You don’t need a gym to get a great dryland Workout!
What is Dryland Training?
In dryland training, swimmers engage their muscles outside of the pool. Dryland can include weight training, yoga, bodyweight training and more, and is beneficial for swimmers of all skill levels.
Why Swimmers Need To Do Dryland
Regular dryland training has numerous benefits for swimmers:
Improve Performance: Building strength out of the water translates to your swimming. Dryland can help improve your core strength, explosive power and general aerobic fitness.
Prevent Injuries: Overuse injuries are common in swimming. Dryland adds variety to your workouts, engaging your muscles in a different way.
Stay Engaged: Doing the same type of workouts constantly can cause you to lose progress toward your goals. A dryland plan helps keep you engaged!
Avoid Burnout: Mix up your training with creative dryland workouts so you don’t get burned out!
No Pool = No Excuses: If you’re traveling and don’t have access to a pool, your pool is closed, or if you’re stuck at home for a while, there’s no excuse to stop working out!
6 Steps to Successful At-Home Dryland Training
1. Create A Workout Space
First, find a safe space to do your Workouts. Your Workout space can be indoors or outdoors, and should consist of a flat surface that is roughly 2 meters x 2 meters. You should be able to stand up tall. Minimize distractions in this space — this is where you go to put in work!
2. Set a Routine
Consistency is key with dryland! Schedule your dryland Workouts into your day, just like you would if you were going swimming.
3. Put on Your Workout Outfit
It’s important to have the right clothes for your dryland workouts! Find a set of comfortable clothes that work for you, whether that’s yoga pants, a tank top, shorts, sweat pants, running shoes, or going barefoot!
Be sure to change out of your clothes and into your workout clothes before starting your workout. This small act helps prepare your mind for the workout, just like putting on your swimsuit does for a swim!
4. Focus on Swimming Specific Movements and Strength
You don’t need to mimic the 4 competitive strokes on land to gain strength. Swimming specific movements focus on stability, flexibility and strength, working the muscle groups that are engaged when you swim:
Stability: Working on balance, core strength and overall stability helps improve your body position and shoulder strength in the water.
Flexibility: Increasing flexibility will boost your reach and distance per stroke.
Strength: The stronger you are, the longer you’ll be able to maintain proper technique, and the faster you will swim! Continuous strength gains lead to increases in propulsion, power and muscle engagement in the pool.
It’s important to note that doing bodyweight dryland exercises at home will not cause you to put on a lot of muscle or “bulk up.”
5. Find an Accountability Community
Whether you’re working out at home or at a gym, it’s important to stay connected and find others to hold you accountable to your goals. Give your accountability buddies regular progress updates and share challenges, victories and support each other!
Join the MySwimPro Global Community on Facebook to connect with thousands of swimmers from around the world!
6. Find a Plan
Following a plan will help you reach your goals faster than doing unorganized workouts. Structured plans include planned progressions in movements. If you’re a beginner, it’s not beneficial to dive into an advanced dryland program. Learn the basics and scale your training up as you improve to reduce your chances of injury.
To jump start your dryland training, check out the dryland training programs in the MySwimPro app! All workouts in these plans require minimal or no equipment and can be done in the comfort of your home. Incorporate one of these programs into your current swim training routine, or complete a dryland plan on its own. Either way, you’re taking a big step toward your goals!
Need Support?
Our Community Champion would love to help! Contact us at support@myswimpro.com