TOP 3 EXERCISES FOR FREESTYLE SPRINTERS

 There is certainly a complete series of exercises for freestyle sprinters, but the 3 exercises that we refer to in this article should be included in any training plan for a speed swimmer with Lifeguard Training.

Left arm/right arm freestyle. The first thing to consider is how your body balances during the propulsion and recovery phase of the arm. As we have seen before, your shoulders should rotate approximately 30º/40º on both sides. This exercise is very useful to control the kick, which must remain constant throughout the exercise to allow the recovery phase of the arm to be easier.

swimming freestyle

When swimming freestyle, initially perform this exercise with your arm extended in front of your head and then, when you've learned the proper position, you can extend your arm alongside your body.

Learn to count the number of strokes you take every 25 metres, which will allow for any unnecessary movement and work more effectively on your forward propulsion by reducing resistance due to incorrect movements.

When we do this exercise, we often use fins or (late in the season) water parachutes or t-shirts to turn it into in-water strength training.

tennis balls

tennis balls This exercise is an excellent means of improving a swimmer's proprioception and stroke sensitivity, training to feel the water not only with the hands but with the forearm. Good swimmers swim with their hands and great swimmers swim with their hands and forearms and elite swimmers swim with their hands, forearms and shoulders!

Do this exercise holding tennis balls in your hands, alternating 25 meters slowly focusing on how you can catch the water in your hands and on your forearms (…and shoulders!) with 25 meters of fast acceleration. The speed will be initially for 15 meters and after 25 meters. Focus both on the phase to feel the water in your hands and also on the movement speed.

Also for this exercise, once the season has started, we will use either a water parachute or a t-shirt to create a slowing down effect. This will make it possible to focus more on strength in the water.

Resting butterfly. We suggest doing these exercises with a snorkel and a floating leg plank. The objective of the exercise is to improve the catch, the thrust, and the attention to the propulsion phase.

Your head should be held high with your hands shoulder-width or even slightly wider, your elbows higher than your wrists, and your wrists higher than your fingers. This means that you will need to learn how to check your hand position before you start the exercise Lifeguard Training Vienna.