The sport of competitive swimming requires muscular strength and endurance. While the act of swimming itself can help with the endurance part, swimmers must also engage in cross-training exercises -- often called dryland exercises, because they are performed on dryland instead of in the water -- to increase their strength and flexibility.
Stretching
Step 1
Avoid common problems like breaststroker's knee, plantar flexion and swimmer's shoulder by performing a series of simple stretches before your workout.
Step 2
Start in a standing position and bend one leg at the knee, bringing the foot toward the buttock. Hold the foot with the opposite hand to stretch the quad.
Step 3
Stretch your calves by placing one foot on a slight incline and leaning into the stretch.
Step 4
Perform arm circles -- gently swinging your arms in a full circle forward and then backward -- to loosen up your shoulders. Do 10 rotations forward and 10 rotations backward on each arm.
Step 5
Stretch your triceps by placing your arms over your head and bending one arm at the elbow as the hand of that arm reaches for the opposite shoulder.
Step 6
Hold all stretches 15 to 30 seconds before switching legs or arms. The stretch should be gentle and should not hurt.
Weightlifting
Step 1
Increase muscle mass by weightlifting. This can be done by using machines at the gym or the weight of your own body in certain exercises.
Step 2
Focus on your core. Your abs are engaged regardless of what stroke you are doing in the pool. Start with basic situps, performing four sets of 25.
Step 3
Alternate arm exercises with leg exercises to avoid muscle fatigue. If you perform upper-body exercises back-to-back, switch between different muscle groups, such as an exercise for the biceps followed by one for the triceps.
Step 4
Use weightlifting machines such as leg extensions, curls and presses to work the quads, hamstrings and glutes, respectively. Do lat pulldowns and chest presses to work the lats and pectoral muscles, respectively, while also working out all the major muscle groups in the arms. If you're looking to build muscle mass, do a shorter number of reps, such as six to 10, at a lower weight. Increase your reps to 10 to 15 and decrease your weight to improve muscular endurance.
Step 5
Integrate plyometric exercises with your weightlifting workout. These include exercises like jumping squats, jumping lunges and lateral jumps, which use the weight of your body as resistance. Throwing a medicine ball using an overhead or chest pass are examples of plyometric exercises for the upper body.
Tips and Warnings
- Vary your workout by building endurance outside the pool with activities like running and biking or using cardio equipment like stair climbers and elliptical trainers. Workouts on these machines should supplement your swimming routine, not replace it.
Things You'll Need
- Weightlifting machines
- Medicine ball
- Cardio equipment
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