Have you ever watched the Olympic swimmer? They have those long skinny arms and toned backs. It’s a wonder how they get that svelte look. The secret is out there. And it’s called swimming with paddles.
When you’re inside the water, your muscles do not receive much resistance. This means that they get little to no stimulation from working against gravity; which is the key to building muscle (and staying lean).
Swimmers use paddles as a way to make their muscles work against gravity, which helps them build lean muscle and stay lean outside of the pool too.
Read on for more information on why you should use paddles in your swimming routine and how to implement them into your practice for maximum results!
What Are Swim Paddles?
A paddle is a small, round piece of plastic or wood that swimmers use to add resistance when they’re in the water. When you swim with paddles, the resistance forces your muscles to work against gravity, which can help you build muscle and increase your aerobic capacity. Paddles are a great way to increase your muscle endurance, and stamina and to help you become a better swimmer.
There are a few different types of paddles. A freestyle paddle typically fits between your fingers while a breaststroke paddle is a long, thin rod that you hold in your hand. Freestyle and breaststroke paddles both have different uses in the pool, but they both have the same benefits.
Benefits of Swimming with Paddles
Builds Strength
Using paddles helps build strength because your arms, shoulders, and core muscles have to work harder to power you through the water. This can help you swim faster and longer when you’re not swimming with paddles.
Better Swimming Form
Paddles help you swim in better form because swimming with resistance forces you to keep your head in the right place and use your legs more. This can help prevent bad swimming form, which can lead to serious injuries.
Paddling exercises the entire body, including your arms and shoulders, so you become a better swimmer. Being able to swim with greater core and shoulder strength also allows you to be more efficient and get more out of every stroke.
Reduced Injury Risk
Paddling forces muscles to work against gravity, which is a great way to increase your muscle strength. This also means that you’ll be less likely to injure yourself when you’re swimming.
Increased Cardio
Swimming with paddles is an excellent way to get more aerobic activity into your routine. It’s a low-impact activity that doesn’t require any equipment.
Better Breathing
You’re getting aerobic activity while improving your breathing and swimming technique. This can help you learn to breathe better and improve your swimming efficiency.
Improves Your Stroke
Paddles can help you improve your stroke by forcing you to use your arms and shoulders more. This helps you swim faster and more efficiently, which can help you build muscle more quickly.
Builds Confidence
Knowing you have extra resistance while swimming can help build confidence and boost motivation. This can help you gain momentum and stay motivated to train harder and longer.
Tips for Using Paddles in Your Swimming Routine
Progress Slowly
Paddling is a low-impact activity, so it’s important to not overdo it. You want to increase your paddling speed gradually so that you don’t hurt yourself and build strength. Start with 15-20 minutes of swimming with paddles and slowly build up to a full workout.
Swimming with paddles is not like swimming without them. You need to build up your legs and core so they’re strong enough to handle the extra resistance. This can take a few workouts, so don’t give up if you feel weak at first.
Swim Slowly
Slow swimming is the key to building muscle and using paddles efficiently. When you’re first getting used to paddling, focus on swimming slowly and building to longer distances. This forces you to use your legs more efficiently and build muscle faster.
Don’t Overlook the Core
While paddling is an excellent low-impact cardio exercise, it’s also an excellent core exercise. Focus on keeping your core engaged and you’ll reap many benefits, including improved breathing and stronger swimming muscles.
Use a Varying Frequency
The best way to reap the benefits of paddling is to swim regularly. But swimming daily or swimming four times per week at the local pool can be difficult when working a 9-5 office job. Try to find a middle ground that works for you, keeping in mind that paddling regularly can produce results.
Conclusion
Swimming with paddles is an excellent way to build muscle and get better results from your swimming training. It is low-impact and doesn’t require any equipment, making it easy to incorporate into your fitness routine.
Plus, it can help you reduce injury risk and become a better swimmer. Just remember to build slowly and use paddles correctly, and you’ll see results in no time!
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