Eight Ways to Build Strength With Water Workouts

Marv Marinovich, a former Oakland
Raiders conditioning coach who advocates explosive stop-start
plyometric movements in lieu of conventional weight training, tells Outside magazine that power
isn’t just strength, and it isn’t just speed. So what is it?  "It’s
strength-speed," Marinovich says. "It’s how quickly you can apply your force. It’s what you need
to change direction to avoid a tackle, to swerve away from an open car
door when you’re on your bike." Whatever. The take away from this piece is eight exercises from Marinovich’s low-impact, high performance training plan, all of which require a swimming pool, fins and couple of other things. Here are exercises one, two and three:

1. HIP FLEXION AND EXTENSION
What It Works: hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings Equipment: fins Form:
With hands on the pool’s edge, extend one knee up to your chest, then
thrust the leg back and as high as you can, keeping it straight.
Alternate legs.

2. THE MERMAID
What It Works: obliques, lower back Equipment: fins Form:
Stand six inches from the edge of the pool in chest-high water. Hold
the edge and put legs together as one unit (think mermaid). Then,
bracing your hands, arms, and shoulders against the edge, swing your
legs from side to side without pausing. Try to keep them parallel with
the side of the pool, like windshield wipers. Swing legs as high and as
fast as you can.

3. SHORT KICK
What It Works: lower abdominal muscles Equipment: fins Form:
Stand on one foot and lift your other foot barely off the pool bottom
by slightly bending your knee. Swing the free foot forward six inches
and then behind you six inches. Keep it as low as possible without
scraping bottom, and move it rapidly back and forth.

For five more exercises, read Hydro Power, in Outside.