Dryland Swim Training: Exercises, Benefits, and Integration for Swimmers

How do you practice swimming out of water?

Practicing swimming out of water, known as dryland training, involves a strategic integration of strength, power, endurance, flexibility, and core stability exercises designed to mimic swimming movements and enhance performance, technique, and injury prevention in the water.

The Rationale Behind Dryland Swim Training

Dryland training is an indispensable component of a comprehensive swimming program, offering benefits that extend far beyond what can be achieved solely in the pool. While water-based training develops stroke mechanics and feel for the water, out-of-water practice builds the foundational physical attributes necessary for efficient and powerful swimming.

• Injury Prevention: By strengthening supporting musculature and improving joint stability, dryland work reduces the risk of common swimming-related injuries, particularly in the shoulders, back, and knees.
• Strength and Power Development: Swimming is a full-body sport requiring significant strength to propel through water and power for starts and turns. Dryland exercises allow for targeted overload that's difficult to achieve in a buoyant environment.
• Technique Reinforcement: Specific dryland drills can isolate and reinforce proper body positions, catch mechanics, and propulsive phases of each stroke, translating to more efficient movement in the water.
• Enhanced Muscular Endurance: Repetitive swimming requires high levels of muscular endurance. Dryland exercises, especially those with resistance, improve the muscles' ability to sustain effort.
• Improved Flexibility and Mobility: Optimal range of motion in key joints (shoulders, hips, ankles, thoracic spine) is crucial for an efficient stroke and reducing drag. Dryland programs specifically address these mobility needs.
• Core Stability: A strong, stable core is the linchpin for transmitting power from the upper body to the lower body and maintaining a streamlined body position in the water. Dryland training effectively targets the entire core musculature.
• Accessibility: Dryland training can be performed anywhere, providing a valuable training option when pool access is limited or as a complementary routine.

Key Components of an Out-of-Water Swim Program

An effective dryland program for swimmers is multi-faceted, addressing all physical qualities essential for peak performance.

• Strength Training: Focuses on building maximal force production in swimming-specific muscle groups. This includes compound movements and isolated exercises for the lats, triceps, shoulders, chest, core, glutes, and hamstrings.
• Power Training: Emphasizes explosive movements to improve the rate of force development, critical for starts, turns, and powerful stroke phases.
• Endurance Training: Incorporates both cardiovascular conditioning and muscular endurance exercises to enhance stamina and sustain high-intensity efforts.
• Flexibility & Mobility: Dedicated exercises to increase range of motion and reduce stiffness in joints vital for efficient stroke mechanics and injury prevention.
• Core Stability: Comprehensive core work targeting all planes of motion to ensure a stable platform for limb movement and efficient power transfer.
• Technique Drills (Mimicry): Specific exercises that simulate the biomechanics of swimming strokes, often using resistance bands or light weights to ingrain proper movement patterns.

Essential Dryland Exercises for Swimmers

The following exercises are foundational for an out-of-water swim practice, targeting key muscle groups and movement patterns.

Upper Body Strength & Power

• Pull-ups / Lat Pulldowns: Directly strengthen the lats and upper back, crucial for the "pull" phase of all strokes.
• Band Pull-Aparts: Improve shoulder health, strengthen the upper back, and counteract rounded shoulders.
• Push-ups / Dips: Develop strength in the chest, shoulders, and triceps, important for the "catch" and "press" phases.
• Overhead Press (Dumbbell or Barbell): Builds shoulder strength and stability, beneficial for starts and turns.
• Medicine Ball Slams: Develop explosive power in the upper body and core.

Lower Body Strength & Power

• Squats (Goblet, Front, Back): Fundamental for developing leg strength and power for powerful push-offs from walls.
• Lunges (Forward, Reverse, Lateral): Improve unilateral leg strength, balance, and stability.
• Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): Strengthen the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back), vital for powerful kicks and overall body stability.
• Box Jumps: Enhance explosive leg power for starts and turns.
• Calf Raises: Strengthen calves for ankle propulsion during kicking.

