You Want Me to Lift What?

Photo Courtesy: Mac Wilkins, Dan McQuaid

By Danielle Repper, Swimming World College Intern

It’s your freshman year, and first day of preseason. Skimming through the schedule you see in big, daunting letters, WEIGHT TRAINING.

“Weight training? What does that even mean? I can’t imagine a diver would ever need to lift weights, right?”

You open the steel double door in front of you, to find a room you could only imagine football, basketball and baseball players would use. Rows of dumbbells and barbells, rows of squat racks, rows of kettlebells, a giant turf field, and much more.

You may think to yourself, “I must be in the wrong place. You want me to lift that?” Yes! Freshman, this the room where you will enhance your endurance, increase your strength, and push your limits. Don’t be intimidated. Your weight coach, as well as your older teammates, will be with you every step of the way, ensuring you have the proper technique and form in order to promote strength and avoid injury.

Many athletes, often do not have any weight training experience prior to college. The skill level of incoming collegiate athletes is green, but full of potential. College athletes are at a prime time in their careers where they can truly transform their bodies.

“I am looking forward to getting stronger so it will help improve my diving, being able to jump higher to learn harder dives, and make the harder dives easier,” Madeline Russell, freshman diver on the UCLA diving team, said.

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Sport-Specific Weight Training

Athletic performance weight coaches work to find exercises and lifts that are sport-specific. Each sport demands that athletes obtain and hone an array of muscle groups.

“Sport-specific weight training is important because different sports require different skills. It’s important to focus on making them a better athlete while emphasizing certain areas that are specific to their sport and position. Different sports emphasize certain energy systems, and it’s important to train these energy systems to make the athletes best conditioned for their sport,” Molly Gosnell, current UCLA swimming and diving athletic performance coach said.

One of the biggest misconceptions and fears among many athletes, is the fear of getting “too big.” This is where sport specific-training comes into place.

“For diving, important areas of focus are shoulder endurance, core strength, maximum lower body strength and power,” Gosnell said.

The workouts you will perform, are designed to enhance your muscle performance by toning and fine tuning your your muscles, not necessarily enlarging them. Your weight coach will focus on the muscle groups that will enhance your body, such that you will utilize their full potential on the boards.

“My leg strength has improved immensely, giving me the power to jump high on the boards,” Montana Monahan, senior diver on the UCLA diving team, said. “I have done weights for almost four years now. Compared to my freshman year, I can feel a lot of improvement in my diving– I used to be so frail, and now I have the muscle power and strength to get where I need to be.”

You will not see the difference over night. However, you will notice differences in your strength between each training session. The process takes time, and will involve many ice baths in the process. You will learn an immense amount about your willpower in the weight room. The weight room is a great place to test, and compete against yourself. Test your limits. Your biggest competition is, and will always be yourself. Pay attention to your progress. Nothing is more rewarding than the realization you are able to perform a skill you once were not strong enough to do.

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Erkan Gunay

8 years ago

Yusuf Opuş