Participants in the World Clinic will be offered the 4.5-hour ASCA Swimming Strength and Conditioning Specialist (SSCS) live workshop, a hands-on experience consisting of strength, stability, and injury resilience exercises.
​
The workshop helps provide a clear understanding of how these exercises relate to swimming performance and enables the transfer of training from the gym to the pool.
A presentation copy with exercise videos is provided after the course.
​
Section 1: The rationales for developing strength and conditioning programming for swimmers. (Lecture format)
This section briefly overviews exercise physiology, research, and rationales for combining strength and conditioning programming with pool training to increase speed and endurance in competition.
​
Section 2: Swimming Strength: Core, Conduit, and Context – Creating a foundation for swimming strength in the gym. (Lecture and interactive workshop formats)
This section links the development of stability by emphasizing improved strength and stability in the trunk and torso region or what the course calls the "platform."
The content consists of about 15 minutes of exercise science, muscle anatomy of the linked muscle systems, and 40 minutes of hands-on instruction. Primary exercise equipment will be bodyweight movements, bands, and suspension trainers.
These exercises are appropriate for swimmers aged 10 through seniors.
​
Section 3 – Power through the platform: Adding strength equipment to programming. (Interactive workshop format)
The third section builds on the knowledge gained from Sections 1 & 2 and emphasizes instruction on adding strength equipment effectively to a solid and stable platform to improve swimming efficiency.
Medicine balls, dumbbells, and kettlebells are used in the 40-minute interactive workshop, and the content is suitable for age groups and senior-level coaches.
​
Section 4 – Increasing strength and power in swimming: Exercises for a strong program. (Interactive Workshop Format)
This section consists of 45 min. of basic instruction in movement preparation exercises to develop proper technique for the primary athletic training lifts of, squats, deadlifts, kettlebells, and upper body pushing and pulling exercises.
​
Power exercises using medicine balls, kettlebells, and dumbbells are also included.
This content offers ways to introduce movement patterns to prepare 10-12 year-olds for strength and power exercises as well as technical instruction for 13 and older in the actual lifts.
Section 5: Exercise selection, workout format, and periodization planning. (Lecture format)
Program design and implementation for all phases of the season, from starting the year to tapering for a championship meet, are covered in this section.
​
​
Charlie Hoolihan is ASCA's Swimming Strength and Conditioning Specialist Coordinator. He is a national presenter and author on fitness, strength, and conditioning topics and has an extensive swimming coach background.