In this ongoing series of Tom’s guide articles, I’ve at least heard of the exercise challenge set out by my editor, and in many cases I’ve done them in the past. Not this time: I’d never heard of the swimmer. There may be a good reason for this.
What is that?
Since I wasn’t familiar with the swimmer (or “swimming,” as it’s sometimes known, rather unnecessarily), I dug deep into the internet and what I found was… not much. Oceans of stuff about real swimming and lots about Burt Lancaster’s weird 1968 film The swimmer , but strangely little about exercise. And what I found mostly had the word “Pilates” in it. The alarm bell has gone off. I have nothing against Pilates, but when I hear the word, I think of “flexibility” and this is an area that I sometimes find a bit forced.
The swimmer is a body strength exercise that involves lying face down on the floor in the superman position (now that I knew I could Do ) and, from there, raise and lower your extended arms and legs. He targets the back, core, glutes, hamstrings and shoulders. Sounds easy enough: it’s not. And he seems to do a lot of things: I’m not sure.
How do I do it?
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Start lying face down, arms extended in front of you and legs straight. She looks down rather than forward to avoid straining her neck.
Squeeze your abs and glutes, bring your shoulder blades together, and lift your chest and arms off the floor. At the same time, he raises his legs slightly, keeping them straight.
From this position, further raise and then lower the left leg and right arm, then the lower leg and right leg, in a smooth, controlled “swimming” motion. Do not raise your arms or legs excessively, as this will put excessive pressure on your lower back, and do not allow your hands or feet to touch the floor during the lowering phase of the movement.
Continue alternating for 10-20 seconds. Do three or four sets.
This is what happened when I was a swimmer for a week
Day one The first day was – and I don’t mean to sugarcoat it – terrible. I couldn’t lift my arms and legs much, so that during the downward movement they touched the floor. More concerning, I felt the movement mostly in my lower back, and not in a good way. I was straining myself, pushing hard into the floor to lift my legs and chest, to get some level of lift. I also felt movement in my glutes, which was mildly soothing, but nothing in my core. I managed three sets in 10 second jerks. I may have paired the right arm lift with the left leg lift at some point, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Still, I had the nagging feeling that I was preparing my body for the week: “Look, this is what I’m going to do every day. You have to get on board.” To which my body responded, “We’ll see.”
Second day On day two, I slowed down the movement, mostly to coordinate the lift of one arm and the opposite leg, but also to try to develop a rhythm and feel the exercise where it should be felt. After three more 10-second sets, I noticed it in my shoulders and glutes. But I still felt too much pressure on my lower back. I was wondering if this would be a move more suited to someone who already does yoga or pilates; you know, someone flexible. For my money, forward bending is easy, but backward bending is best left to gymnasts and people who try too hard to be appreciated.
Day three The following day I managed three 20-second sets and one 30-second set, so my body was adjusting to the exercise. I started feeling it higher up my back and hamstrings, but tended to slide left and right as I did the movement. The trick is to keep a straight line and only move your arms and legs, so slow down and focus. Breathe slowly, I told myself. I was talking to myself a lot which is never a good sign.
Fourth day There was a few more improvements on day four: three sets of 30 seconds. I was rising higher, but felt like my legs were bending slightly and pulling apart. This made it easier, but it was bad form. Only now was I beginning to feel the movement in my core, and not much. Most of the effort still came from my lower back (which made me wary of the movement), glutes and hamstrings.
Day five On day five, I decided I hated the move. It felt like a waste of time and energy. There are many other moves out there that strengthen the lower back, such as the bird dog and the superman and there is no shortage of moves to work the buttocks, even various glute bridge exercises. The center? You have the plank in all its variations as well as sit-ups and crunches . Hamstrings? Look no further than the excellent Good morning exercise. I could go on, but you get the picture. These moves may not target every muscle the swimmer targets, but they are, in my opinion, more efficient and don’t put much strain on the lower back.
Day six On day six, I found that I made significant improvements. I was able to more easily engage my core to help lift my chest and legs—a good place to start. I was also able to maintain form and managed two 35-second sets and one 40-second set. But the strange thing was that although I improved, which always happens with these challenges, I didn’t care. And that was new.
Seventh day By the end of the week I was happy I was done with the exercise. The chances of him doing it again are zero. It might be a wonderful move for people with more flexibility, but I was constantly aware that my lower back was under strain, and there are many other ways to work the same muscles as a swimmer. Try it, but if you have lower back problems, consult a doctor before starting.
More from Tom’s Guide