The Strength and Stability Paradox
Neal Pire, MA, CSCS, FACSM
Strength & Conditioning Specialist
USA Swimming
Sports Medicine and Science Network
In the sport of swimming, lower body strength training is not as important as many coaches believe. A recent study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise affirms that only in butterfly kicking is lower body strength related to performance. That is not to say that strength is not important for a competitive swimmer. All strokes do require significant core stabilization, as well as upper body strength, especially when it comes to dynamic stability of the shoulder joint and girdle.
Pain in the shoulder is common in swimmers. Shoulder function is highly dependent on the coordinated function of many muscle groups. These include the muscles around the shoulder, those that control the scapula or shoulder blade, muscles in the upper and lower back,
as well as abdominal and pelvic muscles.
In a recent article presented by USA Swimming and the Network Task Force on Injury Prevention, Scott Rodeo, MD affirms, "Since the shoulder is an inherently unstable joint, muscle forces are critical for maintaining stability, proper motion, and painless function. The repetitive overhead activity of the swimming stroke can result in fatigue of these muscles. This in turn can lead to distinct changes in the function of the shoulder, resulting in the pain that is commonly known as "swimmer's shoulder".
Dr. Rodeo, who serves as Chair of the USA Swimming Sports Medicine and Science Network, adds, "It is well-established that a comprehensive program to develop strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility of the muscles is the most important way to prevent "swimmer's shoulder".
It is unfortunate that all too often dry-land training programs are nothing more than some very basic resistance tubing exercises emphasizing shoulder joint external rotation, and even some - at times more detrimental than helpful - classic lifts like chest presses or pushups, and shoulder presses. Anyone who's been around older age-group and senior swimmers has seen the "more accomplished" swimmers with abnormally rounded shoulders. This postural deviation is most commonly caused by muscular imbalances resulting from the typically long workouts that emphasize use of the chest muscles and internal rotators of the shoulder joint.
Over the course of one season, the average competitive swimmer performs nearly 500,000 stroke revolutions per arm. This repetitive arm action, is believed to be the main cause in the overuse syndrome known as "swimmers shoulder." (The Shoulder and the Overhead Athlete, LW&W, 2004)
Since mainstream methodology continues to emphasize swimming thousands of meters in practice, and most coaches are not going to train short course sprinters like sprinters - at least not for now - it is crucial that young swimmers be prepared to deal with the demands of their training. This requires progressive core stabilization training and a comprehensive shoulder dynamic stabilization program.
As a parent of a competitive swimmer, I can attest to both the importance of this type of athletic preparation, as well as the frustration of a child with an injured shoulder. If your swim club isn't going to sacrifice pool time to adequately condition it's swimmers through their in-house dryland program, contact insPIRE and seek out the help of its expert conditioning specialists. An ounce of prevention now, will reduce your risk of needing a pound of treatment later.
