Water Polo Swim Workouts For College

Maximize your winning advantage with these water polo swim workouts for college. Take an edge above your opponents by simply being physically stronger and faster in the pool. Just as how running is important in playing basketball and football, swimming is tantamount to the air you breathe in water polo. To improve power and endurance to topple your opponents, try these water polo swim workouts:

1. Basic Strokes. Needless to say, honing your swimming skills to perfection should be the most fundamental and the most significant goal in water polo workouts. Playing water polo involves 80% front crawl and 20% back stroke. Front crawls are significant in advancing towards the ball. This stroke shall be developed until you have achieved your maximum speed in reaching for the ball. Back strokes, on the other hand, are useful when guarding other players while waiting for the ball to be passed between players.
2. The Egg-beater Kick.Water polo swim workouts shall also focus on developing this treading kick. As what the name implies, this is done by making stirring movements through your legs. One of your legs shall spin clockwise while other spins counterclockwise. Keeping your head and upper extremities above the water surface shall be maintained.
3. Throws and Strength Build Up.Grab a medicine ball weighing a pound or two and practice throwing it into a mark while egg-beating. Go after it in your maximum speed through front crawls. This water polo swim workout can also be done with a partner to practice your catching abilities with your non-dominant hand. Instead of using the usual 1 to 2-pound ball in your training, utilize a heavier medicine ball weighing around 5-8 pounds. Doing so will accustom your biceps and triceps muscles in lifting a heavy ball making the actual water polo ball lighter to raise. This will also enhance the core muscles in your legs necessary to sustain your weight better in the water.
4. Swimming Exercises.  This water polo swim workout simply aims to turn your good qualities into better, and make your better become your best. This involves doing sprints of 200 yards for front crawls and 50 yards for back strokes. Improve your egg-beater kicks gradually as well until you sustain in doing them for a duration of 1 ½ hours. In upgrading your throwing capacity, aim to throw up to 25 shots or more of the 5 to 8-pound medicine balls and 50 shots of the 1 to 2-pound ones.
5. Develop Agility and Stamina.Timed sprints are the best way to improve agility and stamina, combine it with a limited rest period and you will become a quick and enduring swimmer in no time. Do front crawls for a 12.5 meter sprint and repeat it for at least six times. Time your rest period for about two to three minutes and then repeat it again. Once you improve on your speed and stamina on this water polo swim workout, do front crawls for 25 to 30 meter sprints for at least six times and combine it with a rest period of about three to five minutes. Remember that when doing this exercise you should always check your physical condition. Sprints can be more tiresome than basic endurance training so make sure you can handle the pressure.