Land Training
Land training is now considered an essential part of any swimmers training.
It is the only way to help swimmers gain the core strength, flexibility and stability they need, to perfect their technique in swimming, and also protect themselves from injury.
It is the only way to help swimmers gain the core strength, flexibility and stability they need, to perfect their technique in swimming, and also protect themselves from injury.
Why We Need To Perform Land Work?
Many of the fundamentals of Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) are based on gaining skills and experiences of activities out of as well as in the water. Competency in activities such as agility, balance and co-ordination, running, jumping and throwing, catching and striking are best developed out of the water and help swimmers to improve their skill which will ultimately impact on better stroke techniques and starting and turning. In addition, swimmers will develop a more balanced physical development that will ultimately assist in the avoidance of injuries. Land training aims to provide the body with a different stimulus from that gained in the water and should be seen as complimentary to pool sessions, not replicating work undertaken in swimming training. The land environment allows us to provide greater resistance to particular exercises than is possible in the water, and therefore the overload for strength and power development has greater possibilities. In addition, with gravity and body weight to create natural forces, and unstable surfaces (e.g. a Swiss Ball) to work from, a complete range of exercises can be devised to target many different muscle groups or combination movements. It is this flexibility that allows us to target more than just the ‘swimming muscles’.
Safety.
The following safety points should always be adhered to during land training:
• Always wear suitable clothes designed for training in the gym
• Always wear good training shoes, ‘cross trainers’ are ideal
• Always pay attention to nutrition and hydration before, during and after each workout
• Always take special care moving weights around the gym
• Always replace weights that have been used
• Always endeavor to execute perfect technique
• Always ‘warm up’ and ‘cool down’ appropriately
Summary.
The importance of land training to enhance all-round skill and balanced fitness in competitive swimmers cannot be stressed enough. Time should be taken to organise group sessions and encourage swimmers to perform regular ‘land sessions’, such as core strength, in their own time. The important thing is to start off with some basic exercises done with excellent form/ technique, and gradually add new exercises. Music and partners will aid motivation, but it once land work has been introduced, it is important to keep things going regularly.
Remember:
Land training should be conducted as religiously as the swimming sessions, and remember, a little land work done regularly is better than none at all.
Safety.
The following safety points should always be adhered to during land training:
• Always wear suitable clothes designed for training in the gym
• Always wear good training shoes, ‘cross trainers’ are ideal
• Always pay attention to nutrition and hydration before, during and after each workout
• Always take special care moving weights around the gym
• Always replace weights that have been used
• Always endeavor to execute perfect technique
• Always ‘warm up’ and ‘cool down’ appropriately
Summary.
The importance of land training to enhance all-round skill and balanced fitness in competitive swimmers cannot be stressed enough. Time should be taken to organise group sessions and encourage swimmers to perform regular ‘land sessions’, such as core strength, in their own time. The important thing is to start off with some basic exercises done with excellent form/ technique, and gradually add new exercises. Music and partners will aid motivation, but it once land work has been introduced, it is important to keep things going regularly.
Remember:
Land training should be conducted as religiously as the swimming sessions, and remember, a little land work done regularly is better than none at all.