The same thing happened last year, and now that I'm building volume it's started again. Whenever I do a long-ish swim (as in more than one mile without stopping) almost as soon as I stop, my lats start to cramp. If I try to reach up to take off my swim cap/goggles, they completely freak out and go into all kinds of spasms. They spasm for the next couple hours and then I'm fine, no lasting soreness or anything.
I drink a gallon + of water during the on season, and I never have any problems with cramping in the other sports. I also do plenty of strength training. I feel fine during the swim, it's not till when I stop that I have the problem. It's just really uncomfortable. Has this happened to anyone else, and does anyone have any advice on anything I can try so that I won't have this happen?
Thanks :o)
Never has happened to me,
Never has happened to me, but it isn't an electrolyte issue, since you only get it in a specific muscle group. So what is happening is, the muscle doesn't relax. It stays stimulated, after the process.... um... the more it stays stimulated, the more you will feel the cramping sensation.
Going out on a limb, somehow you are keeping the lat group contracted too long through your stroke. It just doesn't get a break, so when you are done, it can't "slow" down, since it has been "on" for so long. It would almost me like doing reps with some weights, and just holding the contraction, instead of a contract, relax, contract relax....
Do you turn over your arms very fast?
Do you rotate much?
If you stay square to the water, and not rotate, you won't engage the hips/core and rely on your arms/lats.
I'm thinking it might be a cadence issue with your arms, or technique issue with your rotation.
vjohnson wrote: I'm thinking
[quote=vjohnson]
I'm thinking it might be a cadence issue with your arms, or technique issue with your rotation.[/quote]
And I can't imagine an arm turn over that is SO FAST that there is no contract-relax-contract-relax sequence, so my vote, as with most things related to swim problems, is that you have a technique issue to work through.
Lats tend to get sore in
Lats tend to get sore in distance swimming. It sounds like it could be some flexibility thats causing. A standing streamline stretch against a wall is the best stretch for this. Doing this once a day will help loosen your lats and should reduce the cramping.
Lats tend to get sore in
Lats tend to get sore in distance swimming. It sounds like it could be some flexibility thats causing. A standing streamline stretch against a wall is the best stretch for this. Doing this once a day will help loosen your lats and should reduce the cramping.