Push-Ups for Swimmers: Benefits, Muscle Engagement, and Training Integration

Are pushups good for swimming?

Yes, push-ups can be a highly beneficial exercise for swimmers, contributing to upper body strength, core stability, and shoulder health, all of which are crucial for efficient and powerful swimming mechanics.

The Biomechanics of the Push-Up

The push-up is a fundamental bodyweight exercise that involves pushing the body away from the ground, primarily engaging the anterior (front) chain of the upper body. It's a compound movement, meaning it works multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously, making it highly functional. From a biomechanical perspective, it simulates a pushing action, requiring stability from the core and synergistic activation from various muscle groups to maintain a rigid body position.

Key Muscle Groups Engaged in Push-Ups

A well-executed push-up effectively targets several key muscle groups relevant to swimming:

• Pectoralis Major (Chest): The primary movers responsible for horizontal adduction and flexion of the shoulder, critical for the "catch" and "pull" phases of the swimming stroke.
• Anterior Deltoid (Front Shoulder): Works synergistically with the pectorals to flex and internally rotate the shoulder, contributing to the initial powerful drive in the water.
• Triceps Brachii (Back of Arm): Extends the elbow, providing the final powerful "push" at the end of the swimming stroke, driving water backward for propulsion.
• Serratus Anterior: Often called the "boxer's muscle," it protracts and upwardly rotates the scapula (shoulder blade). This muscle is vital for stabilizing the shoulder joint during the pushing motion and protecting it during overhead movements like swimming.
• Core Musculature (Rectus Abdominis, Obliques, Transverse Abdominis): These muscles work isometrically (without changing length) to maintain a rigid, streamlined body position from head to heels, preventing the hips from sagging and ensuring efficient force transfer.
• Glutes and Quadriceps: These muscles also engage isometrically to maintain the straight line from head to heels, contributing to overall body tension and streamlining.

How Push-Ups Translate to Swimming Performance

The strength and stability gained from push-ups directly transfer to several aspects of swimming performance:

• Strength for Propulsion: The pectorals, anterior deltoids, and triceps are instrumental in the "catch" and "pull" phases of the freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly strokes. Stronger pushing muscles allow for a more forceful and effective application of power against the water, leading to increased propulsion and speed.
• Core Stability and Streamlining: A strong, stable core is paramount in swimming. It allows a swimmer to maintain a horizontal, streamlined body position, reducing drag and improving efficiency. The isometric core engagement during push-ups directly enhances this stability, preventing excessive body roll or hip drop, which can hinder forward momentum.
• Shoulder Health and Injury Prevention: The push-up, when performed correctly, strengthens the serratus anterior and other scapular stabilizers. These muscles are crucial for maintaining proper shoulder mechanics and preventing impingement or other overuse injuries common in swimmers due to the repetitive overhead nature of the sport. By promoting stability and control around the shoulder blade, push-ups contribute to resilient and injury-resistant shoulders.

Limitations and Complementary Training

While push-ups offer significant benefits, it's important to acknowledge their limitations. They are primarily a pushing exercise and do not directly address the robust pulling strength required from the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids, which are dominant in the propulsive phase of strokes like freestyle and backstroke. Furthermore, push-ups do not directly train leg strength for kicking or the specific endurance demands of swimming.

Therefore, for a comprehensive swimming-specific strength program, push-ups should be complemented with:

• Pulling Exercises: Pull-ups, lat pulldowns, and various rowing exercises (e.g., bent-over rows, inverted rows) to balance muscle development and enhance the "pull" phase of the stroke.
• Leg Strength: Squats, lunges, and calf raises to improve kick power and endurance.
• Rotator Cuff and Scapular Stability Exercises: Specific exercises targeting the smaller muscles around the shoulder joint for enhanced stability and injury prevention.
• Dedicated Swim Training: The most specific training for swimming performance is time in the water, focusing on technique, endurance, and speed.

Incorporating Push-Ups into Your Training Program

To maximize the benefits of push-ups for swimming, consider the following:

• Proper Form Emphasis: Always prioritize correct technique over quantity. Maintain a straight line from head to heels, engage your core, and control the movement throughout the full range of motion. Avoid sagging hips or arching the back.
• Progression and Variation: Start with variations that match your current strength level (e.g., incline push-ups against a wall or bench) and progress to more challenging forms (e.g., standard push-ups, decline push-ups, plyometric push-ups, single-arm push-ups). Varying hand positions can also emphasize different muscle groups (e.g., wide grip for more chest, narrow grip for more triceps).
• Integration: Incorporate push-ups into your dryland training routine 2-3 times per week, allowing for adequate recovery. They can be part of a full-body strength workout or a targeted upper body session.

Conclusion

In conclusion, push-ups are indeed a valuable addition to a swimmer's dryland training regimen. They effectively build strength in key propulsive muscles, enhance core stability crucial for streamlining, and contribute significantly to shoulder health and injury prevention. While not a complete solution, when integrated thoughtfully into a balanced strength and conditioning program that also includes pulling exercises and specific swim training, push-ups can undeniably contribute to a stronger, more efficient, and resilient swimmer.