Swimming Dryland Workouts

So, you need some good swimming dryland workouts, do you? Well, they say that swimming is one of the best workouts you can do. But, when you're training to be a better swimmer, it makes sense that you can't spend all of your time in the water. Thus, the necessity for good swimming dryland workouts is born. Well, workouts geared for swimming have to push and increase your muscle endurance. There are a number of dryland workouts you can do to improve your overall performance in the water. Here are some of the better swimming dryland workouts.

1. Your upper body and core. Have you ever seen a fat competitive swimmer? No. This is because swimmers realize the importance of having a strong core and upper body for swimming purposes. Not bulky, but lean and strong. Think Michael Phelps. In order to get you on your way to looking more like him, you need to strengthen your core and upper body. Use your own body weight and do push ups in varying positions. Do crunches and sit ups in varying positions as well to get your abs and obliques into shape. Also, you can use the workout cords to do low impact bicep and tricep workouts. Remember, you're not going to be bulking up, just leaning out. So you'll be doing high reps at lower weights. This is one of a three part swimming dryland workout.
2. Running. Cardio is a must. Swimmers are in great cardiovascular shape. So, grab some running shoes and get out there and jog. Start out running in intervals. Say a six minute jog and a three minute walk. Wash, rinse, repeat. Once it gets easy to you, increase the amount of time you spend running. Once you're running for a good 45 minutes, nonstop, you're golden. The trick is to constantly push yourself. Once it get's too easy, you know it's time to push harder. This is a great swimming dryland workout
3. The bike. No, it's not overkill. While riding the bike is also a great cardio workout, it also serves as a great swimming dryland workout for one reason. Riding a bike tests and builds the muscle endurance in your legs. In case you didn't know, you use your legs quite a bit when you swim. Riding the stationary bike can really build up your muscle endurance. You can increase the resistance as it becomes too easy for you, allowing you to constantly get stronger. Normal bikes require you to ride for hours and hours to get the same results. If you have time for this, by all means, get down. For those of you that have to condense your workouts, the stationary bike is the way to go.
4. Stretching. You should definitely include a healthy amount of stretching into your workouts. It won't make you stronger, but you'll definitely get a lot more flexible. This is important when you're playing like a fish. A total body stretching routine should be done before and after every workout. Touching your toes, calf and quad stretches, as well as arm and torso stretches are key.