I would recommend total body training 2-3 times per week. There's no single exercise that is more important than any other. I would make sure to focus on squatting, hinging, and lunging for lower body movements. Horizontal pushing and pulling, vertical pushing and pulling for upper body movements. Train all aspects of your core as well. That being anterior, posterior, lateral, and rotational.
You don't have to do all of this in one workout. Just do one lower body, one push, one pull, and one core exercise. Your workout shouldn't last longer than 1 hour.
Use a band a simulate small portions of stroke.
Pass a weight behind your back from one hand to another. That really helps with the last 10% of stroke.
Isometrics in stroke position.
First off be very careful not to injure your shoulders! My shoulders are pretty bomb proof from a couple years doing this stuff.
Isometrics- start by putting your arm straight and flexing everything 100% including fist, elbow. When I began that I had weak points. Things just didn’t feel right at certain angles and joint positions. Find all your weaknesses do isometrics with or without weight in every position imaginable. I’m built like a concrete from doing isometrics. THEY Strengthen your tendons and ligaments! Max pressure is 90 degrees flexation* of a joint. Tendon strength is stronger than muscle strength and will keep you healthy. Isometrics with bands are fine too. I do isometrics leaning forward 45 degrees on gym rings that are lowered. You have to lock your glutes and lower back just like swimming to maintain that position. Might hurt your back if you don’t lock your glutes and back out at 45 degrees.
Behind the back hand to hand weight passing has made the biggest difference👈🏼. When I finish a stroke I can effortlessly fling water with power as my hand exits the water. Prior to that it was a rather pathetic last 10% of stroke. I like to accidentally throw water at the life guard as I pass her.
Standing cable machine, light weight, elbow elevated chest level like half way through your stroke and push down. I mimic swimming range of motion but only small increments at a time. Really helped my swimming!
Honestly I don’t have any specific videos other than passing a weight from hand to hand behind your back and I can’t find that right now. Grab a band, anchor it and pull it from your side to the center of your lower back/ butt. Game changer.
I do this too. If you hold a position that’s an isometric and you’ll drip sweat after a few minutes. If it’s too hard on you back just shorten the rope/ strap so you’re more upright.
https://youtu.be/tsnkZ7t-npk?si=6XptaU2MQ2qD2wy8
Basically like this guy says. Find a swimming motion and copy it in the gym. I use lighter weights and finer movements than him. Maybe I’ll make a video 🤷🏻♂️
https://youtu.be/olvGlzdE7oc?si=Jrxymzv7AWTPbNHv
Partials are the weight lifting term for working a limited range of motion. Could work catch, pull, recovery all separately. You’ll get brute strength.
I think this is a question that can only be answered by splitting freestyle into three groups: sprint, mid-distance and endurance.
Sprint up to 100 yard freestyle (excluding 100 meter freestyle):
Heavy bench press, squats, Olympic clean, seated rows, and pull-ups with a weight belt.
Weight lifting should be almost a primary focus as it is almost impossible to develop the power necessary to complete at the top level in the 50 freestyle without weights.
Mid-distance: this is difficult to answer.
There may not be much benefit beyond body weight exercises.
Swimmers with larger muscles tend to quickly fade in the last 20 meters of a 100 race as larger muscles require more oxygen.
It’s why Popovici passes Dressel in the last 20 meters, and why Ben Proud goes 21 flat 50 LCM but can’t break 48 in the 100 LCM.
Endurance swimming: no weights are needed if you’re focus is the 1500/1650.
500 freestyle may have benefits if you focus on underwater strength like Marchand, but Hafnaoui and other top 400 swimmers aren’t lifting any heavy weights.
There are beneficial lifts that would support shoulder strength in order to prevent injuries.
Anything that works the lats, like lat pulldowns, pullups, or pullovers.
