If you swim regularly, you are probably well aware that swimming uses numerous muscles throughout your body. Indeed, swimming uses muscles in your core, shoulders, arms, upper back, chest, and legs to maintain a hydrodynamic body position on the surface of the water and propel yourself forward. Sufficient strength and coordination of these muscles will help create a rhythmic, efficient swim stroke and reduce your injury risk.
Core
A strong core is the foundation for a powerful swim stroke. Your abdominals, obliques, and lower back muscles stabilize your body on the surface of the water and help you maintain proper body position, which allows effective execution of your swim stroke. A weak core can cause your hips and lower body to sink, increasing your drag through the water. In particular, your obliques help generate coordinated rotation of your torso during freestyle and backstroke swimming, and your abdominal and lower back muscles power your butterfly stroke.
Shoulders and Arms
Shoulder muscles are particularly important to a proper swim stroke. They are a common source of injury for swimmers, particularly if weaknesses in core and upper back muscles place excessive stress on the shoulders. Your shoulder muscles, including the deltoids and the supraspinatus, ensure proper hand entry and exit into the water. The muscles of the rotator cuff of the shoulder also stabilize the upper arm in the joint throughout the swim stroke. The triceps on the back of the upper arm and the biceps muscles on the front of the upper arm aid in propelling during the underwater phase of the stroke.
Upper Back and Chest
Several upper back muscles, such as the trapezius and rhomboids, are constantly active since they stabilize your shoulder throughout the entire swim stroke. Weakness in these stabilizer muscles may increase the strain on the shoulder muscles and lead to excessive shoulder rotation, leading to impingement of the shoulder joint. The pectoralis muscles in the chest and the latissimus dorsi in the upper back provide the main propulsive force during the underwater phase of the swim stroke along with the upper arm muscles mentioned above.
Legs
Some may ignore the leg muscles as key muscles used during swimming. However, the glute and hamstring muscles in the back of the leg and hip are particularly important for proper body position and an efficient kick. Specifically, these muscles help extend the hip joint while kicking and therefore maintain a streamlined body position on top of the water. If your feet sink below the surface, you will have more water resistance to move through and your kick will not generate as much power.
References
- "American Journal of Sports Medicine"; The normal shoulder during freestyle swimming. An electromyographic and cinematographic analysis of twelve muscles, M. Pink, et al, November 1991
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2nd Edition"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle, 2000
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