Announcements

Athletes are on a roll! Our first full week of practice was a huge success as athletes have brought great energy, intensity, and focus to every session. Our team is set up for success, and now it’s time to carry that momentum forward.

Next weekend marks our first meet of the year: B Championships, taking place Saturday and Sunday at the RRAC. I will be unavailable on Saturday due to a family emergency but will return for Sunday. Laylah and Sara will be on deck Saturday, and we will continue to share updates throughout the weekend.

If you have achieved a B cut but not yet a BB cut, you may still sign up until 9:00 PM tonight. 

B Championship Goodie Bags

The team will be providing a championship bag and tag for this meet, along with drinks for our athletes. If you are attending and would like to contribute items to the bags, please bring them by Thursday this week.

Core Training: Why It Matters

A strong core is not about appearance, I mean who wouldn't love to have a 6-pack, but it’s about function. When core muscles work together, swimmers move more efficiently, generate more power, maintain better body position, and reduce injury risk.

Our dryland and in-water training programs are designed to develop the entire core system, helping athletes perform at their highest level now and in the future.

Many parents and athletes have noticed that our staff places a strong emphasis on core work during dryland. Since we've been back, Coach Laylah has intentionally incorporated more ab exercises to prepare us for competition. However, while people often think “core” means abs, the reality is that the core includes nearly half of the body specifically all the muscles that attach to the pelvis and spine. These muscles allow athletes to kick, jump, twist, bend, brace, and transfer power.

For swimmers, they must all fire together in coordination to create speed, efficiency, and stability in the water.

Below is a breakdown of the major muscle groups that make up the core and how they contribute to swimming performance:

Posture Regulator – Trapezius
The trapezius connects the spine to the shoulder blades, stabilizing the upper body and supporting strong posture. This is critical for maintaining body position in the water and contributes to powerful chest drive in butterfly, freestyle, and breaststroke extension.

Body Stabilizer – Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)
The lats drive powerful pulling movements such as the freestyle stroke and breaststroke pull-down. These muscles link the shoulders, spine, and pelvis, making them a key stabilizer for the core and the entire body.

Powerhouse – Glutes
Explosive starts, sprint speed, and strong push-offs originate in the glutes. The gluteus maximus provides raw power, while the gluteus medius supports balance and stability. Nearly 50% of all athletic movement begins with these muscles working together.

The Core’s Core – Abdominal Muscles
The rectus abdominis and obliques support bending and rotation essential for freestyle and backstroke. The transversus abdominis—a deep stabilizing muscle—wraps around the torso like a girdle, keeping the core tight, aligned, and stable.

Support System – Hip Adductors
Hip adductors play a critical role in kick alignment and stability. Weakness or tightness here can pull the pelvis out of position and contribute to hamstring tightness. Early in the preseason, we dedicate approximately 50% of practice time to kick work to build a strong neurological and muscular foundation for the season.

Reinforcements – Lower Back Muscles
The quadratus lumborum and spinal erectors support upright posture, rotation, and spinal control. They work closely with the glutes to generate power while protecting the spine during training and competition.

Sample Ab Workout:

Adaptations are happening constantly in both dryland and swim practice. The brain sends signals through motor pathways to control when and how powerfully muscles contract. By training with appropriate resistance, speed, and repetition, athletes build muscle memory that leads to high-performance results.

Let’s keep the momentum going!

Sincerely,

Coach Adam