Dr Wilhelm Gromisz
Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Faculty of Physical Education and Health in Biała Podlaska. Department of Sports Sciences, Poland

Keywords: resistance (strength) training with resistance rubber bands, arm stroke swimming.

Introduction. Optimization of sports preparation in swimming requires multifactor biomechanical, physiological, psychological, pedagogical and biological research [1, 7, 8, 9]. One of the most important problems is the development of effective dry-land motor ability training programs. The effectiveness of dry-land resistance training for swimmers varies depending on the training means used. The improvement in power developed on dry land usually ranges from 5 to 40% [1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9]. However, the transfer of power developed on dry land to the aquatic environment differs in size and direction of changes [1, 4, 6, 7]. This is due to the fact that the training means and devices used in the training of swimmers do not always correspond to the structure of swimming. It must be remembered that strength developed by a swimmer during dry-land training undergoes three phases before being "transferred" to the competition-like exercise. Resistance rubber bands are quite commonly used in power dry-land training of swimmers. However, there is a lack of scientific justification for the purposefulness and effectiveness of their use in swimmers training.

Study aim. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of dry-land upper limb resistance training with the use of resistance rubber bands on the speed and parameters of the front crawl arm technique.

Research material. The study involved (n = 34) physical education students who were randomly divided into three groups, i.e. experimental group D (n = 12) age: 20.3 ± 0.9 years, body weight: 77.7 ± 7.5 kg, body height: 181.3 ± 3.0 cm (resistance training with resistant rubber bands), experimental group P (n = 12) age: 20.4 ± 1.0 years, body weight: 76.8 ± 7.0 kg, body height: 181.7 ± 3.0 cm (resistance training in the form of arm stroke swimming only), and control group K (n = 10) age: 23.0 ± 1.5 years, body weight: 79.0 ± 7.4 kg , body height: 177.1 ± 4.3 cm.

Research methods. An eight-week experiment was carried out. In group D, standard swimming training was combined with dry-land resistance training with resistance rubber bands. Group P performed standard swimming training combined with  resistance arm stroke swimming training (the volume of work in resistance arm stroke swimming training was similar to the volume of work in dry-land resistance training with resistance rubber bands performed by group D).  The volume of performance in groups D and P was 300 seconds of work with resistance during each training session. The training consisted of 6 sets of 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. Video analysis was used when swimming at a distance of 25 m and 75 m. Swimming speed V (m/s), arm frequency FC (cycles/min) and length of the motor cycle LC (m) were measured. During each training session, the FC was recorded, based on which the amount of resistance was controlled [3]. After exceeding 60 cycles (per minute) of arm performance, the amount of rubber band resistance was increased by 10%. Group K as well as groups D and P participated in two control measurements before and after the experiment. The research was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki and the research was approved by the University Research Ethics Committee.

 The effectiveness of training was assessed using the effect size (ES) according to Cohen [2].

ES - standard effect of training,

SD - standard deviation before the experiment.

The computer program Statistica 13.3 was used for the calculations.

Results. During the experiment, the volume of performance in water was 45175 m. The efforts made in the oxygen zone constituted the largest share in the total volume of performance (77.14%). The efforts in the mixed zone accounted for 17.49%, anaerobic efforts constituted 3.43%, whereas sprint loads came to 1.94%.

The effects of resistance rubber band training on the FC showed that group P achieved low training effects at 25 m and 75 m. In group D. there were also low effects with negative values at a distance of 25 m, whereas at 75 m there were no training effects. In group P, an increase in the FC was observed, while in group D a decrease was noted (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Changes in the FC at a distance of 25 m and 75 m before and after the experiment (ES).

The results of the LC in groups P and D at a distance of 25 m are different. Also, a small but different direction effect of changes depending on the distance was noted. In group P, there was an increase in the LC at a distance of 25 m and a decrease at a distance of 75 m. In group D, a slight increase in the LC was observed at both distances (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Changes in the LC at 25 m and 75 m before and after the experiment (ES).

