Stretch Cords

Stretch cords are lengths of latex tubing with handles at each end and a nylon loop in the middle that can anchor to a wide variety of fixed objects. Cords have been one of my favorite training aids for over twenty years because they’re the most affordable and versatile of any strength-building tool that can legitimately be recommended for swimmers. In fact, a study at the University of New Brunswick found that a daily stretch cord workout of 20 minutes (12 to 14 minutes of exercise, 6 to 8 minutes of rest) helped swimmers hang on to virtually all of their conditioning during a three-week layoff.

Stretch cords give you the same steady, fluid resistance that water does. They also let you work through a virtually endless range of motion, limited only by your joints and your workout space. If you use weights to build swimming strength, you can also use cords as a “bridge” between nonspecific strength work in the weight room and swim-specific movement in the pool. Weight training builds muscles that are most specific to the movements you use while lifting the weights. Swimming uses those muscles differently and always in a low-load situation. Stretch cord training helps translate your weight room strength to pool strength by working your muscles in swimming-specific motions, but under much higher loads than water could provide.

Finally, cords can be easily used for “prehab” exercise to correct muscle imbalances caused by swimming, and to strengthen the shoulder joint to protect against tendinitis and other injuries. In fact, physical therapists prescribe stretch cord exercises to rehab many shoulder injuries.