Off Season Training Tips

Competitive Swim | July 28, 2017

The worst thing you can do is get out of the swimming groove when the season ends. Here are a few suggested tips to keep active during off season.

Dry Land Workouts

Are you looking for a change of pace? Dry land workouts can improve your swimming performance in a variety of ways. There are four types of dry land workouts that can benefit your swimming plan; cardio, stretching, core training, and strength training. Cardiovascular exercise can benefit your aerobic capacity and can increase faster sprinting times. You can try running, biking, jogging, skipping, or even rowing some suggest. Core training is of vital importance for swimmers. Your core provides the starting point for strength, power and stability; so if it is weak, you will be prone to injury. Weight lifting is also important for all athletes; adding a regular lifting routine to your workout can significantly impact your strength to perform.

Water Aerobics

You’re already getting an incredible work out during swimming season we know, but what if you decided you wanted to try out something new? Water aerobics is a great chance to be at home with your workout, but also enhance your strength training. There are multiple benefits to water aerobics:

Increase muscle strength, flexibility, and agility
Alleviates pressure on your joints in comparison to dryland training
Relieves stress and decreases anxiety due to being in the water
Burns calories and reduces blood pressure
Build endurance by working against your own body weight

This could be the start of a new relationship between you and the sport you love, if you have never thought of adding water aerobics into your fitness routine. Adding another dimension to your workout can create excitement and increase your passion for swimming.

Working on Your Technique

There’s nothing more important than utilizing free time that you have to improve your swimming technique. Try to have someone film you while you are swimming. If you have an underwater camera, then take advantage of filming yourself above and under water as you swim. You can then review your video after your work out to see where you have weaknesses and how you can improve. Another way to improve your technique is by utilizing training equipment. At All American Swim and The Lifeguard Store, we have plenty of products that can help you with that.

Our recommendation for you is to try one of our RISE Aquatics pull buoys, snorkels, hand paddles, or kick boards. If you’re looking to focus on your head position and body alignment, then the RISE Swimmer’s snorkel is for you. It allows you to focus on those areas of your training without worrying about breathing. Our RISE pulse hand paddles are a versatile pair of hand paddles that will allow you to improve your technique in all four strokes. The RISE Elite pull buoy will help you develop upper body strength and proper alignment. All RISE Aquatics pull buoys come in a variety of sizes and types for your specific need. Another great addition to your workout, the RISE Team Kickboard, is great for kick sets, practice, and any fitness requirements. Our kickboards are developed with closed cell EVA foam which won’t chip, break, or absorb water as you use them. The RISE Aquatics training equipment will take you to the next level. All RISE Aquatics are built for performance and durability, so you’re saving yourself time and money in the long run when you choose RISE. RISE up to the challenge.

If you have any fitness recommendations for off season training, please feel free to leave those suggestions in the comments below.