shoulder

Why Swimmers Often Get Tight Upper Traps, Part 2

Why Swimmers Often Get Tight Upper Traps, Part 2

Previously, we discussed the idea of tight upper traps due to them being overly lengthened. This is very common in not only swimmers, but a lot of other athletes, too. If you haven't read part 1 yet, you can find it on our blog. Today, we're going to discuss why upper traps get tight for the a different reason: they're always "on." Bear in mind, a muscle can feel tight for generally two reasons: 1) the muscle is overly lengthened, or 2) the muscle is always on. Part 1 covered the former, and now we'll cover the latter.

Two Relatively Unknown Muscles That Are Key To Shoulder Health In Swimming

Two Relatively Unknown Muscles That Are Key To Shoulder Health In Swimming

We all know swimmers have to be strong. By nature, swimming is resistance training. Every time a swimmer moves through the water, that swimmer is moving against water resistance. So, it stands to reason that muscles like the lats, pecs, and quads need to be strong. The muscles we’re discussing here are not the pecs, lats, or quads, though; they’re the serratus anterior and the subscapularis. These two muscles are the common culprit of shoulder pain in swimmers. Learn how we address these two muscles to keep our swimmers pain-free and fast in the pool.

Swimmer’s Shoulder: What It Is and What To Do About It

Swimmer’s Shoulder: What It Is and What To Do About It

By far, the most common musculoskeletal complaint in the swimming population is shoulder pain. This should make a lot of sense as the repetitive overhead nature of swimming doesn’t allow much room for error. For example, an elite freestyle swimmer can take anywhere between 20 and 25 strokes every 50 meters. Let’s say you train 7,000 meters per day; that’s between 2,800 and 3,500 strokes every single day. If that same swimmer trains six days per week, that’s as many as 21,000 strokes per week and nearly 1,000,000 in a year. One stroke is not typically going to cause an injury, but this many reps, over time, certainly can.

Three Dryland Exercises Swimmers Should Avoid (And What To Do Instead)

Three Dryland Exercises Swimmers Should Avoid (And What To Do Instead)

Dryland training is crucial for swimmers that want to compete at a high level. There’s a reason why virtually all elite swimmers do some form of it and USA Swimming advocates it. It can prevent injuries, correct imbalances, and improve performance in the water. Overhead athletes, including swimmers, present with some unique considerations that need to be taken into account when completing a dryland training program. We’ll cover three common dryland exercises that are not good to do because of their injury risk, and we’ll provide alternatives so you can train safely.

Four Key Assessments For Swimmers

Four Key Assessments For Swimmers

The swimming population has been our fastest-growing demographic, so we've had a decent amount of assessments within the last year. At Achieve, we're big on assessing, and not on guessing. When we get a swimmer in the door, there are a whole host of things we're looking for. A thorough assessment should include both general and specific components.