Swimming: arms or legs (Page 8)

This is what I was thinking the whole time I'm reading the posts by LB and DMiller about why a larger volume of kicking is important.  Biking and running are pretty much 100% in the sagittal plane, which tends to cause the imbalances you mention, but swimming has a considerable amount of movement in the transverse plane.  Even a straight forward flutter kick is going to be an isometric transverse core exercise, increasing strength and endurance in many of the core muscles in ways that biking, running, traditional core exercises such as planks, and big strength moves such as squats and dead lifts fail to do.  My gut feeling is that for someone who has trained at the volumes and intensities that you have, TJ, this is going to be more crucial for maintaining health than it would be for someone training at lower volumes and intensities, but it could be another angle to take at imbalances in anyone rather than using dry land strength training.

What?

I said strength training will make you faster at kick sets.

With biking and running being so specific, straight forward and straight back movements, as well as specific muscles, it sets you up for lots of imbalance and weakness. I get periformis and psoas (sp?) issues that lead to IT band tightness. I also get some issues with the supporting muscles around the knee that grow weary towards the end of very long rides. When I have time I do weights, but since I'm in the pool, it's easy to do some breast kicking as it works the bootie, adductors, abductors, and some of the smaller muscles around the knee. so it gives some good balance. Challenge for some though is that if you do it wrong you can tweak or pull muscles. so there's that.

This is what I was thinking the whole time I'm reading the posts by LB and DMiller about why a larger volume of kicking is important.  Biking and running are pretty much 100% in the sagittal plane, which tends to cause the imbalances you mention, but swimming has a considerable amount of movement in the transverse plane.  Even a straight forward flutter kick is going to be an isometric transverse core exercise, increasing strength and endurance in many of the core muscles in ways that biking, running, traditional core exercises such as planks, and big strength moves such as squats and dead lifts fail to do.  My gut feeling is that for someone who has trained at the volumes and intensities that you have, TJ, this is going to be more crucial for maintaining health than it would be for someone training at lower volumes and intensities, but it could be another angle to take at imbalances in anyone rather than using dry land strength training.

ETA:  I'm not making an argument for or against more kicking.  Rather, I'm saying do everything with a purpose.  Don't just train a certain way just because it worked for someone else, or because you read it some place.