Programme Justification

Exercise Selection

Core Exercises

The core exercises included in this micro-cycle are wide-grip pull-up, back squat, chest press, lat-pulldown, shoulder press and bent over row. These exercises are closely related to the movements performed during swimming, which is important to optimise the benefits of strength training (Baechle & Earle, 2008). Trappe & Pearson (1994) have provided evidence for the benefits of land-based strength training on swimming performance times.

 

Assistance Exercises

The assistance exercises include tricep dips, lunges, lateral raises, pec fly’s, reverse fly’s and upright row. These exercises are less important for improving performance, but will help to maintain technique of core exercise and avoid injury (Baechle & Earle, 2008). These exercises are focused mainly on the upper body due to the demands of swimming.

Prehabilitation Exercises 

The main injuries associated with swimming occur in the shoulder (swimmers shoulder) (Pink & Tibone, 2000; Russ, 1998). In addition, this athlete suffers some bilateral shoulder pain after long swimming sessions. Therefore the prehabilitation exercises included are aimed at stabilising the shoulder joint, which can help to prevent shoulder injuries in swimmers (Fowler, 1995).

Flexibility Exercises  

The flexibility exercises selected were a mixture of dynamic stretches (performed before training or competition) and static stretches to maintain flexibility during the in-season. The upper body exercises may also help to prevent further shoulder pain (Fowler, 1995).

Core Stability Exercises

The core stability exercises include plank, flutter kick, side plank, medicine ball twists, plank with arm and opposite leg extension and leg throw down. Core stability is particularly important in swimming to co-ordinate arm strokes with leg kicks and to maintain a streamline body position in the water (Salo & Riewald, 2008).

Training Frequency

The athlete has 4 years’ experience with resistance training including free-weights and machines and they performed well on basic strength tests during screening. Therefore a resistance training frequency of 4-7 sessions/week would be appropriate, due to the athletes advanced training status (Baechle & Earle, 2008).  However, when taking into account the time in the season, this frequency must be altered. The athlete is currently in the in-season part of the year and therefore the frequency of resistance training must be reduced. A training frequency of 3 session/week has been selected in order to maintain the resistance training goals achieved during the pre-season period of the year. The frequency of resistance training is reduced during the in-season so that the athlete can focus of training in the pool, which is a higher priority when considering upcoming competitions (Baechle & Earle, 2008). The two sessions a week would be sufficient to maintain strength and flexibility, as well as avoid injury through the use of prehabilitation exercises.  

Exercise Order  

Using a core exercise then assistance exercise order helps to avoid impairment of technique caused by fatigue during the core exercises (Baechle & Earle, 2008). This is important because the core exercises are generally multi-joint and have a higher risk of injury than assistance exercises, particularly with poor technique. Alternating push and pull exercises is a method of allowing muscle groups to recover without extending rest periods between exercise. This could allow for exercises to be performed in a shorter session, without a detrimental effect on the volume that can be performed for each exercise (Baechle & Earle, 2008).  

Training Load and Repetitions 

A one repetition max (1-RM) testing procedure was used for core exercise, whereas for assistance exercises a multiple repetition max procedure was used and corresponded to the number of repetitions that would be performed in training sessions. The athlete is at the in-season period of the year. Therefore the resistance training program has been designed to maintain the progress made during the pre-season. To maintain strength a training load of ≥85% 1-RM needs to be used, with a repetition range of ≤6 repetitions (Bompa & Carrera, 2005).  

Volume

Volume refers to the total weight lifted during a session (Bompa & Carrera, 2005). This can be calculated with the equation sets x repetitions x weight per repetition. In order to increase maximal strength, volume must be increased (Bompa & Carrera, 2005). Due to the time in the season (in-season), it has been suggested that 2-4 sets should be performed in order to maintain strength (Bompa & Carrera, 2005). 

Rest and Unloading Weeks  

Strength exercises require 2-5 minutes rest between sets and exercise (Ratamess, 2009), with lower body exercises generally requiring slightly longer rest periods than upper body exercises due to the total muscle mass used (Baechle & Earle, 2008). Despite following a strength training program, assistance exercises follow a hypertrophy volume and therefore require 30 – 90 seconds rest (Baechle & Earle, 2008). Lastly prehabilitation and core exercises are aimed at muscular endurance and therefore require ≤30 seconds rest between sets (Ratamess et al., 2009).

The athlete is in the competition phase and therefore requires a greater amount of rest days from resistance training, in order to focus on training in the pool. As the athlete already has a low training frequency, due to the goal being maintenance of strength, unloading weeks are not required for the resistance training program. However, unloading weeks would be required to reduce the swimming training volume, to allow for recovery (Kraemer, 2008, Hennessy, 2011).

Periodisation and Peaking

The annual periodisation plan demonstrates how the work in the gym complements and assists the work in the pool. The majority of the training for the athlete will be performed in the pool, however in order to improve the strength and power of the stroke, the athletes strength and power need increasing in the gym (Fleck & Kraemer, 1997). A national level swimmer would increase the training volume as the season progresses, increasing the duration and intensity of sets (Counsilman, 1977).

The training load in the gym and the pool changes in order to reach the athletes peak. The strength work in the gym helps the power work in the pool, and when the strength work changes to muscular endurance this assists the speed and high intensity work in the pool. (Counsilman, 1977; Bompa & Haff, 2009).

It is important to increase the training intensity and volume in order to for the swimming to be performing at their peak when it is the major competitions. This involves fitness, speed and technical work in the pool, with strength and core work assisting this progression. Competitions are important throughout the season as it provides a way to assess the swimmers performance and look at the pacing of the race.