Core Stability

• Planks (Front, Side, Reverse): Develop full-body isometric strength and stability, crucial for maintaining a streamlined body position.
• Russian Twists: Target the obliques for rotational stability and power.
• Supermans: Strengthen the posterior chain and spinal erectors, important for maintaining body alignment.
• Leg Raises (Supine or Hanging): Strengthen the lower abdominals and hip flexors for efficient kicking.
• Hollow Body Holds: Mimic the streamlined body position in water, building deep core strength.

Flexibility & Mobility

• Shoulder Dislocations (with band or stick): Improve shoulder range of motion and rotator cuff health.
• Thoracic Spine Rotations: Increase upper back mobility, essential for a good catch and body rotation.
• Ankle Mobility Drills (e.g., Ankle Circles, Dorsiflexion Stretches): Improve ankle flexibility for a more effective kick.
• Hip Flexor Stretches: Release tight hip flexors to improve body position and kick mechanics.

Stroke-Specific Mimicry (with Resistance Bands)

• Freestyle Arm Pull Simulation: Attach a resistance band to an anchor point. Mimic the high elbow catch, pull, and finish phases of the freestyle stroke, focusing on engaging the lats and triceps.
• Backstroke Arm Pull Simulation: Similar to freestyle, but mimicking the backstroke pull pattern, emphasizing shoulder extension and rotation.
• Breaststroke Pull Simulation: Use bands to simulate the sculling and insweep phases of the breaststroke pull.
• Butterfly Stroke Simulation: Combine arm pulls with a hollow body ripple, focusing on core engagement and rhythmic arm movements.

Integrating Dryland Training into Your Routine

Effective integration of dryland training is key to maximizing its benefits without leading to overtraining.

• Frequency: For competitive swimmers, 2-4 dryland sessions per week are common, depending on the in-water training volume and phase of training. For fitness swimmers, 1-2 sessions can be highly beneficial.
• Periodization: Adjust dryland intensity and volume based on your swimming season.
  • Off-Season: Higher volume and intensity, focusing on building foundational strength and power.
  • Pre-Season: Transition to more sport-specific power and endurance.
  • In-Season: Maintain strength and power with lower volume to avoid fatigue, focusing on technique reinforcement.
• Progression: Gradually increase the difficulty of exercises (e.g., more reps, sets, weight, or advanced variations) as you get stronger.
• Warm-up and Cool-down: Always begin with a dynamic warm-up to prepare muscles and joints, and end with a static cool-down to improve flexibility and aid recovery.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to signs of fatigue or pain. Rest and recovery are as crucial as the training itself.

Equipment for Out-of-Water Swim Practice

While many exercises can be performed with just bodyweight, certain equipment significantly enhances the effectiveness of dryland training.

• Resistance Bands: Versatile for mimicking stroke mechanics, adding resistance to bodyweight exercises, and improving mobility.
• Medicine Balls: Excellent for developing explosive power and core strength.
• Dumbbells / Kettlebells: Provide progressive resistance for strength and power training.
• Pull-up Bar: Essential for developing upper back and arm strength.
• Foam Roller / Mobility Tools: Crucial for self-myofascial release and improving tissue quality.
• Swim-Specific Ergometers (e.g., Vasa Trainer): While a significant investment, these devices allow for highly specific, resisted stroke simulation.

Considerations and Best Practices

• Form Over Weight: Always prioritize correct technique over lifting heavy weights or performing many repetitions. Poor form can lead to injury and reinforce inefficient movement patterns.
• Sport-Specific Focus: While general strength is important, choose exercises that directly translate to the demands of swimming.
• Balance with In-Water Training: Dryland training should complement, not replace, your time in the pool. It's designed to make you a more efficient and powerful swimmer, not just a stronger athlete.
• Consult a Professional: Especially for competitive swimmers or those with specific goals or limitations, working with a qualified strength and conditioning coach or swim coach can ensure a safe and effective program.
• Nutrition and Recovery: Support your dryland efforts with adequate nutrition for fuel and recovery, and ensure sufficient sleep to allow for muscle repair and adaptation.

By diligently incorporating a well-structured dryland program, swimmers can significantly enhance their physical capabilities, refine their technique, and ultimately achieve greater success and longevity in the sport, all by practicing swimming out of water.