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Ask The Dryland Coach: Getting Back Into Training

4,812 views · Published 16 September 2011 · 6:31 · Indexed 25 October 2026

Channel: USA Swimming · 2011 · Sports

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By Mike Mejia, M.S, C.S.C.S

Question: What types of dryland drills do you recommend for young swimmers that are just getting back into the swing of things after summer vacation? 

Coach K. Detroit, Michigan 

Answer: This is great question, coach and one that is often posed to me. The truth is, dryland programming for kids of various age groups is tough enough- add in a summer break and it becomes even more tricky. That's because you're likely to have some kids in your program who've done nothing at all during the break, while still others may have spent too much time in the weight room focusing on many of the same muscles they overwork in the pool all year long. You'll also need to consider the fact that they'll be adjusting to being back in the water after an extended break, so you don't want to hit them with anything that's too taxing right out of the gate. 

So what's the solution? One strategy I tend to favor is starting out with a total body conditioning circuit that requires nothing more than the athlete's own body weight for resistance. Not coincidentally, it also includes a heavy focus on such things as core strength, mobility and dynamic balance; or in other words, the kinds of things swimmers need to help reduce their likelihood of injury and improve performance. 

The circuit featured below includes eight body weight exercises designed to simultaneously warm-up you up, increase your range of motion and improve your level of physical conditioning. And the best part is, because they only use body weight as resistance, they're suitable for athletes of all ages. They're a great way to introduce younger kids to sound dryland training principles, while at the same time offering older, more advanced athletes a pretty challenging workout. 

Start out doing all eight drills in succession for the prescribed number of repetitions, taking as little time as possible between each one. Once you've finished all eight, rest for 60-90 seconds and try going through it again. Advanced athletes can even try doing three rounds- but don't say I didn't warn you! 

The Drills: 

1. X Squats x 10-15 
2. Jack to Reverse Lunge x 12-16 
3. Bootstrappers x 10-12 
4. Squatting thoracic rotations x 8-10 
5. Spiderman plank with elevation changes x 4-8 
6. Figure 4 Supine Bridge x 10-12 per leg 
7. Windshield Wipers x 12-16 (6-8 per side) 
8. Standing bird dogs x 10-12 (5-6 per side)

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