Oerlikon, Zurich · Performance Center

Limmat Sharks

88 m²Training area

500Members

13Trainers

16Max. at once

since 1928Club

6Training groups

30 hrs/wkElite training

This wasn't a gym that came to us, it was a swimming club. The Limmat Sharks have been swimming in Zurich since 1928 and are today, with around 500 members, one of the largest clubs in Switzerland. What they needed wasn't a fitness room but an athletic training room to complement the work in the water. Together with Sportort, we set it up at the Hallenbad Oerlikon – from the theory of what optimal training for swimmers looks like, all the way to the specific equipment list.

The constraints were tight: 88 m², shared by six training groups from juniors to the elite squad, 12 to 16 people at a time, looked after by 13 coaches. Every piece therefore has to do more than one job, and give back the space it takes up.

At the core is a CPR-150 Power Rack with Safety Arms, Leg Roller and Glute Developer – one station for legs, pulling and trunk. Alongside it: a flat bench, hex dumbbells, competition kettlebells and a colour bumper set of over 150 kg. For conditioning on dry land: a Concept2 RowErg, a Concept2 SkiErg and an AssaultBike Pro X.

The Sharks' elite athletes train up to 30 hours a week, up to 20 of them in the water. What happens on dry land has correspondingly little time – and has to work within it.

« Swimming has long since stopped being decided in the water alone. With the athletic training room at the Hallenbad Oerlikon, our athletes can link their strength training directly to their work in the water – and it shows, in better strength development and in noticeably improved injury prevention. Dryland training has become a fixed part of our training plan, from juniors right through to the elite squad. The team at cross equip contributed significantly to that success, in both the planning and the realisation of the room. »
Yannick Käser · President · Limmat Sharks

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