How to improve your turns: Abdominal exercises By J.R. Rosania

Your the 1st swimmer to the wall every time, but coming out of the turns your behind. You need better, more effective turns. Yes, working your turns as part of practice is a must. But what about strengthening certain muscles to make your turns more powerful, explosive and to get better distance off the walls?

Well there is a way. This month I have designed a series of strengthening exercises that will build and strengthen your core and lower body. This added strength, in the vital areas that you use while performing turns will power you off the walls faster and with greater distance.

Lets perform these exercises 2-3 days a week. Start with 2 sets of 15 and build to 3 sets after 3 weeks. Each exercise should be done with control and about 2 seconds per repetition. Faster is not better. Take a 60 sec rest between sets.

Working your turns, and strengthening you core doing these exercises, should have you whipping up on your competition in no time.

Its your TURN, now get after it!

Ball Rotation...while lying face down on a physo ball at your wasit, roll your hips to either side until your body is verticle. Stop and reverse direction.

Ball V ups....Lying on your back with a physo ball between your ankles and arms stretched out overhead, raise your legs and arms upward till they come together over your body. Then slowly lower both and repeat.

Bent Knee Hipups....While lying on your back, lift your legs with your knees bent off the ground and slightly lifting you hips up as well. Lower and repeat.

Med ball full situp....While holding a 6-12lb medicine ball and knees slightly bent, slowly lift your upper body up off the ground yo your knees and slowly lower. Repeat.

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Permalink Reply by Steven Unruh on January 24, 2011 at 8:06pm

i would like to add that squats or legs press in addition to calf raises are extremely important to getting off the wall fast.

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Permalink Reply by Steven Unruh on January 25, 2011 at 11:54am

I also cannot stress enough how streamlining off the walls is.

in this short video you can see how fast my turn is.

http://www.floswimming.org/videos/coverage/view_video/234996/177650

i am in lane 5 (next to the empty lane on the camera side).

you cannot get off the wall fast if you make your body a wall itself! you need to be like a torpedo and cut through it. fingers over fingers. biceps next to the ears.