Testing the kinetic chain

The body is set up in a series of links called the kinetic chain. It's easy to think of the body as a set of individual segments that do not interact or influence each other: you have your shoulders that you use to generate propulsion during your pull, your legs that help with the kick, the torso that assists with body rotation, and so on. However, all of these segments are in fact linked together, much like the links of a chain. What happens in one part of the body is influenced by what is happening in other parts of the body. When viewed this way, the force you can generate with your pull is affected by a variety of other factors:

Aqua aerobic and pulmonary diseases

Pulmonary diseases limit the body's ability to provide oxygen to the body's tissues. They generally fall into two categories: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma. The ACSM recommends that all participants with pulmonary disease receive physician's clearance prior to participating in an exercise program. The body's need for oxygen intake and carbon dioxide removal is increased during exercise, so participants with pulmonary diseases must learn how to cope with diminished lung capacity and increased oxygen demands. Gas exchange impairments also create problems for the cardiovascular and muscular systems. 

Body position mistakes in freestyle

Mistakes in this area usually mean that swimmers have done something to disturb their (1) horizontal or (2) lateral alignment.

Developmental advice for parents of age-group swimmers (8-12 years old)

In todays post I'm going to advise parents on how to prepare for and deal with the ups and downs of this challenging  yet rewarding sport. 

12 tips for youth swimmers moving to the senior level

Following are tips for youth swimmers who are moving on to the senior level. Coaches can put them on a board so that these tips are visible all the time by the young swimmers. 

Insweep and leg lift mistakes during the kick in breaststroke

This post concludes the mistakes that swimmers might do during the kick in breaststroke.

The most common mistakes made in this phase of the kick are (1) extending the feet back before the insweep is finished, (2) failing to lift the legs after the insweep is complete, and (3) keeping the legs too close together.

Outsweep mistakes during the kick in breaststroke

The most common mistake swimmers can make in the outsweep are (1) to push the legs down too deep or, conversely, (2) to push the feet back without circling them out. Swimmers may also make the mistake of (3) executing the outsweep with the feet plantarflexed (pointed back) instead of dorsiflexed (flattened).

Recovery mistakes during the kick in breaststroke

The breaststroke kick has five phases: the recovery, the catch, the outsweep, the insweep, and the leg lift and glide. Today I'm going to talk about mistakes tha breaststrokers do during the recovery and the other phases will follow in the next few days.

The most common mistake during the recovery is when swimmers push the thighs down and forward against the water. Other common mistakes include: (1) recovering the legs with the knees too wide or (2) with the feet in poorly streamlined positions, (3) lacking the flexibility to make a high catch, and (4) failing to set the feet in the proper catch position before extending the legs.

Breathing mistakes in breaststroke

The most common mistakes include: breathing too early, coming to the surface at too steep an angle to breathe, and keeping the head above the water during the kick.

Timing mistakes in butterfly

The common mistakes swimmers make with regard to timing are: kicking too early during the recovery, gliding too long after the entry, and kicking only once during each stroke cycle.

Kicking mistakes in butterfly

Ankle extension ability is a major asset in dolphin kicking. Swimmers should be able to extend their feet more than 70 degrees from the vertical. Those who do not possess this ability will need to increase the range of motion with specially designed ankle flexibility exercises. Good ankle extension is very important during the downbeat of the dolphin kick. Swimmers with good ankle flexibility can maintain a backward orientation to the water with the feet until late in the downbeat. On the other hand, swimmers with poor ankle extension ability, will simply push down with their feer, just like with their legs, on the water during the latter part of the downbeat.