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Olympic Swimmer Workout – Phelps Weight Training
Swimmers can improve their performance by building their upper body. Broad, powerful shoulders are essential to a swimmers physique, as the help to propel the swimmer through the water. Michael Phelps is an excellent example of this, as his upper body is actually more developed than his lower body. To help build muscle to improve speed and stamina in the water, you should focus on the following three weight training for swimmers exercises.
1. Standing Dumbbell Press
Aim to perform 3 sets of 10-16 repetitions of this exercise. Swimmers need to develop muscular endurance, not hypertrophy. To perform the standing dumbbell press, start with the feet shoulder width apart and your knees locked out. Keep you chin level with the floor and raise the dumbbells so that your elbows are just below shoulder height. Tighten your abdominals and slowly press the dumbbells up until your arms are above your head. At the top of the movement, briefly pause before lowering the weights back to the start position. Keep your arms vertical throughout the exercise, ensuring that your wrists and elbows form a straight line. Keep the abdominals and lower back tight to help support the spine during the exercise. If you do not have dumbbells, then resistance machines in the gym will suffice. Be sure to position yourself and the machine so that your hands start above your shoulders, not in front of or behind.
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2. Dumbbell Front Raise
To perform the dumbbell front raise take a similar stance as above, with the feet 30cm apart. Hold the dumbbells by your side to start with, with palms facing your thighs. While keeping the arms straight, slowly raise the weights in front of you until your arms are horizontal, with the dumbbells in front of your shoulders. As you raise the weights to the horizontal position, turn your wrists so that palms face the floor. Pause momentarily before returning the weight to the start position. Ensure that you have a solid stance and that your heels do not lift up off the floor. The emphasis is on the front deltoids.
3. Dumbbell Lateral Shoulder Raise
This exercise is a little more awkward than the first two. Firstly it should be performed on an inclined bench (approx. 45 degree incline). Start by holding the dumbbell in one hand while laying on the bench on the opposite side of your body – i.e. if you hold the dumbbell in your right hand to start with you need to be laying on your left. The free arms should be rested over the top of the bench to help with support. To start, the dumbbell is held across your body, with the palm facing downwards. Slowly raise the weight upwards until it is perpendicular to your torso. Lower slowly back to the starting position, then repeat with the other arm.
4. Flexibility Training for Better Swimming
A flexible shoulder girdle is essential to all swimming strokes. Improved performance can be gained by working on flexibility in the upper body. Weight training exercises increase the contraction of the muscles, which improves the range of motion for a joint. When performing weight training exercises as above, ensure that your work through your full range of motion. Do not do any partial reps, i.e.do not resort to lifting through just half the range of motion when you get tired.
There are any other exercises that can compliment a swimming routine. The general rule for swimmers, as it is for all athletes, is to perform compound weight training exercises, and aim to increase repetitions to build muscular endurance.
Read more on swimming and swimming for fitness. Here Chris Chew asks if swimming is an effective way to lose weight, build and tone muscle? and Michael Phelps – Greatest Olympic Swimmer – Workouts and Diet.
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2 Responses to “Olympic Swimmer Workout – Phelps Weight Training”
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could you send me some work out so me and my team could get better and we could win more meet and everything
Hi Lauren,
I shall see if we can write up some workouts for you. What styles and distances are you competing in? Take a look here, there may be something useful:
Swimming Workouts