Last Updated on March 17, 2024 by admin
In this article, we will provide advice, exercises, hacks and tips on dryland shoulder exercises for swimmers.
Competitive swimmers perform numerous repetitive arm movements during training and competition, which can put a lot of stress and strain on their shoulder muscles and joints.
- Swimmer’s shoulder is the most common competitive swimming ailment.
- It’s a ‘generic’ term that refers to any type of shoulder joint or muscle problem caused by swimming.
- These problems can range in severity from mild stiffness to major joint wear.
How to prevent swimmer’s shoulder
There are three main ways of preventing swimmer’s shoulder.
Good swimming technique
A common cause of a swimmer’s shoulder is an unbalanced stroke, especially freestyle.
- Swimmers should balance their freestyle strokes by performing bilateral breathing.
- They should also focus on performing a balanced stroke with great technique.
Good posture in and out of the water
Another common cause of a swimmer’s shoulder is poor body posture both in and out of the water.
- A correct body position and posture in the water helps to balance the stroke and enables a full range of movement in the shoulders.
When out of the pool, swimmers should concentrate on adopting a better posture.
- Swimmers when walking should adopt a more upright posture.
- When sitting they should not slouch.
- They should sit back in the chair and adopt a straight back.
Strengthening and flexibility shoulder exercises
Swimmers with undeveloped strength and flexibility in their shoulders run an increased risk of developing a swimmer’s shoulder.
- Therefore, shoulder exercises for swimmers that develop their strength and flexibility should be incorporated into their dryland/land training programme. (see below)
Related article on swimmer’s shoulder: an introduction
We have produced a related article on swimmer’s shoulder: an introduction. You can view it by clicking this link: swimmer’s shoulder.
The benefits of dryland shoulder exercises for swimmers
Dryland shoulder exercises for swimmers can help improve the flexibility and strength in their shoulder joints and muscles beyond those that can be achieved by training in the water alone.
- Not only do stronger more flexible shoulders reduce the risk of injury, but the increased range of motion can significantly improve the swimmer’s stroke technique.
Dryland shoulder exercises for swimmers
We have listed a series of our favourite dryland shoulder exercises, which you can incorporate into your dryland training programme.
W Arm Raise
Introduction: W arm raises are a great exercise for improving the flexibility in the swimmer’s shoulder blades, as well as helping to develop their core.
How to perform this exercise:
- Swimmers should start this exercise by laying on the floor, on their stomachs in a prone, face-down position.
- Their hands should be palms-down on the floor and their arms should be in a right-angled position, making a W shape with their head.
- The swimmer should lift their trunk, head, hands and arms off the floor.
- While keeping their arms in the W position and squeezing their shoulder blades together
- They should hold the lift position for 5 seconds
- Then they should return to the start position in a slow and controlled manner.
- They should repeat this exercise 5 times
Press-ups/push-ups
Introduction: Press-ups/push-ups are simple but effective exercises for developing a swimmer’s shoulder and chest muscles.
- They can be performed in a variety of ways.
- With the swimmer’s hands placed either shoulder-width apart (standard press-up).
- Or as wide as possible, while still being able to control the exercise (wide stance press-up).
- Or as narrow as possible (hands placed close together), again while still being able to control the exercise (narrow stance/diamond press up).
How to perform this exercise: Swimmers should start this exercise in a raised straight and horizontal position, with extended arms.
- Their hands should be palms-down on the floor, in their preferred position.
- Their feet should be together, with the balls of their feet touching the floor.
- The swimmer should then exhale and slowly lower their body, by bending their arms, until their chest touches the floor.
- Then they should raise themselves back into the straight horizontal position.
- They should repeat this exercise 10 times
Foam roller shoulder exercise
Introduction: Using a foam roller enables the swimmer to alleviate any stiffness, soreness or tension in the shoulders as well as aid muscle repair.
How to perform this exercise: The swimmer should start this exercise by lying on their back (supine).
