Have you been trying to master a certain body position in your swimming but can’t seem to get it? 

Do you swim countless yards without much improvement in time? 

Although we all love a good swim workout, sometimes the answer is not swimming more. 

Strength is a key component to swimming. It is also often overlooked. Why is it important? 

• Strength allows you to maintain proper body positioning for longer. Can’t properly brace your core? Good luck holding an efficient position in the water. 
  • Sprinters: Can you hold a plank for the duration of your event? If not, let’s assess if you’re holding optional position. 
• Strength gives you a bigger engine to work with. I discussed this during the Performance Training Q&A last week. 
• Swimming is very high repetition. Strength helps sustain joint health during this high repetition movement. How many of you have had shoulder issues during your swimming career? Exactly!
• Strength extends careers. Check out the piece I did a few weeks ago on “The Climb to the Top.” 

So how do you know if you need to work on strength? 

The first phase is to assess yourself. At RITTER Sports Performance, we are always looking for what is going to help the swimming community succeed.

Our next endeavor, a swimming specific combine!

We will walk you through an assessment you can complete and find out if you’re strong enough for swimming!