Swimming for conditioning is little used, little known or used incorrectly by most wrestlers and coaches. It’s not that coaches don’t have a plan or goal, but a lot of coaches take standard gym work into the pool and stick to one end, doing pair carries and jump squats, all great things, but if they really understood the swimming benefits, could put together a specific swimming program, from circuits to aerobic, anaerobic and resistance series.
Swimming is a great exercise and will increase lung capacity if used correctly by a wrestler, which obviously has benefits in the ring in relation to hydrogen conditioning, swimming also puts 25 pounds of pressure on the whole body when swimming and also it is a form of exercise without weight.
Obviously, the benefits can only be reaped if the fighter can swim and is comfortable in a pool environment. The exercises below can be changed at any time and are only a suggestion.
There are many swimming aids, from paddles to traction buoys, and they can all be used, however one of the easiest and cheapest is to wear an extra tank top and swim shorts during training for extra resistance, however. Caution should be exercised and only use this extra drag every few weeks. If you don’t, your body will adapt and you will need more and more clothing for the crawl.
Pool circuits are probably the easiest to get started and are understood, so below are some circuits to get you started.
Circuit 1
You will need access to swimming widths (deep end) for this circuit and you will need two mats, one on each side for certain exercises, make sure a warm-up is done before the start.
Swim 10 front crawl widths as fast as you can.
Get out of the pool and do twenty push-ups, slide into the pool, swim a width underwater on the opposite side, perform nineteen push-ups, then repeat until you’ve completed the set.
At the end, swim 10 front crawl widths again and then perform double-legged V-squats as above, and at the end, repeat the process and perform double-squat thrusts.
Circuit
10 width crawl sprint
Push-ups 20-1 swimming a width below taking 1 push up from each side
10 width crawl sprint
Double leg V sits 20-1 swimming a width below taking 1 seated V on each side
10 width crawl sprint
Two-legged squat thrusts 20-1: swimming one width below, removing one squat thrust from each width
Rest is up to one person between sets, but not more than one minute.
Circuit 2
As above, but between widths, this can be done in the shallow end or in the deep end if using the deep end, wear a water jogger, which is a blue support belt that goes around the waist and is worn normally for rehabilitation work in the pool. .
Circuit 3
Same as above, but swim lengths and only one front crawl sprint length are required between exercises
Circuit 4
Make sure you have a partner for this outfit.
They both run from the shallow end until the deep end begins and then back ten times.
Partner 1 wears number two for the previous ten sprints and then changes
Partner 1 runs the same distance back for 4
Partner 2 squats until partner 1 finishes (head under water, back straight, butt touching heels then explode up)
To exchange
1 minute rest repeat one more time
Circuit 5
The pair squat jumps 30 seconds in 15 breaks for 3 minutes
To exchange
The band strikes standing up with the shoulders under water, partner 2 holds the band in the rear for additional tension
30 seconds on 15 breaks for three minutes (neither band uses water dumbbells)
To exchange
Crawl style sprints * 30 seconds and 15 rest for 3 minutes
Partner supports your ankles as you swim hard for 30 seconds in front crawl
To exchange
Rest 1 minute repeat
Again, the above is a suggestion, however, I think these are the best exercises a fighter should use in the pool for conditioning, as the lungs must be overloaded to increase oxygen uptake.
The last circuit should only be used with wrestlers who are proficient in the water and can swim at a reasonable level.
Deep access will be required
The wrestler steps on the water with his hands for two minutes, then his feet for two minutes with his hands in the air.
The wrestler then has his hands clasped behind his back using an elastic band, then sinks to the bottom of the pool as soon as his feet touch the bottom, explodes towards the surface, sucks in a breath of air and dives back down, complete this. for five repetitions.
If the band breaks the fighter starts over, for a more advanced workout tie the legs with an elastic band as well.
This exercise develops the CV system and allows the fighter to become hypoxic as hydrogen begins to rise through the body.
Give them a try and see how it goes, we have tried to minimize the amount of equipment required, if you don’t have bands or water dumbbells to pull the buoys it will be enough to start.
Next time we will look at swim sets to develop the fighter and add additional training to his arsenal.
If you try them, please contact us and leave a comment.
