Swim Workouts: Stretchcord Training

for those of us on the road and frequently without access to a pool, here is an alternative.  it may be a good option for people with limited time and want to get some swim oriented workouts in.  I did a little of this work in college, but not much.

Stretchcord training can be the single best dryland training for open water swimmers.  The best things about stretchcords are that they provide great resistance training while allowing swimmers to come very close to mimicking proper swimming arm motions.  Generally, the more any dryland work approximates swimming motion, the more likely it will produce faster swimming.  Not only can stretchcord work mirror proper swimming technique, proper technique used during stretchcord training can translate to a proper swimming stroke in the water.  Stretchcord work strengthens movement patterns and motor programs.

By their very nature, stretchcords provide more resistance the further they are stretched.  This means that throughout a stretchcord pull, the tension increases.  The end of a pull is more difficult than the beginning.  This is different than a weight machine that provides consistent resistance throughout a motion.  I highlight this aspect of stretchcords because it is a great benefit.  When a swimmer strokes in the water, the beginning of their pull is stronger than the end of their pull because mechanically, swimmers are able to activate more muscle fibers to perform the swimming task in the catch phase of the stroke as compared to the “finish” of the stroke.  When swimmers tire or slow down, it is often commented that, “their strokes shortened.”  What actually became shorter were the ends of their strokes.  They physically didn’t have enough strength to finish their pulls.  Using stretchcords will help strengthen the finishes of swimmers’ strokes because of the greater resistance at the end of a stretchcord pull.  Swimmers who work with stretchcords should benefit from this specific-area strength gain.

Along a similar line, one racing technique used in swimming is to finish through the ends of the strokes very fast so that the hands can get back to the catch position quickly.  It takes a great deal of strength to accelerate the hand through the end of a swimming stroke.  The ever-increasing resistance aspect of stretchcords again, can develop the strength needed to do this, perhaps even better than swimming itself can.

Stretchcord workouts are not limited by the size of the pool.  Let’s face it, most open water swimmers have to train in a pool and pools have a major downfall—walls/turns. During the turn, their arms are necessarily at rest, which can hamper training.  This is especially true for swimmers training in a short course pool.  With stretchcord training, swimmers can pull continuously, a thousand pulls in a row if desired.  Now this is like open water!  Also, in open water swimming, the arms account for the vast majority of propulsion, so a stretchcord session and an open water workout can be very similar.

Another asset of stretchcords is their portability.  They are small and light and can be used just about anywhere.  If a swimmer is going on vacation, or a business trip, a set of stretchcords takes up little more room than a pair of shoes.  They can be tied off to door handles, banister rails, and in some cases heavy furniture.  They can be used in hotels, at grandma’s house, even in airports.  No reason to leave them at home.  This means a training routine doesn’t have to stop because the equipment or pool is not available.

Cost is also a consideration when looking at any kind of training.  There are other dryland swim devices, like the Swim Bench®, that do a good job mimicking freestyle.  Swim Benches® also have some nice technological features (isokinetic resistance and force gauges) that increase their usefulness.  However, these swimming-specific training devices can cost thousands of dollars.  Despite their much lower cost, though, stretchcords do have the advantages mentioned above.

So, stretchcords are ideal for dryland open water training because they offer resistance training that mimics the swimming stroke, and the resistance increases throughout each pull.  A set of pulls can go on as long as an open water swim.  And, the fact that they are inexpensive, travel light and can be used nearly anywhere are added benefits in a sport that thrives on daily training.

For more information on stretchcord training, including recommended cords and workouts; check out Innovative Stretchcord Training for Swimmers at Amazon.com.