Time to channel your inner athlete, turn on some of your favorite tunes, and prepare yourself for a fun swimmer workout on Total Gym. Grab your water bottle, towel, and hand weights and get ready to work up a sweat with some lower and upper body exercises!
• Waist Circles (Perform 5 to the right and 5 to the left)
• Knees to Chest (Perform 10 reps for each leg)
• Jumping Jacks (Perform 2 sets of 10)
• Place your feet toward the top of the squat stand, positioned shoulder width apart, and slowly lie back ensuring your head is fully supported.
• Grab hand weights anywhere from 5 to 8 lbs.
• Slowly lower the glideboard by bending both knees and hips to around 90 degrees. Press the feet into the squat stand and ensure the knees track over the feet throughout the movement. With palms facing inward and parallel lift the weights upward while continuing to squat.
• Add variation by bringing hands out to the sides and bringing together over the chest area. Imagine hugging a beach ball while bringing hands together over the chest.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
• Disconnect the pulley from the glideboard, push the glideboard halfway up the rails, slowly straddle the rails while sitting towards the bottom edge facing away from the tower.
• With a neutral spine position, slowly lower glideboard by bending knees and hips to approx.90 degrees.
• Rapidly press feet into the squat stand to accelerate up the rails while pushing off the squat standing in a jumping motion.
• Land softly on the squat stand while decelerating through the range of motion.
• Make sure knees track over feet and be aware of the glideboard hitting top of the tower during the jump phase of the exercise. Integrate arms by reaching back towards the tower while pressing feet off the squat stand.
• Add more challenge by keeping one foot on the squat stand at a time for a unilateral exercise while releasing the same foot and landing softly back on the squat stand. Make sure to perform this unilateral plyometric exercise on each leg.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
• Lift the right leg off the ground and take a large step forward. Lower the body to the ground until the upper right thigh is parallel to the floor and the knee is at a 90 degree angle.
• Straighten the body by pushing up through the right heel and return to standing position.
• Going into the clock lunge we will combine three lunges into one.
• Start by performing a forward lunge then return to stand, a lateral lunge, and reverse lunge returning to standing position.
• Remember to repeat in the opposite direction.
• Sit halfway up and place hands directly in front of you.
• Arms should be straight, palms together, and chin up and off the chest.
• Grab a hand weight or medicine ball for more challenge.
• Take a deep breath and exhale slowly while twisting torso to the right without changing the angle of torso from the floor.
• Inhale and slowly rotate torso back to starting position. Repeat on both sides.
• For more of a challenge raise the legs.
• Facing the tower, straddle the glideboard and anchor the handles toward top edge. Lie prone with chest near top edge of the glideboard.
• With tension in the cables, slowly bring legs on to the glideboard. Knees can be flexed or extended.
• Hands reach overhead toward the pulleys with palms facing down.
• Maintain slight bend in the elbows, bring one handle down and back in an arc motion toward the side of the hip. Slowly bring the hand back to the starting position.
• Alternate sides or repeat with the same arm.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
• Facing the tower, straddle the glideboard and anchor the handles toward top edge. Lie prone with chest near top edge of the glideboard.
• With tension in the cables, slowly bring the legs onto the glideboard. Knees can be flexed or extended.
• Hands reach overhead toward the pulleys with thumbs facing the rails.
• Maintain a slight bend in the elbows, press the handles out and back, parallel to the sides of the torso. Slightly raise the head and upper chest off glideboard toward top of the movement. Maintain tension in the cables and slowly return with control back to starting position.
• Lead the motion with the hands. Retract the shoulders at the top of the motion. Maintain neutral wrists.
• Stop the exercise if pain occurs in the lower back or shoulders.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
• Facing the tower, straddle the glideboard and anchor the handles toward the top edge.
• Lie prone with the chest positioned on the top half of the glideboard.
• With palms facing up, place the elbows toward the top of the glideboard with hands reaching toward the pulleys. Knees can be flexed or extended.
• With neutral writs and elbows resting on the glideboard, contract the biceps to pull the handles up towards the shoulders. Maintain tension in the cables and slowly return with control back to the starting position.
• Concentrate on maintaining the elbow positions on the glideboard.
• Add some variation by using just one arm at a time alternating between the other arms throughout the exercise.
• Keep a slight bend in the elbows to protect the joint and maintain the load on the biceps.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
Now that you have experienced a Total Gym Swimmer workout and feeling strong, go grab your suit, goggles, and kickboard and hit the pool or ocean. Swimming is a great sport as it is low impact, easy on the joints and a healthy activity for people of all ages!
Do you swim on a regular basis and have a favorite Total Gym exercise to increase strength and stamina in the water? Don’t hesitate to contact us via email, facebook, or Twitter; we would love to hear from you!
Have a great summer and keep moving, Cara
Warm-Up
• Arm Circles Forward and Backward (Perform 10 Circles and Both Directions)• Waist Circles (Perform 5 to the right and 5 to the left)
• Knees to Chest (Perform 10 reps for each leg)
• Jumping Jacks (Perform 2 sets of 10)
Lower Body
Squats with Hand Weights Exercise Variations
• Disconnect the pulley from the glideboard, push the glideboard halfway up the rails, slowly straddle the rails while sitting towards the bottom edge facing away from the tower.• Place your feet toward the top of the squat stand, positioned shoulder width apart, and slowly lie back ensuring your head is fully supported.
