Summer is upon us and everyone is looking for ways to stay cool. The pool is a haven for most during the summer months to stay cool. Water splashing here and there, but have you thought about using the water for a place to get a workout.

Water resistance has long been used for rehabilitation, but what about using it for a regular resistance training workout. While I was in Korea recently, they had water resistance workout equipment as depicted in the picture above. Can a workout in the pool provide just as good of a workout as using resistance training equipment in the normal gym although?

A 2009 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research looked at this and found the following results(1). The study used 12 fit young men in the study. During the 8 week study they used water devices that increased drag force.  After the eight week study they found a significant increase in upper body and leg power maximum strength and power. These results show that water resistance exercises can be used to produce improvements in muscular strength, power and reduction in fat mass.

Another interesting component of water resistance compared to normal resistance training in the gym is the amount of muscle damage that occurs. In another study that was also published in the same journal as above, they looked at the amounts of muscle damage when doing bicep curls and triceps extensions in the water compared to in a normal gym(2). When comparing the two environments, it was found that the water environment had much lower levels of muscle damage.

All of this to say that a good workout can even be achieved in water, just like in the gym, and might not produce as much muscle damage. So consider using the pool for a place to workout on a hot summer day when your muscles need some extra time to recovery. What type of exercises and apparatuses can you think of using in the pool for an effective workout? As long as you use proper technique and safe body mechanics, your imagination is the limit!

1Pantoja, PD, Alberton, CL, Pill, C, Vendrusculo, AP, & Kruel, LF. (2009). Effect of resistive exercise on muscle damage in water and on land. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Reseach, 23(3), 1051-1054.

2Colado, JC, Tella, V, Triplett, NT, & Gonzalez, LM. (2009). Effects of a short-term aquatic resistance program on strength and body composition in fit young men. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(2), 549-559.