- The roller should be placed underneath their shoulder blades, perpendicular to their spine.
- Ideally, the foam roller should be long enough to cover the width of the swimmer’s back.
- The swimmer should place their hands behind their neck to support their head.
- They should bend their knees and keep their feet flat on the floor.
- The swimmer should lift their butt slightly off the ground.
- They should then slowly roll from the middle of their back to just below their neck until they locate the tender, sore or stiff muscle.
- Once located they should hold that position for between 20 to 30 seconds
- The swimmer should then commence to slowly roll back and forth over the whole of the affected area.
- They should continue to roll slowly back and forth, stopping and holding in the areas that need more focus, for between 5 to 30 seconds.
- They should ensure that they do not roll their neck or lower back.
- The swimmer should also remember to breathe during the rolling process.
- They should also engage their core muscles.
- They should repeat this exercise 10 times
Standing straight arm pulls
Introduction: Standing straight arm pulls are a great resistance band exercise for developing shoulder strength and flexibility.
How to perform this exercise: The swimmer should ensure they maintain a vertical body position throughout this exercise.
- The swimmer should grasp each end of the resistance band, with their palms facing forwards.
- They should then lower the resistance band onto the floor.
- The swimmer should stand in the middle of the resistance band with the middle of each foot.
- They should start this exercise, by standing with their feet shoulder-width apart.
- The swimmer’s arms should be fully extended downwards and close to their sides.
- They should then raise both extended arms straight up to above their head.
- Ensuring that their arms are straight and fully extended throughout this exercise.
- They should repeat this exercise 5 times
Internal Rotation Pulls
Purpose: This resistance band exercise helps flex the swimmer’s chest and shoulder muscles.
- How to perform this exercise: For this exercise, the resistance band needs to be secured to an immovable object, ideally at approximately hip height.
- The swimmer should start this exercise, by standing with their feet shoulder-width apart.
- The swimmer should grasp the loose end of the resistance band with their right hand.
- They should begin with their arm at a ninety-degree angle and gradually twist at the elbow until their hand touches the side of their chest on the left side of their body.
- The swimmer should then slowly return to the start position.
- They should switch hands and repeat the exercise by flexing their left arm.
External Rotation Pulls
Purpose: This resistance band exercise which is performed in the reverse order to an internal rotation pull, helps to further flex the swimmer’s chest and shoulder muscles.
How to perform this exercise: For this exercise, the resistance band again needs to be secured to an immovable object, ideally at approximately hip height.
- The swimmer should start this exercise, by standing with their feet shoulder-width apart.
- The swimmer should grasp the loose end of the resistance band with their right hand.
- But for this exercise, they should begin with their elbow bent at approximately ninety degrees across their chest on the left side of their body.
- They then gradually twist at the elbow until their arms are horizontal to their body on their right-hand side.
- Swimmers should then slowly return to the start position.
- They should switch hands and repeat the exercise by flexing their left arm.
Related article on swimming neck pain
We have produced a related article on swimming neck pain. You can view it by clicking this link: swimming neck pain
Dryland shoulder exercises for swimmers: Takeaways
In this article, we will provide advice, hacks and tips on shoulder exercises for swimmers.
Competitive swimmers perform numerous repetitive arm movements during training and competition, which can put a lot of stress and strain on their shoulder muscles and joints.
- Swimmer’s shoulder is the most common competitive swimming ailment.
- It’s a ‘generic’ term that refers to any type of shoulder joint or muscle problem caused by swimming.
- These problems can range in severity from a little bit of stiffness to major joint wear.
There are three main ways of preventing swimmer’s shoulder.
- Good swimming technique
- Good posture in and out of the water
- Strengthening and flexibility shoulder exercises
Swimmers with undeveloped strength and flexibility in their shoulders run an increased risk of developing a swimmer’s shoulder.
- Therefore, swimmers should incorporate exercises that develop shoulder strength and flexibility into their dryland/land training programme. (see below)
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