• Grab hand weights anywhere from 5 to 8 lbs.
• Slowly lower the glideboard by bending both knees and hips to around 90 degrees. Press the feet into the squat stand and ensure the knees track over the feet throughout the movement. With palms facing inward and parallel lift the weights upward while continuing to squat.
• Add variation by bringing hands out to the sides and bringing together over the chest area. Imagine hugging a beach ball while bringing hands together over the chest.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
Plyometrics with Variations
• Bring the rails down to a mid-level.• Disconnect the pulley from the glideboard, push the glideboard halfway up the rails, slowly straddle the rails while sitting towards the bottom edge facing away from the tower.
• With a neutral spine position, slowly lower glideboard by bending knees and hips to approx.90 degrees.
• Rapidly press feet into the squat stand to accelerate up the rails while pushing off the squat standing in a jumping motion.
• Land softly on the squat stand while decelerating through the range of motion.
• Make sure knees track over feet and be aware of the glideboard hitting top of the tower during the jump phase of the exercise. Integrate arms by reaching back towards the tower while pressing feet off the squat stand.
• Add more challenge by keeping one foot on the squat stand at a time for a unilateral exercise while releasing the same foot and landing softly back on the squat stand. Make sure to perform this unilateral plyometric exercise on each leg.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
Bodyweight Clock Lunge
• Stand with your feet together, shoulders back, and core tight.• Lift the right leg off the ground and take a large step forward. Lower the body to the ground until the upper right thigh is parallel to the floor and the knee is at a 90 degree angle.
• Straighten the body by pushing up through the right heel and return to standing position.
• Going into the clock lunge we will combine three lunges into one.
• Start by performing a forward lunge then return to stand, a lateral lunge, and reverse lunge returning to standing position.
• Remember to repeat in the opposite direction.
Russian Twist with Hand Weight
• Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip width apart.• Sit halfway up and place hands directly in front of you.
• Arms should be straight, palms together, and chin up and off the chest.
• Grab a hand weight or medicine ball for more challenge.
• Take a deep breath and exhale slowly while twisting torso to the right without changing the angle of torso from the floor.
• Inhale and slowly rotate torso back to starting position. Repeat on both sides.
• For more of a challenge raise the legs.
Upper Body
Swimmer Exercise
• Grasp handles and pull the glideboard halfway up the rails.• Facing the tower, straddle the glideboard and anchor the handles toward top edge. Lie prone with chest near top edge of the glideboard.
• With tension in the cables, slowly bring legs on to the glideboard. Knees can be flexed or extended.
• Hands reach overhead toward the pulleys with palms facing down.
• Maintain slight bend in the elbows, bring one handle down and back in an arc motion toward the side of the hip. Slowly bring the hand back to the starting position.
• Alternate sides or repeat with the same arm.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
Reverse Fly with Back Extension
• Grasp handles and pull the glideboard halfway up the rails.• Facing the tower, straddle the glideboard and anchor the handles toward top edge. Lie prone with chest near top edge of the glideboard.
• With tension in the cables, slowly bring the legs onto the glideboard. Knees can be flexed or extended.
• Hands reach overhead toward the pulleys with thumbs facing the rails.
• Maintain a slight bend in the elbows, press the handles out and back, parallel to the sides of the torso. Slightly raise the head and upper chest off glideboard toward top of the movement. Maintain tension in the cables and slowly return with control back to starting position.
• Lead the motion with the hands. Retract the shoulders at the top of the motion. Maintain neutral wrists.
• Stop the exercise if pain occurs in the lower back or shoulders.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
Prone Biceps Curl with Variations
• Grasp handles and pull the guideboard halfway up the rails.• Facing the tower, straddle the glideboard and anchor the handles toward the top edge.
• Lie prone with the chest positioned on the top half of the glideboard.
• With palms facing up, place the elbows toward the top of the glideboard with hands reaching toward the pulleys. Knees can be flexed or extended.
• With neutral writs and elbows resting on the glideboard, contract the biceps to pull the handles up towards the shoulders. Maintain tension in the cables and slowly return with control back to the starting position.
• Concentrate on maintaining the elbow positions on the glideboard.
• Add some variation by using just one arm at a time alternating between the other arms throughout the exercise.
• Keep a slight bend in the elbows to protect the joint and maintain the load on the biceps.
• Perform two sets of ten to twelve reps with a short break in between.
Now that you have experienced a Total Gym Swimmer workout and feeling strong, go grab your suit, goggles, and kickboard and hit the pool or ocean. Swimming is a great sport as it is low impact, easy on the joints and a healthy activity for people of all ages!
Do you swim on a regular basis and have a favorite Total Gym exercise to increase strength and stamina in the water? Don’t hesitate to contact us via email, facebook, or Twitter; we would love to hear from you!
Have a great summer and keep moving, Cara
