Swim practice builds fitness in the water, but the strength, core stability, and body control that make a stroke efficient are built just as much on land. Dryland training — sometimes called dryland swimming, dry land exercises, or land drills for swimmers — is bodyweight and light-resistance exercise done outside the pool, and most of it takes zero equipment and fits in a living room or backyard.
This guide answers what dryland training actually is, how often swimmers should do it at different ages, a full list of the best dryland exercises, a complete step-by-step home routine, why shoulder and hip mobility matter as much as strength, and the mistakes that trip up most families trying this at home for the first time.
Quick Answer
Dryland training is bodyweight and light-resistance exercise done outside the pool — planks, squats, push-ups, balance work, and mobility drills — that builds the strength and body control swimming alone doesn’t fully develop. Most age-group swimmers do well with 2-3 dryland sessions a week, 15-20 minutes each, scaling up toward 3-4 (and eventually more for competitive teens) as training volume in the pool increases. No equipment is required to get real value from it.
What Is Dryland Training? (And Is “Dry Swimming” the Same Thing?)
Dryland training — also called dryland swimming, dry swimming, dry land exercises, or land drills for swimmers — is any strength, mobility, or coordination work done outside the pool with the goal of improving how a swimmer moves in the water. All of these terms describe the same practice; “dry swimming” is simply a more casual way people search for dryland. It isn’t a substitute for pool time; it’s the land-based half of a swimmer’s training that builds strength, core control, and joint stability that swimming alone doesn’t fully develop.
Dryland exercises fall into two broad categories. Some — like swimmer planks that mimic a freestyle arm pull, or streamline holds against a wall — are land drills that copy the shape and muscle activation of a stroke without water resistance. Others, like squats, planks, and push-ups, are general strength moves that support swimming rather than imitate it directly. A well-rounded dryland program for a young swimmer includes both types, plus mobility work for the shoulders and hips.
How Often Should Swimmers Do Dryland Training?
For most recreational and age-group swimmers, 2-3 dryland sessions a week of 15-20 minutes each is enough to build strength and coordination without adding fatigue on top of pool practice. Younger, casual swimmers (under about 8) can do even less — short, playful sessions a couple of times a week are plenty.
As swimmers move into more structured, competitive training, frequency guidance climbs. USA Swimming’s long-term American Development Model ties dryland frequency to a swimmer’s training level rather than age alone, with more advanced, higher-volume swimmers working up to several dryland sessions a week alongside their pool schedule. The practical takeaway for families: increase frequency gradually as your swimmer’s club training increases, and never stack a hard dryland session immediately before a demanding swim practice — recovery matters as much as the work itself.
Age-by-Age Dryland Guide
Dryland shouldn’t look the same for a 7-year-old and a 13-year-old. For swimmers around 6-8, the focus should be on fun, coordination, and simple movement patterns rather than strength: animal walks (bear crawls, crab walks), balance games like standing on one leg, jumping jacks, and short (10-20 second) plank and streamline holds. Keep exercises playful and short — this age group loses interest fast, and the goal is teaching movement, not building muscle.
Swimmers around 9-11 can handle a more structured routine: full core and strength circuits (planks, squats, lunges, push-ups, superman holds), longer holds, and the addition of light resistance bands or a jump rope if available. This is also a good age to start basic mobility work for the shoulders and hips, since training volume in the pool typically increases around this stage.
By 12-14, many swimmers are training with a club and can safely add more volume: 3-4 rounds per circuit, resistance-band rows or pull-ups for upper-body pulling strength, single-leg balance and stability work, and dedicated mobility sessions. Heavier external weights are still generally not recommended without direct coaching supervision — bodyweight and light resistance remain the right intensity for most swimmers through their early teens.
The Best Dryland Exercises for Swimmers (A Full List)
If you’re looking for a straightforward list of land drills for swimmers, these are the staples that show up in nearly every age-group dryland program: plank holds and side planks (core and shoulder stability), superman holds (back and posterior chain strength used in every stroke), bodyweight squats and lunges (kick and start power), push-ups or knee push-ups (chest, shoulder, and triceps pushing strength), mountain climbers or bicycle crunches (rotational core control), streamline holds against a wall (the tight, low-drag body position needed off every wall and dive), single-leg balance holds (stability for starts and turns), animal walks like bear crawls and crab walks (full-body coordination), and, for older swimmers, resistance-band rows or pull-ups (upper-body pulling strength) and light medicine ball throws (rotational power).
