Dive into Summer with Cross Training for Swimmers: Boost Your Stamina, Speed, and Power with Total Gym Dry Land Training
Maria Sollon, MS, CSCS, PES

As the sun heats up and summer days lengthen, swimmers are eagerly diving into pools, lakes, and oceans, ready to perfect their strokes and relish the water.  Swimming is an excellent way to stay fit, however, there’s more to becoming a top-tier swimmer than just time spent in the water.

Cross training, especially with the Total Gym, is an essential addition to any swimmer’s regimen. Not only does it enhance strength, stamina, speed, and power, but it also helps prevent injuries by keeping muscles and joints robust and resilient.

The Importance of Dry Land Training for Swimmers

Dry land training plays a pivotal role in a swimmer’s overall fitness strategy. While swimming provides an excellent cardiovascular workout and builds endurance, land-based exercises are needed to supplement swimming to enhance overall muscle stability and to reduce the risks of muscle fatigue.

Injury prevention is particularly crucial for swimmers. The repetitive motions can lead to overuse injuries in the shoulders, knees, and lower back. Therefore, strengthening these areas through specific exercises ensures that the muscles and joints remain resilient and less susceptible to injury.

Let’s dive-right-in to a swim specific workout that includes the best dry land strength exercises to help elevate your swimming goals.

Total Gym Circuit for Swimmers

Since there’s so many amazing exercises that will help strengthen and condition your muscles, I’ve short listed some of the best Total Gym exercises you can start doing, right now!  Use this routine to perform a powerful strength circuit on your Total Gym and see how well you excel in the water!

Directions:

• Start with a dynamic warm-up to prime the muscles to move. Once you feel warmed up, proceed into the strength circuit.
• Perform in circuit format, with little to no rest in between each exercise.
• Aim to perform 1-20 reps per exercise
• Do 1-3 rounds based on your workout timing. (One set is just as beneficial as multiple sets!)
• Use this dry land routine as a stand alone workout OR incorporate the exercises within your current strength routine!
• GB = Glideboard
• VC = Vertical Column

Set Up: Cables & Squat Stand Connected, Medium-High incline based on your strength level and the exercise performed.

Note: You can always regress or progress the exercises by accommodating the incline!

if you’re struggling to perform an exercises or you need to increase the challenge, be sure to adjust the incline to what feels best.  Then progress from there.

Warm-Up: 3-5 min

Plank Variations – an total body exercise that will prepare your muscles for the circuit!

• Why: Core stability is essential for maintaining proper form in the water.
• How: Choose to use the GB on your Total Gym or head to the floor to perform plank variations.
• Perform standard planks, side planks, and plank rainbows. Hold each position for 30-60 seconds, focusing on maintaining a straight line from head to heels. (Modify with knees down.)

Total Gym Circuit for Swimmers: 10-20 reps/ ex

1. Squat Pull Hops
   • How: Grasp the handles facing away from the vertical column and lie supine on the GB with feet placed on the Squat Stand. Start by bending the knees slightly and extend the arms towards the vertical column. Pull the cables towards the shoulders while simultaneously hopping off of the Squat Stand for a moment held in suspension. Repeat motion.
   • Bonus: Feel free to add a crunch on the hop or alternate legs on the landing.

2. Row Fly +Static Isolation
   • How: Face the VC, sit (modified) or kneel (advanced) onto the GB with cables in each hands. Begin to pull the cables in a rowing motion (5-10 reps).  Then extend the arms to sides with a slight bend in the elbows to perform a Rear Fly (5-10 reps).  Progress to alternate 1 Row followed by 1 Rear Fly. Maintain core stabilization at all times.   
   • Bonus: Perform static Isolation rows with the GB remaining still! Speed will vary depending on your strength goals.

3. Prone Sweeps
   • How: Stay facing the VC. Lie prone (face down) on the GB with the cables in each hand and extend arms towards the VC base. Simultaneously extend the upper spine as the are sweep along side the GB towards the hips. Slowly reverse this motion to the start position to repeat.
   • Bonus: Add flutter kicks to increase the posterior strength and challenge your coordination.

4. Hi-Lo Chest Press or Fly
   • How: Face away from the VC and sit on the GB with the cables in each hand. Legs can be with bent knees, extended straight, or straddling the GB. Chest Press: Begin to push the cables away from your chest aiming to extend the arms fully. Alternate the chest press from one high, by chin, followed by one low, by belly. Chest Fly: Perform in the same manor as the chest press, but change the angle of the arms to hug towards the chin and belly with slightly bend the elbows.
   • Bonus: Explore various angles of motion to target different muscles.

5. Circle Crunch
   • How: Remain facing away from VC and lie supine with both cables in hands. Start by extending arms out from chest and bend knees with feet on GB. Begin to circle the arms while performing a crunch on the down motion (ie: crunch when arms come down towards the GB). 
   • Bonus: Lift legs to 90 degrees or extend legs for an added core challenge.

By incorporating these dry land Total Gym exercises into your summer training regimen, you’ll build the strength, stability, and power necessary to excel in the water. 

Remember to listen to your body, focus on proper form, and enjoy the benefits of a well-rounded fitness routine.

Dive in, stay strong, and make the most of your summer swimming!

Maria

@groovysweat

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