1. From a standing position, drop down onto your hands and kick your feet straight back.
2. Lower into a push-up and push back up. As you complete the push-up, draw your feet forward so that they are under your hips.
3. Jump upward, lifting your arms overhead into a streamline.
4. Absorb the landing by dropping straight down into another repetition.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, gluteus maximus, pectoralis major, triceps brachii
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, erector spinae, anterior deltoid
Swimming Focus
This excellent dryland exercise can be easily incorporated into a circuit-training program because no equipment is required. The primary focus of the exercise is the transition from the push-up position into the streamlined position. Emphasizing quickness when drawing the feet up under the hips will improve your speed with the open turns performed during butterfly and breaststroke. Jumping into a tight streamlined position will transfer to improved streamlining off the turn walls for all strokes.
As with regular push-ups, holding a tight body position is important; you should be able to draw a straight line from the ankles, through the hips, to the tip of the head. Sagging or arching of the low back is a technique flaw that can lead to undue stress on the spine. To protect the body, particularly the knees, from excessive pounding, you should land from the jump with the knees slightly bent to absorb the landing. Performing the exercise on a nonslip exercise mat will help protect the lower extremities from excessive pounding.
SAFETY TIP
Before incorporating this exercise into the dryland program for a young swimmer, he or she should demonstrate the strength and coordination to perform a push-up properly.
Block Jump Start Into Streamlined Position
Execution
1. Set yourself with your preferred starting position on the block.
2. Explode off the block into a vertical streamlined position.
3. Hold the vertical streamlined position until you enter the water.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, erector spinae
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, gracilis, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis
Swimming Focus
This transitional exercise helps you focus on exploding off the starting blocks into a tight streamlined position. As you jump from the blocks, the initial focus should be on jumping for maximal height. The focus then quickly shifts to holding the tight, vertical streamline. A reaction drill component can be added to the exercise by having you jump on cue.
SAFETY TIP
For safety reasons, the exercise should be performed only where the pool is at least 5 feet (150 cm) deep. The depth of the pool will dictate how long the swimmer should hold the streamlined position. For shallower pools, the swimmer should break the streamline by slightly bending the knees on entry into the water to absorb the landing when reaching the bottom of the pool. With deeper pools, the streamline can be held longer, ideally until the entire body has entered the water.
VARIATION
Dryland Block Jump Start Into Streamlined Position
The dryland variation can be used to incorporate the exercise into a circuit program or a lifting program in a weight-room environment. To avoid placing undue stress on the joints of the lower extremity, the knees should be slightly bent to absorb the landing when initially contacting the ground.
Band-Resisted Start
Execution
1. In a flat start position, set your toes and the balls of your feet against a stable object.
2. The exercise bands are brought diagonally across your body and anchored on the shoulder opposite their point of attachment.
3. Mimicking a start off the blocks, explode against the resistance of the bands.
4. To avoid reaching your arms out to catch yourself, you can bring a foot forward at end of the exercise.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, erector spinae
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, pectineus, gracilis, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis
Swimming Focus
This exercise specifically targets the muscles that you use to explode off the starting blocks. The key to maximizing the benefit of the exercise is to position the exercise bands so that in the starting position a small amount of tension is already placed on the bands. This tension ensures that the increased resistance and strengthening benefits will occur throughout the entire movement.
To make the exercise as realistic as possible, you should focus on transitioning into a streamlined position, just as you would during a regular start. To protect your back, set the core-stabilizing musculature at the start of the exercise and hold it tight during the entire movement. After forward movement ends, you can bring a foot forward to stabilize the body. Reaching out and then falling on an outstretched hand is a common cause of injury to the upper extremity.
SAFETY TIP
Because of the complexity of this exercise, younger swimmers should not perform it.
Box Jump
Execution
1. Stand 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) in front of a plyometric box and drop into a quarter-squat position.
2. Jump up onto the box, landing with your feet directly underneath you and your knees slightly flexed.
3. Complete the movement by standing up erect on the box.
4. Step off the box in a slow, controlled manner.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gastrocnemius, soleus
Secondary:Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, external oblique, internal oblique, transversus abdominis, erector spinae
Swimming Focus
Box jumps are a valuable exercise for developing speed and strength in the lower extremities to improve your ability to explode off the starting blocks and turn walls. Jumping up onto the box has two primary advantages when compared with a normal jump for height: (1) The height of the box serves as a motivational target, and (2) landing on the box reduces the stress placed on the lower extremities. The box jump also serves as a good exercise for learning how to use the arms to increase the jump height, which translates into improved distance and speed off the starting blocks. You can increase jump height by explosively swinging the arms at the initiation of the jump.