Thursday, November 1, 2012

Dry Land Workouts for Swimmers

And, to stay on top of your game in the competitive swimming world, you have to take part in both water-based and dry land workouts.
Start With Cardio
It's best to start your dry land workout with a little heart pumping action. If you're new to exercising outside the pool, start off walking at a brisk pace on the treadmill. And if that's too easy for you, does a quick 5 to 10 minute jog before you begin working with weights. But, you don't have to head to the gym to get an excellent dry land cardio workout. Skipping rope is one of the most effective ways to up your heart rate in only a matter of minutes. See how fast you can single-jump 100 times. Repeat this 3 times, resting for up to a minute between sets. The Aquafit 360 Skip Jump Rope by Speedo is not only great for beginning dry land workouts, but can always be an excellent way to get warmed up before your time in the pool. It's compact size means that it can be easily stored in your swim gear bag and taken along with you to the pool or gym.
Move to Weights
As you're moving onto weights, it's best to focus on individual muscle groups that are used most in your stroke. Upper back and arm muscles are essential in just about every stroke. Use a machine to do lateral pull downs, which work your shoulder and back muscles. Focus on your triceps to develop an even stronger upper body stroke. And since your legs do most of the work while in the water, you can't forget about working them either. In fact, a pair of aquatic ankle weights can even be worn while out of the water to further work your entire lower body. The All Pro Aquatic Ankle Weights add load-bearing exercises to water-based routines and can help build long and lean muscles when used during your dry land workout as well.
Resistance Can Still Be Effective
While resistance that of your body against the water is the number one way your muscles engage in the water, it doesn't mean that you can't utilize the amazing property when working out on dry land. One of the best fitness devices that make excellent use of resistance training is an exercise band. These stretchy resistance bands can be adapted to work just about every muscle in the body. But if you're going to invest in the portable and lightweight device, why not get one that can work on both dry land and in the water. The All Pro Weight-A-Band is an aquatic exercise band that helps tone muscles, develop endurance, and increase flexibility. Use it while in the water or on the side of the pool to help improve your overall stroke strength.

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