Shoulder Internal Rotation for Swimmers: Part II

Here's a little more shoulder internal rotation information.  The more you understand the soreness, the better equipped you are to deal with it and strengthen your shoulder muscles and joints.

Assessment
Assessment is important to identify whether the swimmer is physically capable of performing specific tasks in the water. While there are many different styles to swim efficiently, the demands of creating optimal shoulder angles are exacting, particularly for the early vertical forearm Of all the dryland assessments, internal rotation is one of the most robust to predict movement limitation in the water. If you can’t create the angles for an early vertical forearm on land, you likely won’t find the angles in the pool.


Getting an accurate measurement of shoulder internal rotation can be tricky due to the ease of cheating. Subjects will often cheat, albeit unintentionally, by shifting the joint anteriorly and by destabilizing the scapula. Below Tony Gentilicore demonstrates an internal rotation test that includes scapular stabilization. 


Continue reading the article and view videos -->

Hydration During Exercise

 

Many of us don’t think about “sweating” during swimming.  Because you’re immersed in water, there is no “slimy” feeling or “drenched” clothes.  But think about how hard you’re working, how long you’re working – kind of gross to put that many people in a body of water and slog through each other’s sweat…ewwww.

 

How much water or sports drink is needed for proper hydration during exercise

By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Guide
Updated April 15, 2011
 
Staying hydrated is essential for everyone, but athletes have an even greater need to maintain proper hydration. Water is the most important nutrient for life and has many important functions including regulating temperature, lubricating joints and transporting nutrients and waste throughout the body.
Hydration During Exercise
Staying hydrated is particularly important during exercise. Adequate fluid intake is essential to comfort, performance and safety. The longer and more intensely you exercise, the more important it is to drink the right kind of fluids.

Dehydration Decreases Performance

Studies have found that athletes who lose as little as two percent of their body weight through sweating has a drop in blood volume which causes the heart to work harder to circulate blood. A drop in blood volume may also lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue and heat illness including:

• Heat Exhaustion
  
• Heat Stroke

Dara Torres Dry-land

Following is a link of Dara Torres performing part of her dry-land routine.  I'd like everyone to watch it - not just for the exercises - but to see the intensity she puts into her training.  If everyone could commit to that intensity for 2 weeks, would we see a difference in meet performance?  We don't need to do the same exercises (we're progressing through a program designed to get more intense over the next year); but we do need to be focused on an end result.  Can you commit to two weeks of giving it everything you have?

Click on Dara's abs to watch the video!

If she ever coaches, I don't want to be on her team!

Swimmer's Shoulder

Some of you have been talking about aching shoulders (top, side, front, etc.).  Here's an article that might shed some light on shoulder pain causes and exercises.  Some of the exercises should look very familiar to you.

Swimmer's Shoulder