Even among elite athletes, Ryan Lochte is known for having exceptionally powerful legs. His dolphin kick has served him well over the years, most recently in the sphere of sprint events.
Part of this leg power and stamina came from his strongman-inspired workouts done in his Florida days with strength and training coach Matt DeLancey.
Between sprints, heavy deadlifts, box jumps and more sprints, and his pool work, Lochte was able to develop a kick that stands above most international-level swimmers.
(This was most apparent at the most recent FINA World Championships. Lochte, kicking on his back, surged past the competition during freestyle events. FINA has since amended their underwater dolphin kicking rules in order to limit fly kick done on the back during individual medley events– but not during freestyle events.)
In the video below Lochte crushes a 20.9 over 50 yards doing solely dolphin kicks on his back. The swim was done at a charity swim meet, and while it might not count as an “official” time it is still something to behold.
Enjoy:
Up Next:
- How to Develop an Awesome Underwater Dolphin Kick. The ultimate guide to mastering the weapon of having a killer underwater fly kick. Includes a free PDF download with bonus workouts.
- Michael Phelps’ Dolphin Kick Training (Video). Check out video of Phelps in action training his powerful dolphin kick in the months leading up to the Beijing Olympics.
