DRYLAND EXERCISES FOR SWIMMERS (SWIMMING RELATED GYM PROGRAM)

As many of you might already know, dryland work is almost as important as the time spent in the water.

Many coaches and swimmers try to hammer thousands of miles (kilometers) during practices focusing little or not at all on strengthening the body outside the pool.

Such practices lead to swimmer burnouts early in their years and many shoulder problems (even though those are mainly caused by incorrect technique).

In order to keep your swimmers or yourself fit, get them out of the water and give them what they need.

It is a lot tougher to fight gravity than the density of water, therefore you can sometimes get so much more from doing the right thing on the dryland.

One thing is for sure though, dryland exercises help prevent swimming injuries.

I have put together a few exercises that are very helpful in strengthening your core and in improving the way you feel in the water.

Here we go:

1.) Run, run, run (simple as that).

Running is a great way to keep in shape and to improve stamina.

You do not have to run fast and long. Let's say 15-30 minutes light jog is just fine.

If you are like me and hate running, try to run a few times a week for a month and you will see that your running will become much more fun and not such a burden as it was at the beginning.

If you cannot run, choose a different type of endurance training. For example: or cycling is also good.

2.) Core stability and bodyweight exercises

•  Pillar stands
•  Iso holds
•  Stability ball movements, etc.

Basically, any time you work out your core, it is healthy for your posture as well as good for swimming to keep your body from snaking around the pool.

3.) Resistance pulling tools

• Swim bench
• Vasa trainer
• biokinetic
• stretch cordz
• Exer-Genie

All these devices are great to get some more resistance into your pulling and to improve your underwater stroke without actually getting wet.

Some of them are stationary, as the Vasa trainer, but some you can take with you on a business trip. For example, the Exer-Genie is a small genie with 100s of uses.

4.) Resistance cords

Using resistance cords or terra bands goes a long way to keep your shoulders healthy and improve their stability.

Utilize these in all possible motions and directions and remember less resistance is more.

You will work out tiny muscles in your shoulders, so no heavy lifting.

5.) Bouncing medicine balls

These balls are awesome. Probably my favorite.

They will keep your muscles occupied and keep you excited about your workout.

6.) If you need more variety, try a boxing class, tae bo, kickboxing or yoga.

All of these pay close attention to developing the core body which is the essence of swimming.

After doing similar exercises for a while, you will feel very tight around your waist which will cause you to become more comfortable in the water.

You will finally be able to rotate your body from side to side with less effort and eliminate any unnecessary side movements with your hips.

So, don't waste another minute and give it a shot.

It works!!!