Fabio Scozzoli: functional training in athletic preparation for swimming

Goggles, swimsuit, cap and liters and liters of water to go back and forth as quickly as possible. The swimmer's "kit" would seem to be able to be limited to these simple elements, yet especially in recent years competitive swimming is increasingly requiring a substantial part of preparation out of the water, where it is possible significantly increase workloads and consequently maximize athletic performance. "Especially for us sprinters, 'dry' training, i.e. out of the water, is essential – tells us the national blue Fabio Scozzoli, among the best European and world-level interpreters of the 50m and 100m breaststroke - The weight and functional have allowed swimming to do huge strides in recent years, and the results of this change in athletic training can be seen".

More and more 'dry': the new athletic training in swimming

Speed, endurance, strength, explosiveness: swimming, depending on the various styles and distances faced, manages to involve physical qualities of all kinds, therefore requiring great attention in terms of athletic preparation to express one's potential to the fullest but also just to avoid injuries. The gymnasium of Municipal swimming pool of Imola, where Scozzoli trains every day, has become populated with equipment such as rocker, kettlebell, benches e traction structures, which until recently seemed to have nothing to do with water sports, but which nowadays they are indispensable for the preparation of samples of Fabio's level but also of the many young talents who approach swimming in a competitive way.

"I personally started to include 'real' and functional weightlifting in my workouts only starting from 4-5 years ago – continues Scozzoli –. Before, however, I did a lot of gym, but mostly bodyweight exercises or with elastic bands, working very little with weights. Now on average I do three very intense sessions in the gym a week, always followed by a work of transformation of the force in the water, for example through slow swimming, with the use of parachutes or elastic bands, or working on speed and explosiveness".

A program, this, which, however, can undergo variations both as regards the specialty or the distance swimmer's reference: “Surely an athlete who faces greater distances, such as Gregorio Paltrinieri who swims the 1.500m could be, will prepare himself differently from me, consistently reducing loads or even the number of sessions in the gym and spending much more time in the water, but in general in swimming the goal of 'dry' workouts is almost always to prepare the athlete at a general level, developing strength and power in a balanced way. Then there may also be specific differences related to style: those who swim backstroke will perhaps pay more attention to the posterior muscle chain, while those who do breaststroke or dolphin will focus more on the front one. Having said that though if both do not develop correctly, injuries could occur: working with heavy loads you have to be very careful and try to do things in the best possible way during athletic training".

Scozzoli's training sessions and next goals

However, the composition of training in the gym and workloads can also vary according to the period of approach to an official competition: "I usually build strength through bench presses, push-ups dumbbells, tractions ballasted, deadlifts or squats, while on the other hand as regards power and explosiveness on a functional level I work a lot with medicine balls, kettlebells and other tools of this type. In a period away from competitions, the loads are very high, with large sets performed without rest, such as bench-pull-deadlifts. The closer we get to a race the more I reduce the volume, working on the maintenance of strength transformation into power".

However, the long-term goal remains only one for Scozzoli who, after a promising final in London 2012 (finished in 4th place) and the disappointment of not qualifying for Rio 2016, aims to be ready for the next Olympic Games"Tokyo 2020 is definitely my main goal and I'm working because I'd like to go back to play for a final at the Olympics: unfortunately my specialty, i 50m breaststroke, it's not Olympic distance, but I'm working to improve and give my best even in the 100m".

Fabio Scozzoli: career

Born in Lugo on August 3rd 1988, Fabio scotch he approached swimming above all thanks to his older sister, who already practiced it before him: after a first attempt to take him to the pool that failed at the age of 6, starting from the following year Fabio found his own dimension in the water and in particular in frog style. In 2010 the first international title, with the victory at the European Championships followed the following year by second place at the World Cup. In 2012 arrive in final in the 100m breaststroke at the London Olympics and the same year he won thegold at the World Championships, then establishing in 2013 his too first European record. Later, he faces a heavy knee injury (rupture of the anterior cruciate and menisci) from which he will be able to fully recover only in 2016 (getting a bronze at the World Championships in short course in Canada). Since then, Scozzoli has returned to obtaining good results at high levels: another victory at the European Championships in 2017 it's a second place at the European Championships in short course in 2018, however focusing on i 2019 World Cup in South Korea and, above all, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.