#1 Get in the pool – You will loose the “feel” very quickly. Many of you stare at the pool all day being a lifeguard. During your break weather it is 10, 15 or 30 minutes do some laps and focus on technique. If you have more time to swim, add more yardage and work on speed.
#2 Cardiovascular Exercise – The advantage to doing cardio workouts are that you will burn calories, lower body fat, increase bone mass and muscle tone but most of all it will strengthen your heart and lungs. You should do a cardio workout for about 30 – 40 minutes at a time about 3 times a week. How do I know I am working hard enough? If you are working out with someone (which will be highly benificial) you should be able to talk but not hold a long, in depth conversation. Here are some cardio ideas – jump roping, plyometrics, running/jogging, fast walking, aerobic classes (kick boxing, step class…etc), biking, rowing and the list continues. It will be a beautiful summer enjoy it by exercising outside with friends!
#3 Abdominal Strengthening - Plain and simple, if your abs are not strong then you will not achieve your goals. You need your abs in everything you do. 3x a week for about 10-15 minutes will significantly increase your strength. Remember you can strengthen your abs by doing more than just sit-ups, vary up your ab workouts.
#4 Weight Lifting – To get better at the above you must add in lifting sessions to your summer work out plan. If you consider your self a distance swimmer you should do longer reps with lighter weights (3-4 sets, 10-12 reps). If you consider your self a sprinter then you should do shorter reps with heavier weights (2-3 sets, 6-8 reps). If you do not have access to a weight room you can always use your surroundings. Here are some examples for different ways to do push-ups – push-ups wide (regular), push-ups tight (turn finger outward, keep arms close to body, focus on tri-ceps), put your feet up on a chair and then do push-ups, Push-ups with a twist (add a bent-over-row on the up part of the push-up).
#5 Most of all just get outside and have fun this summer. Instead of watching the TV or sun bathing on the beach GET UP and do something. From a coaches’ point of view it is great to watch the first day of practice and see that your athletes have been preparing for a great season throughout the summer.
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