The BridgeAthletic Building Block Series is a set of 5 exercises that can be performed by swimmers of all levels on the pool deck. This building block is designed as a power circuit to add to Christmas/Winter training sessions.
Methodology: Include the exercises in this circuit into your power day swim workout. That is, perform a sprint in the pool, then hop out and perform one of the circuit exercises then repeat, progressing in the order shown below.
Show us the circuit in action for a chance to win some Bridge swag – post your pictures and videos on social media, tag @bridgeathletic and use the hashtag #BridgeBuilt.
1. Up and Out Jacks
Level: All
Movement: This is a fun alternative to regular Jumping Jacks. Work on coordination and timing of the movement, which can be challenging as you tire from the circuit.
Bridge tip – Dry your feet off as you get out or use an area on the pool deck that is not slippery.
2. Partner Clap Pushups
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Movement: A great exercise in a circuit designed for athletes to compete against each other. Start in the pushup position facing each other. Both athletes move together and clap their opposite hands at the top of the movement.
Bridge tip – Keep your mid-section braced and lower-back flat throughout the movement, as this helps hold perfect lines in the water.
3. MB Throwdown
Level: All
Movement: All swimmers have experience with some form of the MB Throwdown. This is a great exercise to use for power endurance work.
Bridge tip – We like to emphasize getting full extension (as tall as you can) before the throwdown, and working on the counter-bounce of the MB to create a quick tempo.
4. MB Standing Side Throws
Level: All
Movement: You need a wall to throw the MB against or the same partner you had as the Partner Clap Pushups. Focus on quick torque at the hips to lead the movement, not a long drawn out rotational movement, as this will translate to a slow rotational hip tempo in the water.
Bridge tip – Keep your elbows locked at your side with each throw to emphasize the trunk rotation and to minimize the arm throw.
5. Continuous Jacknives
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Movement: The focus here is to keep your lower-back pressed into the ground throughout the movement. This is a great “finisher” exercise at the end of the circuit, or at the end of each round to elicit the endurance effect while maintaining form.
Bridge tip – Press your belly button into the ground throughout the allocated time per set. Keep your neck and shoulders as relaxed as possible to avoid tension in this area.
We hope you enjoy this full-body power / sprint circuit.
#BBA #BridgeBuilt #BridgeStrong
About BridgeAthletic
BridgeAthletic works with elite professional, collegiate, and club swimming programs to provide a turnkey solution for dryland training. Led by Nick Folker, the top swimming strength and conditioning coach in the world, our team builds stroke-specific, custom-optimized dryland programs for each of our clients. The individualized workouts are delivered directly to athletes via our state of the art technology platform and mobile applications. Check Nick and BridgeAthletic out as recently featured in SwimSwam.
About Nick Folker
Nick Folker is the Co-Founder and Director of Elite Performance at BridgeAthletic. Nick’s athletes have won 22 Olympic Medals, 7 team NCAA Championships and over 170 individual and relay NCAA championships. Megan Fischer-Colbrie works as the Sports Science Editor at BridgeAthletic. Megan was a four-year varsity swimmer at Stanford, where she recently graduated with a degree in Human Biology.
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