As the first Olympic team sport, water polo is played with six field players plus one goal keeper per team. The object is to use one hand on the ball to shoot past the other team's goalie and score. All done while swimming, treading, or climbing on opponents, players are not allowed to stand on the pool bottom while participating, making water polo one of the most physically challenging sports. For peak performance, strength and endurance are necessary.
Propulsion
Dante Dettamanti, water polo coach for Stanford University's eight-time NCAA champions, breaks down water polo's need for strength into four categories; the first is propulsion. Since water polo players must propel without use of the pool sides, strength is a key factor in the success of this move and for fast swimming in general. To increase leg strength, hold dumbbells on your shoulders while performing squats for additional resistance. Keep toes pointed forward and lower your bottom as if you were going to sit down while keeping your chest up. Keep your weight in your heels while you drive your body back up, exhaling.
Swimming Speed
Along with greater strength in your legs, Coach Dettamanti points out the importance of shoulder strength for speed in swimming. Dettamanti insists the best training to improve swimming speed is to spend your training time swimming. However, additional shoulder strength from weight training may prove helpful, as well. Use dumbbells to perform shoulder presses. Hold your weights up with goal-post-shaped arms, parallel to the floor between the elbow and shoulder. Press up while exhaling, criss-crossing weights, alternating the front weight from left to right on each press. Start with three sets of eight and work up to three sets of 12.
Shooting Harder
Shooting the ball harder may be easier with stronger arm muscles, but leg strength is also very important. Use dumbbells for added resistance in lunges by holding them at your sides while you take you foot out in front of you, both feet facing forward, and drop your back knee to the floor without touching. Rise and switch legs, repeat 12 to 15 times on each leg. For arms, Dettamanti recommends lateral arm raises to the front and side. Lift your dumbbells straight up and down with only a slight bend in your arm, slowly for three sets of 12 front, 12 side raises.
Wrestling for Position
Water polo requires strength to push, pull, hold and dominate your opponents while grappling for position. Dettamanti recommends working your rotator cuff for good overall conditioning. Stand with your elbows tucked in at your sides, dumbbells in up-facing hands together, parallel to the floor. Slowly swing your arms apart while keeping your elbows glued to your sides. Repeat for three sets of 12. Also work biceps and triceps with dumbbells. Triceps kickback should be done one hand at a time, with one knee and arm on your bench. Keep your arm stationary from the shoulder to elbow, pressing the lower arm up and lowering. For biceps, stand and raise and lower your weights, using your entire range of motion while keeping arms tucked in at your sides.
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