Strong abdominal muscles can be the difference between winning and losing a swim meat. According to Swimming World Magazine, adequate abdominal strength is "essential to fast swimming." Furthermore, a stronger core helps a swimmer control his body more efficiently in the water, improves swimming posture and allows for quicker turns and faster starts. Ab workouts for swimmers can be done in and out of the pool.
Pool Leg Lifts
This simple exercise is great for beginners who are looking for a low-impact abdominal workout in the pool. Find a corner of the pool---or a dock/ledge if swimming in a lake/ocean---and face your back toward it with your elbows holding you above water. Keep your legs straight while lifting them approximately 90 degrees in the water, and then bring them back down to the starting position.
A variation of this exercise would be to bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and lift your knees toward your abdomen. Since you perform these exercises in the water, they are great for those who may have arthritis, sore joints, back pain or other ailments that limit the types of abdominal workouts they can do.
Pool Swim Kicks
This is another in-pool abdominal workout that also works the leg muscles. Face a corner of the pool---or a dock if in a lake/ocean outdoors---and hang onto it with both hands while kicking your legs as if you were trying to swim. Kick hard, and keep your abdominal muscles contracted during the exercise. Continue kicking in the water for 15 to 30 seconds before resting for a minute and then doing another set; three to five sets total is ideal. This exercise will strengthen your legs, lower abs and hip flexor muscles.
Crunches
Out of the pool, crunches are one of the simplest and most effective abdominal workouts. The key to doing a good crunch is to squeeze the abs at the top of the movement. It's also important to not lift your head with your arms because that can lead to neck pain; place your hands behind your head for support only. Do each crunch slowly and concentrate on quality over quantity.
A variation of the basic crunch is using a slight twisting motion of the torso at the top of the crunch movement; this helps to work the oblique abdominal muscles on the sides of your body. If you find it too painful to lie on the floor to do crunches, you can alternatively use an exercise ball---also known as a stability, Swiss or fitness ball---to lie on while you do your crunches. The exercise ball will help to cushion your back during the movement.
Member Comments