Why Swimmers Should Train for Power in the Water
Swimmers that rely on power are the most successful because they can swim the fastest. If you want to increase your power and swim faster, think in terms of acceleration.
The most important part of acceleration comes from a strong push off the wall. You must envision the wall behind you as a track that you touch on your way around the pool. In order to increase your power, you have to increase the speed of your legs, and that comes from the angle your kick makes with the water surface.
There are many drills you can do in the pool or on land to improve your kicking speed. One of my favorites is the Drill of Me. During this drill, you kick as often as you can in 10 seconds. This means that you are kicking your legs and feet as fast and as often as possible, while you are also swimming and staying afloat.
I suggest doing the Drill of Me at least twice per training session, but make sure you are doing it fast every time. To make the most out of this drill, you must kick your feet as fast as you can while keeping the rest of your body position symmetrical.
3 Ways to Improve Your Power in the Water
The most common swimming question we get here on the Swim University blog is this one, “How do I become a faster swimmer?” There’s no one correct answer to this, but there are a few things you can do to move faster in the water.
As we all know, the most efficient swimming stroke is the freestyle stroke. It’s made up of a variety of powerful movements that when added together, create a stroke that’s more efficient than a backstroke. If you’re a beginner, learn the butterfly, backstroke, or breaststroke first and once you’ve mastered these, you’ll be primed to learn the freestyle.
Generally, as a swimmer, you’re looking for three things: power, speed, and endurance. Let’s say you’re training for a triathlon and need to swim the 200-meter freestyle. You need power to push you off the wall, speed to keep you going fast, and endurance to help you swim longer and faster.
If you’re looking for power, here are three exercises and drills that you can do during practice.
Swimming with a band .
A swim band is similar to a resistance band, but it’s much smaller, much lighter, and has a hollow ring that can be put over your head. It’s also a lot easier to use, because all you have to do is place the band around your limbs as you swim. You really can use both of these tools to improve your stroke, strength, range of motion, and even your balance.
Swimming or kicking with DragSox .
Whether you are a competitive swimmer, a serious triathlete, or just a casual swimmer who enjoys swimming occasionally, swimming is an excellent workout. It is a low-impact activity that can be done by people of all levels of fitness. Swimming is a sought-after workout because of its low-impact on your joints and its convenience. Also, swimming is a low-cost activity that can be done in virtually any pool.
Swim training is excellent for toning your body, improving your cardiovascular health, and building lean muscle tissue. Swimming is also great for people who are not athletic.
It’s easy for most people to pick up, and it’s also a great way to lose weight. Many swim for fun or for fitness. For others, swimming is a sport which can be competed in various events.
It’s also a great workout to burn calories, improve cardiovascular health, and build muscle tone and endurance.
Knowing how to swim is essential, and knowing how to swim better is even better. Below are three ways to help become a better swimmer.
Resistance tubing .
Resistance tubing can be used for both upper body training in the pool or for strengthening leg muscles in the water. Each has its pros and cons.
The upper body workout is limited, and you must always keep one end of the tubing near your hands or feet. The leg exercises provide a more complete workout for all your leg muscles. The workout is more intensive and speedier than good old swimming laps because you can move a greater distance per stroke.
Resistance tubing can be used for both upper body training in the pool or for strengthening leg muscles in the water. Each has its pros and cons. The upper body workout is limited, and you must always keep one end of the tubing near your hands or feet. The leg exercises provide a more complete workout for all your leg muscles. The workout is more intensive and speedier than good old swimming laps because you can move a greater distance per stroke.
Final Note: Contrast Your Power Work with Speed for Max Effect
I hope that you enjoyed this post. If you thought that any section or idea was worth sharing with others, please send them the link to this post.
Even if you just found one idea or tip that you can put to use right away, that makes this post worthwhile.
If you are interested in more swimming content, you can sign up for our monthly Swimming Style email with free tips, articles, interviews, training tips and giveaways. Don’t worry, we promise that we’ll never abuse your email address. And you can unsubscribe anytime. Click here to learn how to become a Swimming Style Insider.
More Stuff Like This:
Did you enjoy this book?
Stay Connected and Let Me Know
If you enjoyed this book, I’d be very grateful if you could leave a star rating or write a review on Amazon. It’s more than just the book, and Amazon reviews are what keeps me and this book going.
Feel free to contact me through my website: