LAT ACTIVATION EXERCISES: The reason you're NOT SWIMMING well might not be YOUR FAULT

Having a high elbow catch when swimming requires you to activate your lats, which if you're a triathlete who works at a desk might be impossible for you to do. These lat activation exercises will help triathletes with dormant lats activate their lats when freestyle swimming.
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[@bro7269]

I realize I haven’t been swimming very long….around 9 months. I kept trying to get faster but to no avail. I could barely get 2:30/100. I kept trying the EVF but I kept injuring my shoulders. I was very frustrated. I ran into the Gerry Rodriguez podcast and then finally the stretch band workouts from Tower 26. It wasn’t until I did a few of those workouts and saw and felt the distinct catch, pull and follow through steps. That’s when I could feel the lat muscles working. Also through one of Gerry’s video’s he mentioned stroke rate….duh. I went from around 30 stroke per minute to 50-60. I just swam my fastest 100m @ 1:40 and even did a 1:32 50m and am consistently swimming around 2:10. I guess the bottom line is, get those lats working, save your shoulders and get faster!

[@jeremycanham9537]

Realized that I am doing it the wrong way. I have very powerful lats but don't know if I'm using them in the pool. Going to try this tip on Thursday in the pool! Thanks Taren!

[@joshtucker8904]

These type of "efficient form" videos are by far the best you make!! I watched all your videos on running, and have already shaved 3 minutes off my average mile pace, just through efficiency with no extra effort :)

[@TriathlonTaren]

Awesome! Love hearing that!

[@mustaphab.1190]

Attention Taren, during the resistance band swim stroke lat activation, you should recover your arm below your body like doggy paddles drill, slowly and in control, as you pulled back the band let it loose all the way front instead of recovering above. The problem is bands are too resistant for our weaker shoulder muscles during the recovery phase, you may end up injuring yourself, take care buddy

[@dhkchung8219]

Thank you so much

[@claudiadeavila5768]

This is a great video, totally make sense all what you're saying, adding to my PT workout sheet, thanks for sharing

Excellent video Taren. Just what I was looking for

[@pavankai]

You are so amazing, what a great short video that talks about fundamentals - Crisp, Clear and short video. Thank you a bunch for helping share your knowledge. I will update in 3 months but i am already confident to improve my DPS in a couple of months. Lets go NUTS with LATS :)

[@j.michaeltynan7062]

Thanks...great video! I was hoping you would do this video since your blog with Michael Collins. I've been working on connecting my arm to my body...pulling with my lats.

[@gregglind]

1:47 Good reminder (cueing) that turning the wrist in pushes the elbow out AND activates the lats. I don’t have the proprioception to “high elbow”. However, I can easier turn my wrist and it has the same effect!

[@kellye654]

This is super relevant, thank you!

[@OrenAdler]

Thanks, very helpful. I am transitioning from Total Immersion to High Elbow Catch (HEC). Some HEC end the stroke a bit past the shoulder to avoid engaging the tricep because when you engage the tricep you are actually pushing water up, your body down.... and not forward... ie, wasting energy. So when the hand is as far back, before the shoulder starts to rotate, that is when you "fly" the hand outward, out of the water, and bring it forward to start the next stroke. Your thought?

[@Ian_in_an_ocean]

Thank you for the video. I’m very interested in muscle activation for the bike and the run as well. Do you have any videos for this?

[@bryanterrio491]

Taren - great explanation in this video!

[@elainenilsson5472]

This is great advice...I'm gonna try it

[@TheSnifmister]

OMG great demonstration I can see the benefits of a high elbow never has anyone demonstrated it so well. I do have a question what color streach cords do you recommend each color has a different resistance level and I'm about to order some and don't know which one to get

[@cst99003]

That's a lot of birthday cards. 😀

[@exerion76]

two thumb up!!!!

[@theafreid9726]

Hi! where did u get that band with paddles? thanks

[@AvailableThisis]

Hey there, where can I get that stretchy band?

[@TriathlonTaren]

Which stretchy band? The TRX system? Or just a regular stretchy band?

[@AvailableThisis]

Stretchy bands with the hand paddles attached. Thanks, T.

[@nolanvini]

Looking lean as anything Taren!

[@andyheilmann1656]

Lat strength is one of the most important things!! Im a long time swimmer and I still struggle with this, hence my string of shoulder injuries

[@CRB2024MonsterSP]

Hi Taren. Do you have a stretch video for the shoulders? Best Regards Niklas

[@TriathlonTaren]

Yes -- I talk about hanging from a bar in many of my previous videos.

[@sprfr8r]

Taren, could a wide grip pull up (wider than shoulder width) with you pulling up and finishing the pull up with the bar behind your head, do a similar thing? Soooooo many years ago it was an exercise an old swim coach had us do to isolate our lats

[@TriathlonTaren]

Potentially, yeah, but I'd say a majority of people can't do a pull-up at all so it's kind of a moot point.

[@pinoyrunningpenguin]

There are lat pulldown machines. Can we use those?

[@debaetsstevie]

Taren you had something from Finis to do that?

[@cinmac3]

i am just wanting to swim pain free , the back of my shoulder feels pain i dont think form swimming under my armpit and my sides ( ribs) is always tense do you or anyone knows either what creates or ways to help it so after i swim i dont feel this pain (strain/stress) ?

[@gargeluy3035]

By any chance to u only breathe to one side on ur front crawl?

[@RockScissorsPaperPress]

It looks like pull-ups would exercise lats, too, then?

[@DavidePetrini]

Bel video ! ti aspetto sul mio canale👍

[@Try2Tri]

My birthday is almost up. Just saying.

[@Wow4really]

Good ideas but in my opinion you should redo the video showing a safer recovery with stretch cords as someone els already pointed out. Shoulder injuries suck. Not everyone reads comments. I do like your videos. 👍