Swim Dryland

The pull phase is crucial for swimming fast. The pull constitutes 85-90% of direct propulsion during full swimming

best swim dryland exercises 

The pull phase is crucial for swimming fast The pull constitutes 85-90% of direct propulsion during full swimming at home with adjustable dumbbells

• To build a stronger pulling phase at home using adjustable dumbbells, focus on dumbbell exercises that target your lats, upper back, and shoulder stability.
• Best Dumbbell Pull Exercises for Swimmers
• Single-Arm Supported Row: 
• Place one knee and your same-side hand or forearm on a chair or bench. 
• Hold an adjustable dumbbell in your free hand, brace your core, and pull the weight back toward your hip rather than straight up. 
• This mimics the underwater pulling motion and targets your lats. 
• Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side.
• Bent-Over Two-Arm Row: 
• Hinge forward at your hips with a flat back, holding a dumbbell in each hand. 
• Pull both weights up toward your lower ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top. 
• This builds upper-back strength needed for the catch and early pull phase. 
• Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
• Dumbbell Pullover: 
• Lie flat on your back on the floor or a bench holding a single moderately heavy dumbbell with both hands overhead. 
• Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, lower the weight behind your head until you feel a stretch in your lats, then pull it back over your chest. 
• This directly strengthens the lat engagement required for propulsion. 
• Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Rehearsal Swings: 
• Stand in a staggered stance and hinge forward slightly. 
• Hold a light adjustable dumbbell and mimic the freestyle underwater pull path—from the high elbow catch, sweeping back to your hip, and recovering. 
• Keep movements controlled to build neuromuscular memory. 
• Perform 3 sets of 15 reps per arm.
• Core & Stability Additions
• Plank Pull-Throughs: 
• Get into a push-up position with one dumbbell placed just outside one hand. 
• Reach under your body with the opposite hand, grab the dumbbell, and drag it across to the other side while keeping your hips completely still. 
• Perform 3 sets of 10 drags per side to build the rotational core stability needed in the water.

weight bench and dumbbells

Adding a weight bench unlocks optimal range of motion and angles to target your latissimus dorsi and core, directly translating to a more explosive underwater pull phase.

Bench & Dumbbell Routine for Propulsion

• Incline Bench Rows: 
• Set your bench to a 30 to 45-degree incline. 
• Lie chest-down on the bench, letting your arms hang straight down with your adjustable dumbbells. 
• Pull the weights up toward your hips, keeping your elbows tight. 
• Supporting your chest completely isolates your lats and upper back, preventing cheating and mimicking the body position of swimming flat in the water. 
• Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
• Decline or Flat Bench Pullovers: 
• Lie on your back on a flat bench with your head close to the edge. 
• Hold one dumbbell with both hands directly over your chest. 
• Lower the weight slowly behind your head until your arms are parallel to the floor, then engage your lats to pull it back up. 
• The bench allows for a deeper stretch and longer range of motion than the floor, hitting the exact muscles used during your high-elbow catch. 
• Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.
• Bench Dumbbell I-T-Y Raises: 
• Lie chest-down on a flat or low incline bench with very light dumbbells. 
• Raise your arms straight ahead (forming an "I"), then out to the sides ("T"), and finally at a 45-degree angle ("Y"). 
• This targets the lower trapezius and rotator cuff, protecting your shoulders from injury during high-volume yardage. 
• Perform 2 sets of 8 reps per position.
• Single-Arm Bench Rows with Kickback: 
• Place one knee and one hand on the flat bench for support. 
• Row the dumbbell to your hip, and at the peak of the row, extend your arm straight back to engage the tricep. 
• This finishes the final 10-15% of your underwater pull stroke where you push past your hip. 
• Perform 3 sets of 10 reps per side.

Core Transition Power

• Bench Russian Twists (Feet Elevated): 
• Sit on the edge of the bench, lean back at a 45-degree angle, and lift your feet off the floor. 
• Hold a light dumbbell and rotate it side to side. 
• This builds the foundational oblique strength required to drive power from your hip rotation straight into your arm pull.

5-50 pounds adjustable

With a 5 to 50 lbs adjustable dumbbell set and a weight bench, you have the exact toolset needed to build competitive pulling power. 

Since the pull phase constitutes 85–90% of your swimming propulsion, you want to use the lower end of your weight range (5–20 lbs) for structural health and high-elbow mechanics, and the higher end (25–50 lbs) to build raw lat strength.

Here is a structured, scannable weekly workout template designed specifically to maximize your swimming propulsion at home.

Swimming Propulsion & Pull Phase Workout

Perform this routine 2 to 3 times per week on non-consecutive days. 

Focus on explosive pull movements and controlled, slow returns.

Key Execution Tips for Swimmers

• The Intentional Lat Squeeze: 
• On both the Incline Row and the Pullover, initiate the movement by driving your elbows down toward your hips. 
• Do not just pull with your biceps; swimming power comes from the large muscles of your back.
• Don't Rush the Return: 
• Take 2 to 3 seconds to lower the weight back down on every single rep. 
• This eccentric control mirrors the tension your muscles experience while resisting water drag.
• Keep Shoulders Safe: 
• For the I-T-Y raises, never go heavy. 
• A 5 or 10 lbs setting is more than enough to target the small stabilizer muscles that keep your shoulders healthy through thousands of swimming strokes.

distance

For distance swimming (400m+), your dryland training needs to shift toward muscular endurance, aerobic capacity, and fatigue resistance. 

While sprint swimming relies on high-load, explosive power, distance swimming requires your lats, shoulders, and core to maintain crisp, high-propulsion mechanics for hundreds of consecutive strokes without breaking down.

To train your body to hold a powerful pull over long distances, you will use your 5–50 lbs dumbbells for higher-rep ranges and shorter rest periods, simulating the metabolic demand of a long race.

Distance Swimming Pull Workout (Endurance Focus)

Perform this routine 2 times per week. 

Keep your rest times strictly between 30 to 45 seconds between sets to train your muscles to clear lactic acid efficiently.

Advanced Progression: 

• The "Distance Engine" Complex
• Once the standard routine feels manageable, try adding this continuous circuit at the end of your workout to test your endurance. 
• Do not rest until all three exercises are complete:
• 12 Flat Bench Pullovers (Immediate transition to...)
• 15 Incline Bench Rows (Immediate transition to...)
• 60 Seconds Bench Plank Hold
• Rest 90 seconds. 
• Repeat for 3 total rounds.
• Key Distance Principles
• Precision Over Weight: As fatigue sets in during high-rep sets, your body will want to cheat by shrugging your shoulders. 
• Keep your shoulders pulled down away from your ears to protect your rotator cuffs.
• Core-to-Stroke Connection: 
• In distance swimming, an unstable core creates massive water drag. 
• Treat the Plank Pull-Throughs as a primary movement—keeping your hips locked teaches your body to keep a tight, hydrodynamic line even when your arms are burning.