Join Mark and take away a 15-minute total body strength circuit you can add into your shallow water classes. This aquatic fitness instructor video features 15 shallow-water strength exercises that target chest, quads, back, hamstrings, shoulders, glutes, arms, thighs and core. We filmed two versions, one without equipment and one with HydroRevolution Drag Resistance equipment.
Shallow Water Pure Strength is performed without equipment to better understand hand positions and directional forces. Deep Water Loaded Strength was filmed with the HydroRevolution Drag Resistance to showcase the positioning and use of the equipment.
Strength Inspiration
The reason why I filmed Deep Water Strength and Shallow Water Strength is because we have received requests for strength videos without cardio. The majority of muscle conditioning videos on Poolfit include cardio is because pools can be chilly and no one likes to get cold. Therefore, we usually combine cardio and strength. Originally, I had planned to film one 15-minute video using the HydroRevolution equipment, with the option of performing the exercises without equipment. However, I discovered while practicing that it was too confusing to explain what the hand would be doing in lieu of not using the equipment. Consequently, I was inspired to create two videos, one with equipment and one without.
Shallow Water Strength Pure
This 15-minute video features 15 strength exercises, each performed for 1-minute, without the use of equipment. Emphasizing select muscle groups when strength training in the water requires a knowledge of hand positions and directional forces. Positioning your hands with thumb up (full) or thumb horizontal (sliced) can emphasize specific upper body muscles. Moving the water with more force in one direction can also emphasize specific upper and lower body muscle groups. Webbed gloves can be worn to increase upper body resistance. Water shoes can add a little bit of resistance to lower body exercises.
Watch Mark demonstrate hand positions and directional forces when not using equipment.
Shallow Water Strength Loaded
This 15-minute video features the same 15 strength exercises as the Pure video, each performed for 1-minute, with the use of the HydroRevolution Drag Resistance equipment. Emphasizing select upper body muscle groups when strength training with the Aqualogix Bells requires a knowledge of how to position the equipment. Similar to full and sliced hand positions, there is a flat side and seam side to the bells that can emphasize certain upper body muscles. Similar to using no equipment at all, moving the water with more force in one direction can also emphasize specific upper and lower body muscle groups when using the bells and the Aqualogix Hybrid Fins. When practicing for this video I found myself getting frustrated because I could not seem to get the fins tight enough so that they did not rotate and move around. If you find yourself struggling with that, I discovered a very useful hack. I cut off the feet portion of a pair of socks, leaving just the ankle portion. The Velcro straps on the fins fit more snugly on the cut off socks and my fins never budged once I starting using this hack.
Watch Mark talk more about the use of the Aqualogix bells and fins in the video below.
I hope you enjoy the Shallow Water Strength and Deep Water Strength videos and that you take away a better understanding of muscle conditioning in the water without equipment and with the HydroRevolution Drag Resistance equipment.