Looking for an unconventional workout that’ll squeeze in some extra resistance training without overtraining? Hop in the pool.
You can work your strength, speed, and agility underwater—and you don’t even have to swim!
Most people hear water workouts and imagine a montage of senior citizens moseying through water aerobics, but you can get a kickass workout underwater.
Alex Isaly, P.T., a nutritionist and LifeTime ambassador says:
“Aqua training is starting to become a buzzword in fitness, and I’m not talking about your traditional water aerobics classes.”
In fact, doing resistance training in the water can actually be more effective than heaving heavy metal on land.
Isaly says:
“There’s been a ton of new research on the benefits: increased core stability and balance; less muscle soreness; better joint mobility in the hips, spine, and shoulders; enhanced muscular strength and endurance; and increased lean body mass.”
“Aqua training is also considered one of the most effective cross-training workouts because it significantly decreases impact on your joints due to water’s buoyant properties. Performing traditional strength and bodyweight moves can also drastically improve joint mobility in your hips, spine, and shoulders.”
How to add underwater resistance training to your workout regimen
Isaly suggests adding two to three aqua training sessions a week in your training program.
Isaly says.
“I recommend timed intervals with active recovery between. Try doing 30 seconds of work, immediately followed by 15 seconds of active recovery, like jogging in place.”
Perform anywhere from 3-5 sets. If you’d rather complete exercises by reps, and you’re a bit more advanced, shoot for 15-20 reps for 3-4 sets.
For the following seven exercises, you’ll need:
- Speedo push plate
- Speedo clutch paddles
- Speedo washboard
- Kettlebell
- ViPR
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1. Push Plate Chest Press
How to do it: Hold the Push Plate by its handle grips on either side, so the flat side of the plate is facing you. Get into an athletic stance, bend your knees, and brace your core to create a solid foundation. Submerge the Push Plate in the water, and start pressing it out from your chest with rapid, powerful movements, pushing and pulling it through the water, Isaly says.
What it works: upper body
2. Jump Squats w/ Push Plate
How to do it: Grasp the Push Plate by its handle grips on either side. Hold it in front of your torso with your arms extended and elbows slightly bent. Inhale, then jump and submerge your head underwater, coming into a squat position, keeping your arms rigid. “At the bottom of the squat, explode out of the water as high as possible, maintaining straight arms, fighting the water resistance as it catches the top of the Push Plate,” Isaly says.
What it works: lower body
3. ViPR Clean and Press
How to do it: Grab hold of the handles on a ViPR so your hands are evenly spaced in the middle. Inhale, then push the ViPR into the water as close to the bottom of the pool floor as possible, submerging your head. From there, clean the ViPR: “Use your biceps to lift it up to your shoulders, and then, as your head exits the water, press the ViPR overhead,” Isaly instructs. Exhale, then take a breath as you prepare to repeat.
What it works: total body
4. Kettlebell Swing
How to do it: Bring a heavy kettlebell into the pool (you can handle more weight in water). Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, and keep a slight bend in your knees to create a rock-solid foundation. Perform a traditional kettlebell swing by hinging at your hips, swinging the kettlebell through your legs, then driving it forward, and lifting it overhead. Let it swing back down through your legs, then repeat.
What it works: posterior chain
5. Clutch Paddles Biceps Curl
How to do it: Fix the Clutch Paddles to your hands by sliding the designated rubber tubing around your wrist and middle finger, and placing your thumb in the thumb hole. Get into an athletic position (feet planted wide, knees bent, core engaged) or a split stance. Perform biceps curls, keeping the Clutch Paddles facing up (hands facing the pool) to create as much resistance as possible, Isaly says. “Make sure to keep your elbows anchored to the side of the body throughout the entire exercise,” he adds. At the top of the curl, rotate your wrists so the paddles are now facing the pool floor (hands facing you). You’ll press the paddles down to work your triceps, then immediately go back into the curl.
What it works: biceps and triceps
6. Push Plate Rotations
How to do it: You can do this exercise two ways. For an easier movement, hold the Push Plate as shown in the photo, with the yellow blade facing you. For a more difficult version, hold the plate by the other set of handles, so the yellow plate is parallel with your arms.
Plant your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, with knees slightly bent. Extend your arms directly in front of your body, submerging the Push Plate. Fire your abs, and rotate your torso from side to side, pushing and pulling the Push Plate through the water. “This can be done with long sweeps or short, quick pulses back and forth,” Isaly says.
What it works: core
7. Washboard Kicks
How to do it: Place your hands through any of the three hand slits along the Washboard. “The closest one to your body is the most difficult, while the furthest is easiest,” Isaly says. Maintain a straight line from fingers to toes, keeping your hips lifted and core engaged as you kick from one end of the pool to the other.
What it works: core
