Who this plan is for
This is for competitive and masters swimmers with a regular pool schedule. It assumes the water is the priority and dryland is support.
- Swimmers with recurring shoulder soreness late in a training block.
- Athletes whose starts and turns are weaker than their swimming.
- Masters swimmers who do nothing outside the pool.
- Anyone whose dryland has been push-ups and nothing else.
Weekly schedule
Place lifting after a pool session rather than before one, and keep heavy legs away from race day or a big test set.
| Day | Plan | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Pool, then Session A | Stack the hard work on one day |
| Thursday | Pool | No dryland |
| Friday | Session B | Shorter, upper-focused |
| Weekend | Pool or rest | Recover |
Warm-up
Shoulders first. A few minutes of external rotation and scapular work before loading is the difference between a durable season and a sore one.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Arm Circles | 1 | 10 each direction | 15 sec | Start small, then increase the circle without shrugging. |
| Tempo Bodyweight Squat | 1 | 8 controlled reps | 20 sec | Use a comfortable depth and keep the whole foot planted. |
| Hip Hinge Dowel Drill | 1 | 8 reps | 20 sec | Practice moving through the hips before adding load. |
| Cat-Cow | 1 | 6 slow reps | 20 sec | Move gently through a comfortable spinal range. |
The swimmer dryland plan
Pulling volume in the gym should never exceed what the shoulder can recover from alongside the pool. When in doubt, cut the pulling and keep the rotator work.
Session A - Legs and posterior shoulder
The heavier day. Legs get trained here because starts and turns are pure lower body.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | 4 | 5-6 reps | 3 min | Starts and turns are leg events; this is not optional. |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8 reps | 2 min | Hips back with a steady spine. |
| Face Pull | 3 | 12-15 reps | 90 sec | Pull to the face with the elbows high; this balances the pulling you do in the water. |
| Dumbbell External Rotation | 3 | 12 each side | 60 sec | Light load, strict control, no shrugging. |
| Pallof Press | 3 | 10 each side | 60 sec | Resist the rotation rather than producing it. |
Session B - Pulling and trunk
Vertical pulling and trunk stiffness, which the pool does not build directly.
| Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest | Coaching note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pull-Up | 3 | 6-8 reps | 2 min | Full range with a controlled lower; add assistance rather than kipping. |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 reps | 2 min | Keep the range comfortable for the shoulder. |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 10-12 reps | 90 sec | Squeeze the shoulder blades without shrugging. |
| Hollow Body Hold | 3 | 20-30 sec | 60 sec | This is the streamline position; treat it seriously. |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 12 reps | 90 sec | Ankles do more off the wall than swimmers expect. |
Make the template fit your life
Dryland that fits around the pool
DoThis schedules strength work around the sessions you already have, and keeps the shoulder work in when the week gets tight.
Exercise and equipment alternatives
Use the substitution in the same row, keep the same set and repetition target, and reduce the load while learning the new movement.
| Planned exercise | Alternative | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-Up | Lat Pulldown | You cannot yet control six clean reps. |
| Barbell Back Squat | Goblet Squat | No rack is available. |
| Face Pull | Band Pull-Apart | You have no cable station. |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | Push-Up | Pressing at depth aggravates the shoulder. |
Progression rules
Progress legs freely. Progress upper body cautiously, because the pool is already supplying a large upper-body load.
- Add load on squats and Romanian deadlifts when every set is clean at the top of the range.
- Keep external rotation work light and strict; heavier is not better here.
- During a heavy pool block, hold dryland loads and cut a set.
- In taper week, keep one short session at half volume so the patterns stay familiar.
Weekly placement and recovery
- Shoulder soreness that lasts more than two days means the gym pulling volume is competing with the pool, not complementing it.
- Legs will be sore for the first two weeks and that will affect push-offs; start a block in a lighter pool week.
- Do not add dryland volume in the same week the pool volume increases.
Common programming questions
Should swimmers do more pull-ups?
Some vertical pulling helps, but adding large volumes on top of pool pulling is the fastest route to a sore shoulder. Balance it with external rotation and upper back work.
Do swimmers need to squat?
Yes. Starts and turns are decided by leg force, and they are a meaningful share of a race.
How close to a meet can I lift?
Keep a short, light session early in meet week and drop heavy legs entirely in the final days.
Safety and limitations
Stop if an exercise produces sharp pain, dizziness, or chest pain. Shoulder pain that persists past a week, or that changes your stroke, needs a clinician rather than more rotator cuff work.
This article provides general wellness education, not medical advice, diagnosis, rehabilitation, or individualized treatment.
Sources
Prepared by the DoThis Editorial Team using the cited evidence and exercise names verified against the DoThis catalog. No professional clinical review is claimed.
- Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical PerformanceAmerican College of Sports Medicine / PubMed
- Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy AdultsAmerican College of Sports Medicine / PubMed
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd editionU.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Make the template fit your life
Dryland that fits around the pool
DoThis schedules strength work around the sessions you already have, and keeps the shoulder work in when the week gets tight.