Kickboard Workouts to Improve Leg Strength and Speed

If you're a swimmer looking to improve your leg strength and speed, incorporating kickboard workouts into your training can yield incredible results. Kickboard exercises focus on building endurance and power in your lower body, helping you move faster and more efficiently through the water. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced swimmer, these workouts can help you build a solid foundation for both speed and strength. 

In this article, we'll explore how kickboard workouts can improve your leg strength, swimming speed, and overall swimming performance. We will also dive into some specific kickboard exercises and tips that will help you get the most out of your training. 

 

Key Takeaways 

• Kickboard workouts are an effective way to improve leg strength and swimming speed.
• These exercises focus on enhancing lower body endurance and power, which directly impacts swimming performance.
• By incorporating kickboard drills into your swimming routine, you can target specific muscle groups, improve your leg coordination, and increase overall swimming efficiency.
• Regular practice with kickboard workouts can help swimmers of all levels build speed and stamina in the pool.

 

Why Kickboard Workouts are Important for Leg Strength 

When it comes to swimming, leg strength plays a crucial role in generating propulsion and maintaining good form throughout the stroke. Strong legs allow you to move with more power, which leads to increased speed in the water. Kickboard workouts are designed specifically to target and build leg muscles, particularly in the thighs, calves, and hips. 

These exercises isolate the lower body, allowing you to focus on developing leg strength without the distraction of arm movement. Kickboard exercises also help swimmers improve their kick technique and overall body positioning, which is essential for maintaining speed and endurance during races. 

 

How Kickboard Workouts Improve Swimming Speed 

In swimming, speed is not just about how fast you can move your arms; it's also about how efficiently you move your legs. Kickboard workouts help enhance swimming speed by improving the power and coordination of your kicks. By targeting the muscles in the legs, you develop the explosive power needed for faster starts, better turns, and more sustained speed throughout your swim. 

The kickboard isolates your legs during drills, which helps swimmers learn how to generate maximum propulsion with each kick. Over time, this leads to improved efficiency and increased speed in the water, making kickboard exercises an essential part of any swimmer’s training regimen. 

 

Best Kickboard Exercises for Leg Strength 

Below are some of the most effective kickboard exercises to improve leg strength and swimming speed: 

1. Basic Kickboard Kick 

The most basic kickboard workout is the traditional kick, where you hold the kickboard with both hands and kick with your legs. This exercise helps build endurance and strengthens the muscles in your thighs, calves, and glutes. 

How to Do It: 

• Hold the kickboard in front of you with both hands.
• Keep your body flat in the water, maintaining a horizontal position.
• Begin kicking from the hips, keeping your legs straight and relaxed.
• Focus on generating power with each kick, maintaining a steady rhythm.

2. Flutter Kick with a Kickboard 

The flutter kick is a great way to improve your leg strength and swimming speed. This fast-paced kick works on coordination and strengthens the muscles needed for effective propulsion. 

How to Do It: 

• Hold the kickboard with both hands, keeping your body aligned.
• Kick your legs rapidly, alternating between kicking each leg up and down.
• Keep your core engaged to maintain proper form and balance.

3. Breaststroke Kick with a Kickboard 

The breaststroke kick is another effective exercise for swimmers looking to build leg strength. It involves a circular motion with the legs and is great for improving flexibility, strength, and coordination. 

How to Do It: 

• Hold the kickboard in front of you.
• Keep your legs together and perform a frog-like kick, bringing your heels to your glutes and pushing outwards in a circular motion.
• Focus on engaging your inner thighs and glutes to generate power.

4. Single-Leg Kickboard Drill 

This drill isolates one leg at a time, allowing you to focus on strengthening individual legs. It also helps improve balance and coordination while swimming. 

How to Do It: 

• Hold the kickboard with one hand and extend the other arm forward for balance.
• Keep one leg extended straight while you kick with the other leg.
• Alternate legs after a set distance or time period.

 

Additional Tips for Kickboard Workouts 

• Focus on Your Technique: Proper form is key for getting the most out of your kickboard workouts. Ensure that your body is properly aligned, and avoid kicking from your knees—kick from the hips for maximum power.
• Use Different Kicking Styles: Mix up the kicking styles you use during your workouts. The flutter kick, breaststroke kick, and dolphin kick all engage different muscles, helping you build strength and coordination in various ways.
• Incorporate Speed Work: To increase your swimming speed, incorporate sprint sets with your kickboard exercises. Alternate between high-intensity sprints and slower-paced recovery kicks to build both strength and speed.
• Add Resistance: If you're looking to take your workout to the next level, try adding ankle weights or resistance bands to increase the difficulty of your kickboard drills.

 

The Benefits of Kickboard Workouts for Swimmers 

Incorporating kickboard workouts into your swimming routine provides numerous benefits. These exercises are specifically designed to: 

• Build leg strength: The focused nature of kickboard drills isolates the legs, allowing you to target and strengthen key muscle groups in your lower body.
• Improve speed: Kickboard workouts help swimmers develop the power and technique necessary to move faster through the water.
• Enhance endurance: Regular kickboard workouts help build stamina in the legs, which translates to longer-lasting performance during races or extended swims.
• Boost overall swim technique: Kickboard exercises also improve the efficiency of your strokes and enhance body positioning in the water.

 

Kickboard workouts are an excellent way to improve both leg strength and swimming speed. These exercises target your lower body, helping you build muscle, increase endurance, and improve overall swimming efficiency. By adding kickboard drills to your training routine, you can develop the leg strength and coordination needed to swim faster and with more power.