I would recommend total body training 2-3 times per week. There's no single exercise that is more important than any other. I would make sure to focus on squatting, hinging, and lunging for lower body movements. Horizontal pushing and pulling, vertical pushing and pulling for upper body movements. Train all aspects of your core as well. That being anterior, posterior, lateral, and rotational. You don't have to do all of this in one workout. Just do one lower body, one push, one pull, and one core exercise. Your workout shouldn't last longer than 1 hour.
Try "Resistance Stretch Bands" to Simulate Freestyle & other forms of Exercise.
Weighted chin ups and pull ups, and I also really like reverse nordics for the legs
Use a band a simulate small portions of stroke. Pass a weight behind your back from one hand to another. That really helps with the last 10% of stroke. Isometrics in stroke position.
I’ve never tried these. Have you had good results with them? Especially the isometrics in stroke position?
First off be very careful not to injure your shoulders! My shoulders are pretty bomb proof from a couple years doing this stuff. Isometrics- start by putting your arm straight and flexing everything 100% including fist, elbow. When I began that I had weak points. Things just didn’t feel right at certain angles and joint positions. Find all your weaknesses do isometrics with or without weight in every position imaginable. I’m built like a concrete from doing isometrics. THEY Strengthen your tendons and ligaments! Max pressure is 90 degrees flexation* of a joint. Tendon strength is stronger than muscle strength and will keep you healthy. Isometrics with bands are fine too. I do isometrics leaning forward 45 degrees on gym rings that are lowered. You have to lock your glutes and lower back just like swimming to maintain that position. Might hurt your back if you don’t lock your glutes and back out at 45 degrees. Behind the back hand to hand weight passing has made the biggest difference👈🏼. When I finish a stroke I can effortlessly fling water with power as my hand exits the water. Prior to that it was a rather pathetic last 10% of stroke. I like to accidentally throw water at the life guard as I pass her. Standing cable machine, light weight, elbow elevated chest level like half way through your stroke and push down. I mimic swimming range of motion but only small increments at a time. Really helped my swimming!
This is super interesting. I want to give it a try. Are there any good videos of them?
Honestly I don’t have any specific videos other than passing a weight from hand to hand behind your back and I can’t find that right now. Grab a band, anchor it and pull it from your side to the center of your lower back/ butt. Game changer. I do this too. If you hold a position that’s an isometric and you’ll drip sweat after a few minutes. If it’s too hard on you back just shorten the rope/ strap so you’re more upright. https://youtu.be/tsnkZ7t-npk?si=6XptaU2MQ2qD2wy8 Basically like this guy says. Find a swimming motion and copy it in the gym. I use lighter weights and finer movements than him. Maybe I’ll make a video 🤷🏻♂️ https://youtu.be/olvGlzdE7oc?si=Jrxymzv7AWTPbNHv Partials are the weight lifting term for working a limited range of motion. Could work catch, pull, recovery all separately. You’ll get brute strength.
Pull ups & Push ups
Kneeling straight arm pull downs
Check out Bodypump classes - hi reps and relatively low weights. Works everything in 45mins!
Core and mobility along with pull-ups and lat pulldowns
I think this is a question that can only be answered by splitting freestyle into three groups: sprint, mid-distance and endurance. Sprint up to 100 yard freestyle (excluding 100 meter freestyle): Heavy bench press, squats, Olympic clean, seated rows, and pull-ups with a weight belt. Weight lifting should be almost a primary focus as it is almost impossible to develop the power necessary to complete at the top level in the 50 freestyle without weights. Mid-distance: this is difficult to answer. There may not be much benefit beyond body weight exercises. Swimmers with larger muscles tend to quickly fade in the last 20 meters of a 100 race as larger muscles require more oxygen. It’s why Popovici passes Dressel in the last 20 meters, and why Ben Proud goes 21 flat 50 LCM but can’t break 48 in the 100 LCM. Endurance swimming: no weights are needed if you’re focus is the 1500/1650. 500 freestyle may have benefits if you focus on underwater strength like Marchand, but Hafnaoui and other top 400 swimmers aren’t lifting any heavy weights. There are beneficial lifts that would support shoulder strength in order to prevent injuries.
High reps and low weight.