None of these require a gym. A few square feet of floor space, and optionally a jump rope, resistance band, or light medicine ball, is enough to run a complete session.
A Simple Home Dryland Workout, Step by Step
Start every session with 5 minutes of warm-up so muscles aren’t cold: jogging on the spot, arm circles, leg swings, and jumping jacks work well and double as a fun way to get younger kids moving before the “real” exercises start.
Next comes the core and strength block, done as 2-3 rounds for younger kids (under about 10) or 3-4 rounds for older age-group swimmers. Good staples include plank holds (start around 20-30 seconds and build up), superman holds, bodyweight squats and lunges, push-ups or knee push-ups, and mountain climbers or bicycle crunches. Finish with a streamline hold: standing tall, arms squeezed overhead against the ears, core braced, and toes pointed, held for 20-30 seconds.
If a jump rope, resistance band, or light medicine ball is available, they’re a nice add-on — jump rope for footwork and cardio, bands for shoulder and hip activation, and a light medicine ball for rotational throws — but none of it is required to get value from a dryland workout for swimmers at home.
Land Drills for Balance and Coordination
Balance and coordination work is easy to skip but genuinely useful for young swimmers, since good body awareness on land translates into a more controlled, efficient stroke in the water. Animal walks — bear crawls, crab walks, and inchworms — build full-body coordination and are a favorite with younger kids because they feel more like play than exercise.
Single-leg balance drills (standing on one foot for 15-20 seconds, eyes open or closed) and walking lunges add a stability challenge that pays off in starts, turns, and dive-offs. These land drills fit naturally between the strength circuit and the streamline hold, and take only a couple of minutes to include.
Shoulder and Hip Mobility (Injury Prevention)
The shoulder does more repetitive rotational work in swimming than in almost any other youth sport, which is why shoulder pain is one of the most common overuse issues in age-group swimmers. Building shoulder health into dryland is just as important as building strength, and it doesn’t take long: a few rotator-cuff and scapular-stability moves — like banded pull-aparts, external rotations with a light band, wall slides, and arm circles — keep the muscles around the joint balanced against all the repetitive overhead work swimming demands.
Hip mobility matters too, especially for kick technique and starts. Simple hip circles, walking knee hugs, and hip flexor stretches take a couple of minutes and are worth including a few times a week, particularly for swimmers whose training volume in the pool has recently increased.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistake is treating dryland like a punishment or an afterthought — rushing through it, skipping the warm-up, or bolting on a random set of exercises with no structure. A short, consistent 15-20 minute session done the same couple of days each week builds more long-term benefit than an occasional 45-minute grind.
Other frequent missteps: adding heavy weights or advanced moves before a swimmer has good bodyweight form, skipping mobility work entirely in favor of only strength exercises, and scheduling hard dryland right before a demanding swim practice instead of on a separate day or well before the pool session.
dryland training for swimmers FAQs
What is dryland training for swimmers?
Dryland training is strength, mobility, and coordination work done outside the pool — things like planks, squats, push-ups, and streamline holds — that builds the muscle strength and body control a swimmer needs to move efficiently in the water. It’s meant to complement pool practice, not replace it.
What is dry swimming?
“Dry swimming” is another name for dryland training — the same land-based bodyweight and light-resistance exercises done outside the pool to build strength, core stability, and mobility for swimming.
How often should swimmers do dryland?
Most age-group swimmers do well with 2-3 sessions a week of 15-20 minutes each. As swimmers move into more structured club training in their preteens and teens, frequency typically increases toward 3-4 (and eventually more for competitive swimmers), following the pace of their pool training.
What are good dryland exercises for swimmers?
Core staples include plank holds, superman holds, bodyweight squats and lunges, push-ups, mountain climbers, streamline holds, single-leg balance work, and animal walks like bear crawls. Older swimmers can add resistance-band rows, pull-ups, and light medicine ball throws.
Do land drills for swimmers require equipment?
No. A complete dryland session can be done with just body weight and a few square feet of floor space. A jump rope, resistance band, or light medicine ball are useful add-ons, but none of them are required.
Can dryland training help prevent swimming injuries?
Yes. Because swimming places heavy, repetitive rotational demand on the shoulders, dryland routines that include rotator-cuff and scapular-stability work — plus general core and hip strength — help balance the muscles around those joints and are commonly recommended as part of managing overuse injury risk in young swimmers.
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