For us, sport and competition begin with health and safety. To be our best, to be the fastest, and to accomplish our goals we must take care of ourselves first. It's time to stop, so that we're able to keep going.

We are all facing difficult times at the moment, and though the opportunity will come when we can enjoy our sports in the outdoors again, now is a time to train at home and we want to help.

 

DAY 1

CRAWL SWIM TECHNIQUE

MATERIALS

A BED OR SOFA
TWO FULL CANS OF SODA
A BOOK
ONE THICK PILLOW OR TWO SMALLER PILLOWS

 

WARM UP

Try to smoothly transition between each of the exercises in the below workout, with 10-15 seconds each exercise. Rests in between exercises will be how long it takes to prepare for the next exercise.

 

WORK OUT

FOUR SEQUENCES IN THE CIRCUIT
Each exercise is given a set duration, with rests of 45 seconds between exercises and 3 minutes between sequences.

 

1. 

THIS EXERCISE IS TO IMPROVE PULL

Take a can or bottle in each hand and perform the entire swim stroke:

Recovery: the aerial phase, raise your elbow high and drag the can along the length of your body to perform the entire stroke correctly.

Pull: keep your elbow raised and active in order to consciously create pull. 

Practice breathing every two or four strokes, keeping your ear as close to your arm as possible.

 
2.

THIS EXERCISE IS TO IMPROVE YOUR KICK TECHNIQUE

Lying face down on your bed, place the pillow underneath your feet, where you will be generating the most force.

You’ll do a front crawl stroke for 45 seconds, trying do as many kicks as possible on top of the pillow.

Your outstretched foot should hit the pillow in such a way that that your instep hits the pillow, not your toes.

3.

THIS EXERCISE IS TO IMPROVE ENTRY INTO THE WATER AND THE FIRST PHASE OF THE GRIP

Lying face down on the floor, place a book right in front of your head.

Place your hand on the book in front of your head, with your elbow as high as possible, and then completely extend your arm, keeping your hand on the book the whole time.

Once your arm is fully outstretched, try to return to the same starting position by sliding the book back towards you, trying to bend your elbow and keep it as high as possible during this movement.

Repeat once on each arm until you have done 10 reps on each side.

4. 

THIS EXERCISE IS TO INCREASE YOUR NUMBER OF KICKS BY WORKING AT THE NEUROMUSCULAR LEVEL

This exercise is done standing and you will slightly bend your legs in order to gain momentum and jump.

While in the air, try do as many crawl kicks in the air as you can. The kicks should be short and very fast. Keep doing this exercise for 45 seconds.

 

5. 

THIS EXERCISE IS TO IMPROVE HAND-FOOT COORDINATION

Lie back down on the bed with your pillow underneath your feet. Kick your feet (hitting the pillow with your instep, not your toes) and simultaneously do a full crawl stroke, the underwater part will be you dragging your hand along the bed while keeping it tight to the side of your body the entire time.

Keep your elbow as flexed as possible during the recovery part of the stroke, and the most important part of this exercise is to match the exact moment your palm hits the bed again (with your arm outstretched as far forward as it can go) with a stronger kick to the pillow with your opposite leg. 10 repetitions on each side.