Dryland Exercises: Core

Core-building dryland exercises are designed to complement in-water training, helping swimmers refine key aspects of their performance.

Dryland Exercises

▪ Objective: Performed outside the water, these exercises are specifically crafted to enhance stroke mechanics, build strength, and improve swimming performance. They focus on boosting agility, balance, and coordination.

▪ Mechanics Focus: By incorporating these drills into your training routine, you can fine-tune your stroke technique, leading to improved efficiency and greater effectiveness in the water.

Self-Evaluation: During your session, video record your exercises using your cellphone from both the front and side angles to assess your form and refine your technique.

Let’s Jump: Vertical Jump

The vertical jump is key for swimmers, improving starts and turns by targeting fast-twitch muscles, building strength, and boosting power and endurance.

Steps to Perform:

  1. Starting Position: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms at your sides, fingertips pointing downward.

  2. Squat: Lower into a squat until your knees form a 90-degree angle.

  3. Jump: Jump upward, bringing knees toward your chest and arms overhead, fingertips pointing up.

  4. Landing: Land softly, letting your legs absorb the impact, and get ready for the next jump.

Once mastered on dryland, swimmers can use this drill behind the starting blocks before a race for better performance.

Let’s Kick: Alternate Kicking

Steps to Perform:

  1. Starting Position: Begin flat on your back with arms overhead in a streamline position and toes pointed. Engage your core muscles and lift your legs to a 30-degree angle.

  2. Alternate Kicks: Start alternating kicks. Ensure your heels come close to the ground, and your feet stay pointed in a streamlined position. Focus on controlled, consistent kicks for maximum effectiveness.

  3. Maintain Form: Keep your back flat against the floor, legs fully extended, and toes pointed throughout the drill. As you advance with this drill, your feet should flex both up and down.

Let’s Kick: Dolphin Down Kick

Steps to Perform:

  1. Starting Position: Lie flat on your back with your arms extended overhead in a streamlined position and toes pointed. Engage your core muscles to raise your legs to a 30-degree angle.

  2. Dolphin Down Kick: Begin performing dolphin kicks, ensuring that your heels come close to the ground with each kick while keeping your feet pointed in a streamlined position. Focus on maintaining controlled, consistent kicks to maximize the drill’s effectiveness.

  3. Maintain Form: Keep your back flat against the floor, your legs fully extended, and your toes pointed throughout the drill to reinforce proper body position and improve core stability.

Let’s Kick: Dolphin Up Kick

This is a challenging core drill for improving the dolphin kick.

Steps to Perform:

  1. Starting Position: Lie flat face down on your stomach with your arms at your sides in a streamlined position and toes pointed. Engage your core muscles to raise your legs to a 30-degree angle.

  2. Dolphin Up Kick: Begin performing dolphin kicks, ensuring that the top of your feet and toes come close to the ground with each kick, while keeping your feet together and pointed in a streamlined position. Focus on maintaining controlled, consistent kicks to maximize the drill’s effectiveness.

  3. Maintain Form: Keep your body flat against the floor, your legs fully extended, and your toes pointed throughout the drill to reinforce proper body position and improve core stability.

Let’s Sit-Up: Streamline Sit-Ups

Engage your core muscles to lift your torso from a horizontal to a vertical seated position as you perform the exercise.

Steps to Perform:

  1. Starting Position: Begin flat on your back with arms overhead in a streamline position and toes pointed.

  2. Streamline Sit-Ups: Engage your core muscles to raise your torso to a sitting position. Keep your legs stationary with knees pressed to the ground, feet together, and toes pointed throughout the movement.

  3. Maintain Form: Focus on maintaining a straight body alignment and controlled motion during the sit-ups for maximum effectiveness.

Let’s Train: Wrist Conditioning

This exercise is designed to better control the hand during swimming by focusing on and strengthening wrist and forearm alignment.

Steps to Perform:

  1. Starting Position: Stand next to a table or flat surface area. Lay your bent arm down from elbow to wrist, ensuring the forearm and hand are in straight alignment. Hands should be flat on the table, fingers together, and thumb turned into the hand.

  2. Wrist Training: Keep your hand flat while rotating your wrist up to full extension and then down to the tabletop. Flap your hand to the tabletop on each cycle.

  3. Maintain Form: Focus on maintaining straight body alignment and controlled motion during the exercise for maximum effectiveness.

When it comes to Swimming… The aim of the movement is to increase forward speed.

The truth is there’s no hidden formula.

Consistency beats intensity.
Progress trumps perfection.
Fundamentals win over trends.

Again, and again.

Safety: Swimmers should immediately cease any exercise if discomfort arises, prioritizing safety and reducing the risk of injury.