Swimmers
Conditioning
Program

 

Swimming may look effortless in the water, but elite performance depends on much more than stroke technique. Behind every strong lap is a powerful, well-conditioned body that supports efficient movement, shoulder stability, and explosive power.

A well-designed dry-land conditioning program helps swimmers build the strength and control they need to generate force in the water while reducing injury risk.

From pull-ups to squats, core work, and power training, evidence shows that the right combination of exercises can make a measurable difference in speed, endurance, and overall performance.

Swimmers

< Evidence-Based Practice >

  • Dry-land training is essential for swimming performance.
    Research consistently supports the inclusion of strength, power, and core training in swimmers’ conditioning programs to enhance propulsion, body control, and shoulder stability within the Swimming Shoulder Kinetic Chain (SSKC).
  • Most effective exercises:
    • Pull-ups and squats are the most frequently prescribed dry-land exercises among swimming coaches, as they develop upper-body pulling strength and lower-body drive — both crucial for stroke power and body alignment.
    • Core strengthening supports body position and rotational control in the water.
    • Explosive power training (e.g., medicine ball throws, plyometrics, jump squats) improves start and turn speed.
  • What the evidence says:
    • Emmet Crowley et al. (2018) found that 87% of elite swimming coaches incorporate traditional resistance training, with pull-ups and squats being the most common dry-land exercises.
    • Yannis Raineteau et al. (2024) identified core stability, strength, and power as the three most frequently targeted physical qualities, with bench press and squat being the top-prescribed exercises.
    • Wan Yu Kwok et al. (2021) demonstrated that strength and resistance training significantly improve swimming performance, especially in sprint events.
    • Nuno Amaro et al. (2017) reported that just six weeks of dry-land conditioning, emphasizing explosive and power-based exercises, can yield measurable improvements in competitive performance.
  • Practical takeaway:
    An effective swimmers’ conditioning program should integrate upper- and lower-body strength, core stability, and power development, emphasizing movement patterns that support the entire shoulder-to-hip kinetic chain. Consistency and specificity to the swimmer’s stroke and event type are key to maximizing performance gains.
Burpees

< Exercises & Trainings >

        • Upper Extremity Strengthening
          • Bench Press
          • DB Rows
          • Pull Ups
        • Lower Extremity Strengthening
          • Squat
          • Goblet Step Ups
          • Deadlift
        • Core Strengthening
          • Supine Flutter Kicks
          • Plank + Thread in Needle
          • Flutter Kick Plank
        • Explosive/Power Exercises
          • Box Jump
          • Burpees

< Reference >

  • Crowley, Emmet, Andrew J. Harrison, and Mark Lyons. “Dry-Land Resistance Training Practices of Elite Swimming Strength and Conditioning Coaches.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 32, no. 9 (2018): 2592–600. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002599.
  • Raineteau, Yannis, Robin Pla, Benoit Bideau, Nicolas Bideau, and Guillaume Nicolas. “From Dry-Land to the Water: Training and Testing Practices of Strength and Conditioning Coaches in High Level French Sprint Swimmers.” Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 5 (January 2024): 1338856. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1338856.
  • Kwok, Wan Yu, Billy Chun Lung So, Daniel Hon Ting Tse, and Shamay Sheung Mei Ng. “A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Biomechanical Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Strength and Conditioning Training Programs on Front Crawl Swimming Performance.” Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, July 15, 2021, 564–85. https://doi.org/10.52082/jssm.2021.564.
  • Amaro, Nuno M., Daniel A. Marinho, Mário C. Marques, Nuno P. Batalha, and Pedro G. Morouço. “Effects of Dry-Land Strength and Conditioning Programs in Age Group Swimmers.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 31, no. 9 (2017): 2447–54. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001709.