PVC Physical Strategy 5

The Core Challenge

Your core plays a major role in swimming fast. The stronger you make it, the faster you’ll swim. Perform each exercise six days in a row, and record your results in the space provided.

Hollow Hold

• Lie face up on the ground with your arms at your sides, knees bent, and feet on the ground.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles (as hard as you can) like a corset to set your core.
• Maintaining a set core is critical.
• Lift your shoulders off the ground, making sure to keep your lower back in a stable and fixed position.
• While lifting your shoulders, reach your arms towards the tops of your knees.

Scoring

• Platinum: 4 rounds of 180 seconds.
• Gold: 4 rounds of 120 seconds.
• Silver: 4 rounds of 90 seconds.
• Bronze: 4 rounds of 60 seconds.

3-Sided Plank

Step 1:

• Looking facedown, support your body weight on your toes and forearms.
• Place your head in a neutral position (eyes down). Make your body a straight line (from the back of your head to the heels of your feet).
• Hold for 15 seconds.

Step 2:

• Rotate your body sideways to the right. When rotated, you must maintain the same position as in Step 1, only balancing on your right forearm and the outside edge of your right foot.
• Hold for 15 seconds.

Step 3:

• Return to Step 1.
• Hold for 15 seconds.

Step 4:

• Rotate your body sideways to the left. When rotated, you must maintain the same position as in Step 1, only balancing on your left forearm and the outside edge of your left foot.
• Hold for 15 seconds.

NO RESTING BETWEEN STEPS!

Scoring

• Platinum: 6 full rounds, holding 30 seconds in each position.
• Gold: 4 full rounds, holding 30 seconds in each position.
• Silver: 6 full rounds, holding 15 seconds in each position.
• Bronze: 4 full rounds, holding 15 seconds in each position.