The Student Room Group

Help! Can't get out of a pool!

I have the military swim test in 2 weeks, and am a very strong swimmer, but am having real difficulty with getting out of the pool at the end, due to a high body weight to upper body strength ratio (I'm higher end of normal BMI, but I'm tall, and a girl, and have basically no upper body strength).

The pool has a high side. Despite this I have no trouble getting out with no overalls on, but the overalls create a drag that mean I can't jump higher than chest height, and then my arms and shoulders are just too weak.

I have been doing loads of press ups, but can't seem to get anywhere. I know I will make no progress in 2 weeks, but I'm certainly going to try (failure will be really humiliating). Besides, if I do fail I'll need to train for the next one, in February.

What exercises can I use? I can't do pull ups - I can't even hold myself up and do descending ones. I need to start really easy - probably the same sort of exercises you would use to get over 6 foot walls in obstacle courses.
Reply 1
I'm sorry this is no use whatsoever but when I saw the thread title I genuinely thought this was gonna be a jokey thread about someone pretending to be a Sim and not able to get out the pool lmfaooo, I'll go now.
Reply 2
Original post by Inexorably
I'm sorry this is no use whatsoever but when I saw the thread title I genuinely thought this was gonna be a jokey thread about someone pretending to be a Sim and not able to get out the pool lmfaooo, I'll go now.


:tongue: Would probably be a better thread. RIP Sims.
Seriously thought the title was 'you can't get out a poo' :biggrin:
Dips would be perfect for this. Are you a member of a gym?
Original post by Octohedral
I have the military swim test in 2 weeks, and am a very strong swimmer, but am having real difficulty with getting out of the pool at the end, due to a high body weight to upper body strength ratio (I'm higher end of normal BMI, but I'm tall, and a girl, and have basically no upper body strength).

The pool has a high side. Despite this I have no trouble getting out with no overalls on, but the overalls create a drag that mean I can't jump higher than chest height, and then my arms and shoulders are just too weak.

I have been doing loads of press ups, but can't seem to get anywhere. I know I will make no progress in 2 weeks, but I'm certainly going to try (failure will be really humiliating). Besides, if I do fail I'll need to train for the next one, in February.

What exercises can I use? I can't do pull ups - I can't even hold myself up and do descending ones. I need to start really easy - probably the same sort of exercises you would use to get over 6 foot walls in obstacle courses.


Well you have very little time to train for this so it might be too late if you are a long way of having the strength required but if you are close you might stand a chance...hard to say, can't imagine you improving more than 10% in those two weeks unless your technique is really off.

Pushups are not ideal- theres basically no chest involved in pushing up to get out of the pool, its all shoulders and triceps really then just drag your knees over.

You'll want to find a movement that mimics getting out a pool as closely as possible to stand the best chance (principal of specificity)...which in this case is basically a straight bar dip, but the only way to get access to a straight bar for dips in most gyms is by being strong enough to muscle up over a normal pullup bar, and proceed to do the straight bar dips from that, which is obviously out of the question.

Second best would be regular parallel bar dips...obviously you won't be strong enough to do them unassisted if you can't get out a pool but can you get to a gym where they have one of those assisted pullup/dip machines? Most casual gyms have them in my experience. Either that or find a ledge a bit below chest height, stand up right and lean into the ledge holding yourself above the ledge with locked arms, then take away your leg support from the ground and practice doing slow controlled negatives down bending your arms, and push back up if you can.

^Something like a flat stairway banister would be decent for this if you can't find a gym or a low outdoor wall or something.
Reply 6
Original post by e aí rapaz
Dips would be perfect for this. Are you a member of a gym?


Original post by In One Ear
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Thank you for this fantastically detailed advice. I can go to a gym every other day or so (yes, it does have an assisted dips machine), so am certainly doing that, but anything extra I can do at home is good too. It's useful to know dips are the right movement.

I honestly have no great hopes, but I have to do the test, so I might as well try as hard as possible. I can get out of the pool no trouble with no overalls on, so maybe I have a chance...

Thank you both again.
Original post by Octohedral
Thank you for this fantastically detailed advice. I can go to a gym every other day or so (yes, it does have an assisted dips machine), so am certainly doing that, but anything extra I can do at home is good too. It's useful to know dips are the right movement.

I honestly have no great hopes, but I have to do the test, so I might as well try as hard as possible. I can get out of the pool no trouble with no overalls on, so maybe I have a chance...

Thank you both again.


If you can find some way of mimicking the dip/pool get-out at home your best bet is to "grease the groove" with the movement (look it up)...i.e. every hour or so do a set of negatives/positives also if you can but not to failure (stop at about 60% of your max reps) and just keep clocking that up throughout the day. Thats pretty much the optimal way of gaining a very quick temporary improvement in a specific movement/strength pattern in a short period of time (people often go from 1-3 pullups to 8-10 in a matter of week this way).
Reply 8
pull ups and dips
instead of trying to haul your whole body weight out with your arms which would be difficult for anyone, maybe practise swinging a leg up so you can roll out of the pool ?
Try running and changing your diet, best way to weight loss
Original post by e aí rapaz
Dips would be perfect for this. Are you a member of a gym?


Original post by In One Ear
If you can find some way of mimicking the dip/pool get-out at home your best bet is to "grease the groove" with the movement (look it up)...i.e. every hour or so do a set of negatives/positives also if you can but not to failure (stop at about 60% of your max reps) and just keep clocking that up throughout the day. Thats pretty much the optimal way of gaining a very quick temporary improvement in a specific movement/strength pattern in a short period of time (people often go from 1-3 pullups to 8-10 in a matter of week this way).


I PASSED!!!

Thank you all so much for your advice. It turns out I must have been almost there (or just very bad at technique), because I just went to the gym every day and did 30 assisted pull-ups and 30 assisted dips, at half my bodyweight, and after a week I could pass the test easily.

Much appreciated :smile:
Original post by Octohedral
I PASSED!!!

Thank you all so much for your advice. It turns out I must have been almost there (or just very bad at technique), because I just went to the gym every day and did 30 assisted pull-ups and 30 assisted dips, at half my bodyweight, and after a week I could pass the test easily.

Much appreciated :smile:


Awesome :biggrin: Congratulations!

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