For those of us who aren’t Olympic swimmers or world record holders, it’s a big enough struggle to make it through a set of ten laps in the pool. For someone like Michael Phelps, who is the most decorated Olympian of all time, it’s easy to imagine what a training schedule looks like if you want to break tons of records.
Because that’s one of the many things the most decorated Olympian of all time will talk about on his new project, the Michael Phelps Project, designed to inspire the next generation. Every day, Michael will record a new video to share an experience, expertise or belief that has helped him succeed. It’s one of the ways Phelps says he’s committed to helping his fans and supporters move closer to their goals.
His latest video shows how he trains his underwater dolphin kick. While watching the video, imagine how much work would be required to not just swim all those races, but to swim well.
Wanna Take Your Underwater Fly Kick to the Next Level?
The underwater fly kicking is a fundamental swimming stroke that literally propels you underwater, like a dolphin. It’s a skill that can be learned at any point in your swimming career. But if you’ve never practiced it before, it can be a bit intimidating to start adding it to your training routine.
But if you’re looking to have more power and speed during your swim, this is your next big stroke.
There is a lot of science behind the underwater fly kicking, including the physics behind the kick and how your body moves when you execute it correctly. I won’t go into that in this post. Instead, I’ll show you how to perfect the kick through the intuitive approach and by utilizing some of the biggest muscle groups in your body – your legs and your butt.
The kick at the surface helps you glide and move forward with very little of your propulsive work. The deeper you kick, the more hydrodynamic your body is under the water – in other words, the faster you go.
Also, it’s important to note that much of the kick power will come from your upper set of abs in combination with your obliques.
So, let’s get started with this technique.