Swimming with Hand Paddles

Swimming with Hand Paddles: Pulling Strength

Hand paddles are flat accessories attached to the hands that increase the surface area for water catch. They force the upper body muscles to work harder, developing swimming-specific pulling strength.

Muscles Targeted

Focus on pulling strength: lats, shoulders, chest, forearms. Increased resistance recruits more muscle fibers.

Execution

1. Size selection: start with paddles barely larger than your hands. Too large = shoulder injury risk.
2. Attachment: attach paddles with provided elastic bands.
3. Swim: swim crawl with particular attention to hand entry and pull phase.
4. Volume: do not exceed 20-25% of total training volume with paddles.

Duration

Duration: 10 to 15 minutes per session in 100-200m blocks.

Safety Tips

• Mandatory progression: start with small paddles and short distances.
• Stop if you feel shoulder pain.
• Maintain impeccable technique: paddles amplify technical defects.

Variations

• Paddles + pull buoy: maximum upper body force.
• Finger paddles: smaller, for water feel work.

Target Audience

Intermediate to advanced swimmers with good baseline technique.