in reducing technical errors in your stroke.

Don’t underestimate how effective swim cords can be as a simple and effective tool to enhance your swim program. For more information on how to acquire or use swim cords e-mail me dan@fitandabel.com  and look out for my swimfit dryland classes coming soon.