Top 5 Dryland Exercises For Swimmers
Author: Dan Daly
Swimming faster and further means getting stronger, and sustaining greater training volumes, while reducing the risk of injury. A smart dryland strength program can help you develop the force and propulsion for maximum and sub maximum speed, while balancing out opposing musculature and supporting higher volumes of training and repetitive stress.
There are many studies citing both the development of upper and lower body strength to improvements in swimming performance, with integrated upper and lower body strength patterns being a key factor for freestyle swimming performance. For example, Perez-Olea et al., found a strong correlation between pull up and jumping strength and power with freestyle swimming performance. (1)
Shoulder injuries are the most common injury in swimming. Factors contributing to shoulder injuries include mobility, endurance, strength, technique, and training volume. (2)
At best, too little range of motion can affect optimal technique and streamline, and at worst create imbalanced wear on joints and muscles, leading to injury.
A balanced resistance training program can first create the local muscular endurance and work capacity around the supporting joints, then build strength on top of that foundation, improving your ability to produce force or propulsion in the water. The trickle-down effect of maximum strength to sustained submaximal efforts and economy in all endurance sports is well documented. (3)
Training volume is also an important consideration. How much time do you have to spend in the water, relative to other demands in your life and your ability to recover? Dryland training can be an efficient way to improve economy, strength, and endurance without spending countless hours in the pool. It’s also highly likely to reduce the incidence of injury helping you train at your best, without major setbacks or periods away from swimming.
Here’s a list of my top 5 dryland swimming exercises, and ways you could consider incorporating them into your own training to improve your endurance, speed, and over-all health:
Breathing
Breathing exercises can create a calming effect, relaxing pre-race jitters, and improving your ability to breath under increased workloads or stresses. Optimal breathing mechanics can improve your buoyancy, quality of movement, and alignment for technique and streamline.
Crocodile Breath – lie face down with your forehead on your hands. Inhale through your nose slowly and completely, expanding three dimensionally through your core. Perform 1 set of 10 breaths before your next swim or dryland session, increase the length of each breath as you practice.
Shoulder Mobility
Your shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and should meet certain range of motion standards through all three planes.
This prone shoulder mobility drill is great to do on deck or the gym floor to improve mobility and stability at the end ranges of your stroke. Lying face down with your arms in a Y position, lift your thumbs up towards the ceiling, next reach down your neck with your fingers as far as you can, extend your arms back into a Y, then sweep them out and around wide, rotate your thumbs down as you pass the halfway point, and begin reaching your thumbs up your back towards your shoulder blades. Return through the same path to the beginning, taking a brief pause, and repeat for 5 round trips.
Shoulder Stability
Control and position are critical in the most mobile joint in the body. The margin of error for balance in the joint is just a couple of millimeters. Shoulder imbalances begin to emerge as fatigue sets in. Stability and strength training can delay the onset of these deviations and reduce wear and tear as training volume increases.
Armbars – Lying on your side, rock onto your back, as you bring the kettlebell or dumbbell into your chest. Press the bell up to the ceiling. Bend the same side knee, placing your foot flat on the floor. Keeping your eyes on the bell, and your foot on the floor, push the floor away, and roll your body to the opposite side and underneath the bell. Using your foot and hip for control, gently roll back, keeping the bell vertical over the shoulder. Repeat for 5 repetitions on each side.
Pulling Power
Arguably the most specific pattern for swimming propulsion. Pull ups are the best exercise for developing overhead pulling strength and power.
Pull Ups - Wrap your fingers and thumbs around a bar overhead. Start from a dead hang, with your head in between your arm, elbows straight, knees straight, feet pointed, or knees bent. Inhale, pull your chest to the bar, exhale, slowly return to a long dead hang. Use a machine or band for assistance as needed. Perform for 3-6 sets of 4-8 reps. Focusing on accelerating on the way up, and control on the way down.
Lower Body Power
Highly correlated to starts, turns, and kicking power. Lower body power movements are a great way to develop your fast twitch muscles and train your body to generate force from the power center of your body, your hips.
Kettlebell Swings – Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arm’s length from the kettlebell. With a flat back, sit back into your hips and reach forward for the bell. Squeeze the handle, inhale, and hike the bell back behind your legs. Exhale, push the floor away, stand up tall, project and float the bell up and forward. At the top, let the bell begin to fall, before you absorb the momentum by sitting back into your hips again with an inhale, keeping the bell above the knee, back flat, hiked behind the legs, and repeat for 3-6 sets of 10 repetitions.
About The Author
Dan Daly, CSCS, is a highly sought-after performance coach, presenter, and content expert, with over 15 years industry experience, and 30 years swimming. He obtained a bachelors degree in Kinesiology while competing as a collegiate All-American swimmer, and is now a competitive masters and open water swimmer. Dan and his family split their time between New York City and Budapest. He coaches athletes worldwide, from first sprint triathlons to triple crowns of open water swimming.
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