Many swimmers exhibit the common characteristics of athletes who have spent the majority of their athletic development in the water. In particular, hyper-mobile joints are advantageous in swimming, but can be detrimental to strength training on land if the athlete is not mindful of the tendency to hyperextend or hyper-rotate these joints. There is a concern for injury when athletes who have hyper-mobile joints reach their end range of motion during weightlifting because the body is not maximally stable in these extreme positions. This can lead to strains and tears in the joint tissue. Let’s discuss how to recognize hyper-mobile athletes and how they can strength train in a safe and effective manner.

Think back to this time last year. You were likely gearing up for preseason with all the anticipation, energy (albeit nervous or excited), and mental toughness you could muster to get through a very intense time of the year for swimmers. Second only to the heavy training camps over the holidays, preseason swim training emphasizes cardiovascular fitness and muscular hypertrophy. How you prepare yourself leading up to preseason makes a huge impact on the way you handle the next couple of weeks. Let’s discuss a few tips so you can hit the ground running with training and truly maximize your preseason potential. 

Anthony Ervin is one of the most exciting sprinters in the sport today, and we are proud to have him on the Bridge platform.  After winning the gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games in the 50m free, Anthony retired from swimming.  In 2010 Anthony started training again, landing himself a spot on the London Olympic team.  He swam well in London and has continued to improve recently.  This summer at US Nationals, Ervin battled a lightning fast final to win the title in the 50m freestyle.  The three featured exercises that we will teach are the Seated Box Jump, the Dumbbell Forward/Reverse lunge, and the TRX Alligator.

Today we will feature Tom Shields. Tom is currently one of the best butterfliers in the world.  Tom had a breakout meet this summer at US Nationals, beating a stacked field to win both the 100m and 200m butterfly events.  His main strengths are his underwaters and his improved endurance. The three featured Bridge exercises are the Band Barbell Front Squat, the Dowel  Thoracic Mobility, and the Komodo Dragon Walk.

Today we will feature BridgeAthlete and Olympic Gold Medalist, Nathan Adrian.  Nathan is the best power sprinter in the world. He is currently training to defend his London Olympic performance where he won three gold medals.   His three favorite Bridge exercises are the Weighted Pull Up, the Hex Bar Dead Lift and the Disc Freestyle slide.  

Athletes require incredible range of motion in their joints to achieve maximum power and speed. Flexibility is an important part of every athlete’s training, but it is often overlooked. Not only does flexibility improve your range of motion, but it also protects against injury. Let’s discuss a few ways you can improve your flexibility within your training to improve your athleticism.

In these glorious few weeks between the end of championship season and the beginning of preseason, the last thing you are likely thinking of is your strength training…or is it? Preseason training can be a period of intense muscle soreness and physical fatigue. However, staying in better shape by maintaining your strength from one season to the next will help you manage preseason training better and set you up for a great training cycle. Let’s discuss three ways you can maintain your strength over the course of your break.

1. Hit the Gym

With Junior Nationals, Futures, & Sectionals fast approaching, many athletes will soon reach the time of the year for rest and recovery. In this narrow window of time between the end of long course season and the beginning of short course, learn how to maximize your time off by mentally and physically recharging. Here are a few tips to make the most out of your post-season.

An athlete puts hard work in everyday to train their body to perform at the highest level. Ideally the body works as one connected system, however different strains and muscle imbalances can prevent this network flow. Ankle flexibility, while maybe not on your current priority list in terms of training and rehab, is very important to this connected system and thus important for success in sport. From squats in weight lifting to underwater kicks in swimming, ankle mobility and flexibility can increase your force production and improve performance. This post will review why ankle flexibility is so important and provide you will quick and easy ways to improve your ankle mobility.