Weight-lifting for swimming

Obviously, the best way to get faster in the water is to swim, but not everyone can stand ten hours of chlorine exposure. So how can you gain speed out of the water? Weight lifting is a great way to get the most out of your time when you aren’t swimming. But not every exercise that uses dumbbells will work the right muscles. Which exercises will work best? Naturally, using something like a vasa trainer, which is specifically crafted to add resistance to the motions of all four competitive strokes, will be the best because you are doing the strokes as you would in the water. Other than that, these exercises should be done. SquatsLeg PressLeg ExtensionLeg CurlLat Pull-downSeated RowingBent-over RowingLateral RaiseShoulder PressBench PressDumbbell CurlPush-upAbdominal WorkAssorted StretchesThis should not be continued through your taper, and you should do no extra work for a week or two before your big meet. The stretches should be preformed after the workout in order to improve range of motion, as flexibility is vital to swimming, but not before. Dynamic warm-ups, where static stretching or holding a stretch is avoided, will maximize what you get out of your workout. Static stretching within an hour of your workout will slow you down, therefore taking a little bite out of your workout. If you follow this workout plan, as well as work hard during practice, your times should drop, providing your stroke doesn’t fall apart under heavy stress.