A strong core is a requirement for swimmers looking to increase speed and improve technique. In order for swimmers to minimize drag resistance through the water, the core plays a very important role in keeping the body in a stable streamlined position. Further, core muscles that are not well conditioned can lead to technical flaws and stroke inefficiencies, which could make or break a chance at the podium.

Oftentimes in swimming, it is said that a flip turn will make or break a race. Considered to be a “blind” turn, a swimmer’s head should stay directly in line with their body and not look around at their competition when completing the motion. The goal of a flip turn is to eliminate extra drag and remove any unnecessary body movements to quickly change directions. Swimmers must trust themselves when coming to the wall in order for it to be a successful transition. While a large part of a swimmer’s focus should be on the somersault going into the flip turn, an explosive push off the wall can be the determining factor on out touching opponents.

Preparing for competition both mentally and physically is essential for the big day. From early morning practices to intense dryland training, swimmers have put in the hard work to get ahead of their competition. During the crucial weeks and days leading up to swim meets, swimmers should properly implement a taper phase in their training to optimize performance on race day.

Coaches should incorporate swimming dryland training to maximize swimmer performance. The type of swimming dryland training may change over time, perhaps incorporating more weights once the athlete reaches the collegiate level, but all programs should incorporate dryland workouts. The purpose of dryland training for swimming is to improve the swimmer’s power, athleticism, and overall speed in the pool. Here are five major reasons to incorporate dryland training into a swimmer’s program:

There are certain aspects of a swimmer’s body that have negative effects for athletes on land. Competitive swimming can lead to poor posture, hyperextension, inability to absorb shock, loose ankles, and over or under-developed muscle groups. Check out this article to learn more about the five most common idiosyncrasies aquatic athletes face. Strength and dryland training for swimmers can mitigate the negative effects of these issues. 

Competitive swimming is compatible with a wide variety of body types. There are, however, certain characteristics of a swimmer’s body that are common to most athletes in the sport. How different muscle groups over or under-develop in response to swimming can have a dramatic impact on how well the athlete moves on land. This article defines the five most common idiosyncrasies aquatic athletes face. To learn how to prepare for championship swimming season check out this article. 

Aquatic sports tend to be categorized as unique in both their training methods and physiological demands on the athlete. Swimming, for example, places athletes in a buoyant environment that greatly affects their body awareness. Coordination in the water and coordination on land are incredibly different skills that require different training methods to develop. How, then, can swimming training benefit the football, baseball, or soccer player? Here are four key reasons why swimming can benefit land-based athletes:

Swimmers train differently depending on their stroke specialty and preferred distance. Butterflyers, backstrokers, breastrokers, and freestylers require unique dryland strength exercises much like how sprint, middle-distance, and distance athletes need variation among their workouts. While the general phases of strength training are the same across all swimmers, there should be particular movements within each workout that translate to the strokes and distances they swim most often.