The effect of increasing the V at a distance of 25 m in group P was medium, whereas in group D no improvement was noted. However, at a distance of 75 m in groups P and D, the ES came to 0.1 only, (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. Changes in V at a distance of 25 m and 75 m before and after the experiment (ES).

This means that the transfer of the effect of resistance training performed with the use of resistance rubber bands was low. It seems that the use of the load and duration of tests in the experiment did not bring about the desired changes. Perhaps the duration of the experiment was too short, which did not allow the effect to be transferred from dry land to water. In the future, similar research should be carried out extending the duration of the experiment or increasing the training load on dry land.

Conclusions

1. It was found that  an eight-week swimming training program supplemented with dry-land resistance rubber bands training caused multidirectional changes in the length of the motor cycle and the frequency of arm performance.

2. The effectiveness of an eight-week resistance training program with resistance rubber bands was low, as evidenced by the ES values.

3. In sports training of swimmers, it is recommended to use dry-land resistance training as a supplement to training in water. Training means used on dry land with their specificity (force vs. time, frequency of arm performance) should be closer to swimming-specific parameters.

References

1. Aspenes S., Kjendlie P. L., Hoff J., Helgerud J. Combined strength and endurance training in competitive swimmers. Journal of sports science and medicine, 2009, 8(3) pp. 357.
2. Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioural Sciences. Academic Press, New York. 1969, 415 pp.
3. Fomiczenko T. G. Silovaya i tekhnicheskaya podgotovka plovtsov v razlichnykh vozrastnykh gruppakh [Strength and technical training of swimmers in various age groups]. M.: Fizkultura, obrazovanie, nauka publ., 1998. 254 p.
4. Haycraft J., Robertson S. The effects of concurrent aerobic training and maximal strength, power and swim-specific dry-land training methods on swim performance: a review. Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning. 2015, 23(2), pp. 91-99.
5. Konstantaki M., Winter E., Swaine I. Effects of arms-only swimming training on performance, movement economy, and aerobic power, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2008, 3 (3), pp. 294-304.
6. Muniz-Pardos B., Gomez-Bruton A., Matute-Llorente A., Gonzalez-Aguero A., Gomez-Cabello A., Gonzalo-Skok O., Casajus J.A., Vicente-Rodriguez, G. Resistance Training: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2019, 33 (10), pp. 2875-2881.
7. Sadowski, J., Mastalerz, A., Gromisz, W., Jówko, E., Buszta, M. The effects of swimming and dry-land resistance training programme on non-swimmers. Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism, 2015, 22(1), pp. 35-40.
8. Szczepan S., Zatoń K., Klarowicz A. The effect of concurrent visual feedback on controlling swimming speed. Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism, 2016, 23(1), pp. 3-6.
9. Zatoń K., Cześniewicz I., Szczepan S. Effects of Verbal Feedback on Movement Efficiency During Swimming Ergometry. Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism, 2018, 25(3), pp. 5-9.

Corresponding author: wilhelm.gromisz@awf-bp.edu.pl, tel. 83 342-87-16

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of dry-land upper limb resistance training with the use of resistance rubber bands on the speed and parameters of the front crawl arm technique. The study involved (n = 34) students of physical education, age: 21.2 ± 1.5 years, body weight: 77.8 ± 1.1 kg, body height: 180.0 ± 2.5 cm. The subjects were randomly divided into two experimental groups (D and P) and one control group (K). Group D (n = 12)  trained with resistance rubber bands, while group P (n = 12) performed resistance training in the form of arm stroke swimming. Group K (n = 10) participated in the initial and final measurements. An eight-week pedagogical experiment was conducted. On dry land, resistance training was carried out with resistance rubber bands (6 sets x 50 seconds of performance with a ten-second break), whereas in water, freestyle arm stroke swimming of similar volume and intensity was performed.