Swimming Exercises: Shoulder Stability, Bodyweight Dryland, and Ankles and Swimmers
Swimming Exercises
TheMagic5 Swimming Blog

Swimming Exercises: Shoulder Stability, Bodyweight Dryland, and Ankles and Swimmers

 

Swimming Tips by Dan Daly

DALY Tip 1: Shoulder Stability Exercises

Keep your shoulders healthier by balancing opposing joint actions and muscles with your cross training. Improve your range of motion and performance, while reducing your likelihood of injury with these shoulders stability and exercises that improve position overhead. 

 

Suggestion for all exercises below : 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions


 

Post 2: Bodyweight Dryland Exercises

Here’s two bodyweight dryland exercises you can do anywhere to improve mobility and stability in your hips and shoulders. Pair them together in a superset of 3x5 each side.

 

Post 3: Improve your kick

Want to improve your kick? Check your ankles first!



 Swimmers, you should have 50-70 degrees of plantar flexion (toe pointing) range of motion at your ankle. Less than these norms and your feet may be dragging in the water putting the breaks on your propulsion.

Test your ankles on land with this plantar flexion assessment. Beginning in a seated position, toes pointing towards the ceiling or 12o’clock, press your toes as far forward as possible. You should be able to point them past 1o’clock and closer to 2o’clock or more. Note symmetry left to right.

Shy on one side or both? Here are a few soft tissue and dynamic mobility drills to improve it, then retest.

 



DALY Tip 4: Dryland work

Here’s a summary from an earlier post on some of my favorite dryland condition sets pairing timed double arm pulling intervals with explosive upper or lower body exercises. What combination would you choose? 

 

 

 

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Frequently asked questions

What are the four swimming strokes?

The four main competitive swimming strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Each uses different body positions, breathing patterns, kicks, and arm movements.The four main competitive swimming strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. Each uses different body positions, breathing patterns, kicks, and arm movements.

AsWhich swimming stroke is the fastest?

Freestyle is the fastest competitive swimming stroke thanks to its streamlined body position, continuous arm movements, and efficient flutter kick. It is the preferred stroke for most sprint and distance events.

Which swimming stroke burns the most calories?

Butterfly generally burns the most calories because it requires continuous full-body movement, a powerful dolphin kick, and a high level of muscular effort throughout the swim.

Which swimming stroke is easiest to learn?

Many beginners start with breaststroke because its slower pace and natural breathing pattern make it easier to learn. Freestyle is also commonly introduced early since it forms the foundation for many swim training programs.

Why should I learn all four swimming strokes?

Learning multiple strokes improves overall swimming technique, develops different muscle groups, enhances coordination, and creates more balanced workouts. It also helps swimmers become more adaptable and confident in different swimming environments.

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