Primary:Biceps brachii
Secondary:Brachialis, forearm and finger flexors
Swimming Focus
Strengthening the biceps brachii and brachialis with this exercise will help with the initial catch component of the pull phase for backstroke. This exercise also enhances the second half of the pull phase during breaststroke. During these portions of the various strokes, maintaining the elbow in a flexed position is important. Loss of the flexed position by dropping the elbow during the freestyle catch, for example, leads to dramatic losses in power. The movements performed during this exercise also target the biceps brachii and brachialis in the same manner as they are utilized when performing flip turns.
An easy way to cheat when performing this exercise is to initiate a rocking motion with the upper body to generate extra momentum. You can minimize this tendency by performing the exercise with your back flat against a wall or by having a partner monitor your position.
Dumbbell Biceps Curl
Execution
1. Sit at the end of a bench. With your arms fully extended, grasp a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward.
2. One arm at a time, curl the dumbbell to your chest in an arc while at the same time slowly rotating your palm so that it faces your chest.
3. Alternate arms for each repetition.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Biceps brachii
Secondary:Anterior deltoid, brachialis, brachioradialis, supinator, forearm and finger flexors
Swimming Focus
The rotation of the palm inward (supination of the forearm) at the ending position places extra emphasis on the biceps brachii and mimics the final portion of the pull phase during breaststroke as you bring your palms in to the midline of your body.
Because it isolates one arm from the other, the dumbbell biceps curl overcomes a disadvantage of the barbell biceps curl. This exercise can be performed standing or sitting, but because of the alternating arm movements you should perform it seated to help maintain the upper torso in a fixed position.
VARIATION
Biceps Curl With Tubing
An exercise cord allows you to incorporate this exercise into a poolside dryland program. The initial tension placed on the cord should be light enough to allow you to complete the entire range of motion.
Concentration Curl
Execution
1. Seated at the end of a bench, separate your legs so that they form a V and lean forward slightly with your torso.
2. While holding a dumbbell and bracing your elbow against the middle of your thigh, curl the dumbbell in an arc toward your shoulder.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Muscles Involved
Primary:Biceps brachii
Secondary:Brachialis, forearm and finger flexors
Swimming Focus
This exercise is useful if you are having difficulty maintaining your form with the barbell or dumbbell biceps curls or if you want to isolate the biceps brachii and brachialis. As the name implies, the primary purpose of this exercise is to concentrate on the curling motion and, in turn, to strengthen the elbow flexors. The key is to maintain the elbow in a stabilized position against the inner thigh and perform the exercise in a slow, controlled manner.
CHAPTER 3
SHOULDERS
The shoulder girdle is important because it serves as the link between the arms and the trunk. It is the main rotation point about which all the arm movements take place during each of the four strokes. The shoulder girdle is composed of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade), and humerus. Three joints make up the shoulder girdle: the sternoclavicular joint, which is the junction between the sternum (breastbone) and clavicle; the acromioclavicular joint, which is made up of the scapula and clavicle; and the glenohumeral joint, which is composed of the humerus and scapula. This chapter focuses on the movements that take place at the glenohumeral joint, which in layman’s terms is the shoulder joint, and the movements of the scapula. The shoulder joint is one of the most flexible joints in the human body, as demonstrated by our ability to place our hands anywhere in our field of vision. This wide range of motion is possible because of the combination of six movements that occur at the shoulder girdle. Flexion involves raising the arm forward away from the body, as if you were raising your hand to answer a question. Extension, the reverse motion, involves lowering the hand from a flexed position. Moving your hand away from your body by raising it to the side is called abduction, and bringing your hand back toward the midline of your body is called adduction. The final two movements are rotational. External rotation involves rotation of the hand from the midline of the body in an outward motion. Internal rotation entails
