For online coaching, consults or on-site clinics on the Conjugate Method and proper strength training for your athletes please email nateharvey2600@gmail.com

The following is how we trained our swimmers in the fall. At this point in the fall, we are just trying to get them strong. I am lucky their Coach understood the importance of this. We are not peaking for anything so we can put some serious emphasis on the weight room right now.

 

Swimmers trained T, TH, S. The sprints group had an extra lift they did Monday mornings. Swimmers trained on the 8-day rotation.

Week1:
Tuesday- ME upper
Thursday - DE lower
Saturday - DE upper

Week2:
Tuesday- ME lower
Thursday- ME upper
Saturday- DE lower

 

 A couple things we have to consider when training swimmers...
1. They do dry-land work 3x/wk. This usually consists of core work, jump variations and bodyweight movements including lunge variations, pull ups and push ups.
2. They do a ton of volume in the pool. I think this is just part of the sport and the culture. This is not something you as a strength coach are going to change so you must plan around it.
3. For the most part, their athletic ability on the ground is limited because the majority of them started competitive swimming when they were 6 years old. Travel, time commitments and general energy demands on the athlete of most swim clubs does not allow for a wide development of motor abilities outside of swimming.
4.  Due to the nature of their stroke and the aforementioned early sport specialization, they tend to have poor general mobility. Much of this lack of mobility comes from a lack of strength as well.

Now that we've laid out the challenges let's look at how we get them better...

 

PHASE I:

MONDAY MORNING SPRINTS GROUP:
1. Dynamic warm up on pool deck as a group
2. fire hydrants/ knee circles - 30 each
3. TKE - 30 each
4. Shoulder cleans - 30
5. Jump rope - 2 feet/ lateral hop/ Ali shuffle - 1 minute each, no rest
6. Knee Jumps - 3x3
7. High pull - 3x3 (sport coach's request. these will progress to hang cleans over the next 3 weeks. We will build technique and volume before actually catching the bar)
8. Speed bench vs micro bands - 6x3@ 40% - women used half a band. If this day fell right before a speed upper day on Tuesday they would tell me when they came in Tuesday and we would substitute out the speed bench for something else. Typically bamboo bar bench. Something light to promote recovery.
9. Single leg reverse hyper - 3x20
10. Thompson hips - 3x20, no rest
11. Roll out abs - 3x10
12. banded hip and shoulder mobility

 

DAY 1:
MAX EFFORT LOWER
1.fire hydrant - 50
2. Seated Box Jump- 6x5
3. straight bar vs chain - 3rm
4.bulg split squat - 3x6
5.single leg Back Ext - 4x10
6.GHR- 3x10
7. single leg sit ups - 4x15, one leg up
8. weighted knee raise - 3x20
9. Inverted Row- 3x10, hold at top, 3 second eccentric
10. foam roll/ mobility bands

DAY 2:
SPEED UPPER
1. lying ext rotation 50 total
3. speed bench - 6x3@40% - bands PAIR WITH overhead med ball slam 3 reps.  Women - 10lb ball, Men- 20lb ball.
4. DB floor press 3x20
5. DB pull over - 4x8
4.shoulder clean - 4x20
5. Single arm shoulder press - 3x12
6. biceps and triceps - 3x12
7.side plank for reps - 4x20
PULL UP TEST- BEAT YOUR REPS FROM LAST WEEK!!!

DAY 3:
SPEED LOWER
1. fire hydrants x 50
2. knee circles x 20/direction
3. BWT rev lunge x10
2. SSB speed squat 8x2 @50%- bands PAIR WITH wgtd box jump 3 reps
- free squat with bands - 3x3
3. hang clean- 5x3 - (Coaches request)
4. hanging abs w/w 4x 25
banded leg curl- 3x30, up one band
6. reverse hyper - 4x20
7. row on back ext. - 3x12
8. banded hip mobility

DAY 4:
MAX EFFORT UPPER
1. Partner shoulder/ pec mash
2. lateral raise x 50 and scap push-up x 50
3. seated jump to overhead slam - 8x3
4. push up - 4x10 - add band or weight to make 10 reps hard, fail on last set
5. NG pull up - 5x6- slow ecc
6. roll out abs - 4x10
7. Shrug- 4x15 - 1-3-3 tempo
8. Chest Supp. T Raise- 4x30 - thumbs in 1-2-3 tempo
9.band on rack obliques - 4x25
10. dead hangs 2x 30 sec