Research has proven that swimmer’s shoulder will hold back 3 out of 4 elite swimmers during their career. And the cruel irony is that when you put in the hours and hard work, you’re often the worst hit. It’s not fair that the reward for all your effort, might only be:
Nagging pain, performance plateaus, missing meets, and watching people you used to beat pass you by.
Good news is the Crossover Symmetry System has got your back. For over ten years, thousands of elite athletes have used Crossover Symmetry to eliminate shoulder pain and help push the limits of their performance.
The Problem Behind Shoulder Pain
The core cause of shoulder pain is a breakdown in shoulder function. This can be due to issues with stability, mobility, or motor control. However, the pain related to this dysfunction doesn’t show up until those breakdowns are exposed after long hours in the pool..
Most competitive swimmers will just push through, and unfortunately, this only makes things worse. Your body tries to protect the shoulder from further injury. It does this by making subconscious stroke changes to avoid pain. This causes further dysfunction, a decrease in performance, and further pain.
Finally, you may decide to rest. Take some time off, maybe some pain medication, or maybe try out some other recovery tools. The problem is when you come around to getting back in the pool, the underlying dysfunction is still there and ready to start you back into the pain cycle.
How You Can End the Pain Cycle
Swimmers use Crossover Symmetry in 3 key ways to get rid of pain and maintain healthy shoulders.
- Activate Before – Typically your shoulders aren’t ready to swim when you walk onto the deck. That’s because the smaller stabilizer muscles in your shoulders haven’t done a thing all day. When you suddenly throw them into a long warm-up set followed by intense, never ending intervals, they don’t perform well The better way to approach this is some basic muscle activation exercises for the scap stabilizers and rotator cuff immediately before swimming This will get the shoulder out of impingement and ready to perform, effectively.
- Strengthen the Weak Links – Lots of swimmers think the major muscles used for swimming- what we call the Prime Movers are the key to improving performance and preventing shoulder pain. Much of dryland training is focused on developing these Prime Movers. But swimmers are already training these muscles extremely hard everyday in the pool. Instead, it’s the weak links that need to be targeted. Opposing muscle groups and smaller stabilizers get left behind with normal training, correcting these imbalances is proven to prevent pain and help you go faster.
- Mobilize and Recover Better – Eat, sleep, train is the life of most swimmers. While this is the essence of a good training program, it’s the same stuff being done by every other competitive swimmer. To gain an edge it takes little things that add up to a massive advantage. Recover better than your competition and you will generate greater performance gains from your training. Start adding in mobility work and basic shoulder exercises to promote blood flow and proper alignment of muscle and tendons after each workout. This will better prepare the body for the next training session, so you get maximum gains.
How does Crossover Symmetry Work?
The Crossover Symmetry System is the perfect adjunct to time spent in the pool. It’s not designed to replace your training, but rather a necessary prerequisite and accessory dryland work to be incorporated into a complete training program. It includes programs for muscle activation, recovery, speed, strength, and mobility, (each program only takes 5 minutes to complete.) The Crossover Symmetry System includes a complete online training and education platform, making it a complete system to end your shoulder pain and take your training to the next level.
BORN FROM SCIENCE – VALIDATED BY ATHLETES Crossover Symmetry is an evidence based shoulder health and performance system, developed by top sports physical therapists, athletes and coaches. The programs are designed to facilitate safe and efficient shoulder mechanics in order to eliminate pain, reduce the risk of injury and optimize performance. Over 75% of Div 1 University athletic programs and thousands of rehab facilities use Crossover Symmetry on a daily basis.
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The challenge of a swimmer’s shoulder, impacting the majority of elite swimmers, brings to the forefront the delicate interplay between rigorous training and musculoskeletal health. It’s a stark reminder that pushing limits can sometimes blur the signs of underlying dysfunction. Addressing shoulder pain isn’t merely about symptom relief; it’s a deep dive into stability, mobility, and motor control. Systems like Crossover Symmetry offer a holistic approach, focusing on primary movers and often-overlooked stabilizer muscles and opposing muscle groups. By emphasizing activation, strength balance, and enhanced recovery, there’s a promising path toward alleviating pain and optimizing athletic performance.
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