How to Train Power Like a Swimmer

Few would argue that swimmers need to be fast and powerful, extremely powerful! You simply don’t swim fast without a huge amount of power. Like seemingly everything in swimming, there are a number of factors that affect the swimmer’s ability to either gain high levels of power or apply that power to the water. Factors such as poor gym work including a lack of training understanding or poor choice of exercises, the development of the athlete in terms of growth, maturation and training age, the individuality of the athletes such as sex, body type, size, genetic make up as well as swimming specific factors like catch, feel and body position.

So, as we aren’t the pool coaches let’s focus on the stuff we can actually influence, the gym work! Power is built on top of high levels of strength work, you can’t really get that powerful if you aren’t strong. A swimmer who Trapbar Deadlifts 100kg will likely have a greater potential to generate more power compared to an athlete that lifts 50kg. The same is true of the upper body, a swimmer who can perform Pull Ups with 25kg will likely be able to generate more power compared to a swimmer who cannot perform Pull Ups. Power is essentially how much of that strength reserve you can use and apply within the context of your sport.

Once a sufficient level of strength of achieved by the athlete, we can start to shift training to a power focus. We do this in a number of ways but one favourite is the Overhead Medicine Ball Slam.

Demonstration of an Overhead Medicine Ball Slam. Allows the athlete to produce high levels of power output from the shoulder.

Some things to consider:

  1. This is an upper body exercise, try not to use the trunk to assist. The power needs to come from the shoulders.

  2. Allow the athlete to stretch out prior to slamming the medicine ball to reinforce long and strong position.

  3. Chest and head remains facing forward, not crunching over. Looking down encourages this.

  4. Use of external cues to paint a picture in the athletes mind to be powerful and aggressive. Crack the floor. Break the ball.

  5. Ensure safety of the training environment. Clean floor, space all around the athlete.

Strength & ConditioningAndrew BullimoreOverhead, Medicine, Ball, Slams, Power, Strength