Unlike most athletes who build strength to optimize performance in a gravity environment, swimmer must maximize their performance in a buoyancy environment. In a gravity environment the earth does not move in relation to the moving athlete, unless there is an earthquake. So, stability is static as the earth provides a stable platform to move against. In a buoyancy environment, both the athlete and the water are in motion, so stability is dynamic. In the water, there is no stable object from which to move (except during turns which we will discuss separately). Swimmers must stabilize their bodies using core strength and strong kicking.
