Why Don't We Use Heavy Weights? - Coach Markell

   Swimming is a unique sport. Swimmers must propel themselves forward, trying to gain leverage to produce force in the most unstable environment possible. They must do this while keeping great body alignment in order to reduce drag and have the least amount of resistance possible. Swimmers must also manage their buoyancy to help them be at the ideal position in the water. All of these components are a lot to control, no matter the age or ability level. People often ask me, why we don’t use heavy weights in our dryland program at First Colony Swim Team. All of these challenging components lead to the philosophy we have adopted in our dryland program.

   In the sport of swimming, because of all of the factors being managed, strength doesn’t always equal speed. It’s easy to look at some world class swimmers and think “they are very strong so my swimmer needs to be strong”. It is true that they are strong. They have become strong from many years of swimming and dryland workouts to help their body work most effectively in the water. If we analyze the top athletes in swimming, the body type and composition varies depending on each individual and is also different based on their primary event(s). Many things lead to fast swimming, including but not limited to the following: stroke technique and sequencing of movements, body position, endurance, stroke rate, aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, lactic acid production and tolerance, strength, power, muscle and joint mobility and stability, mental strength, mental endurance, and grit. All of these assets come from hard work in and out of the pool. When these components are trained and applied in the right combination they lead to high performance. 

   Creating the most efficient swimmers will lead to higher performance, this does not just come from strength. Often, more pure strength can reduce a swimmer’s efficiency by changing their body position, stroke rate, buoyancy, and/or mobility.  In our dryland program at FCST we are looking at creating the most efficient swimmers, not just the strongest. We do many strength based exercises, and with this the goal is never to simply add weight to gain strength. The focus is about training the neuropathways, helping their bodies have the proper control, and gaining functional strength.  These types of strength correlate to fast swimming. 

   Another primary goal with FCST dryland is to constantly focus on injury prevention. If a swimmer is injured they are automatically losing potential to swim fast, either due to pain or being under trained. Lifting heavier weights places our young (18 and under) athletes at higher risk for both acute and repetitive based injuries. As the swimmers progress through the program they have many opportunities to use different equipment that will help increase their strength and power in a way that is functional to swimming. Large biceps do not automatically equal fast swimming, yet muscle production that gives a swimmer more ability to have proper technique, body position, ideal rate and efficiency can produce faster swimming. Strength that is non-functional to swimming does not automatically promote speed. 

   There are many philosophies on how to produce top level athletes and swimmers, and different teams subscribe to different thought processes. At FCST we have adopted the philosophy of Functional Dryland Training based on the principles of Applied Functional Science. This has proven to be very successful in producing speed and drastically reducing injuries. If you have any questions regarding our philosophy for dryland training, I am always available for questions and concerns. As always, it is a pleasure to work with your athletes and I feel honored to have this opportunity.

Coach Markell: CSCS, FAFS, FMR, PCM, 3DMAPS, and CAFS