Improve Your Swimming on Land with the Vasa Trainer

Pools and open water around the world have been closed for many of us the last few months, and while some regions are beginning to reopen, availability is still going to be limited for the unforeseeable future. That, and many pool, open-water, and triathlon races are postponed or cancelled this season. There’s no better time to focus on alternative forms of training and fill in some training gaps.

Smart strength training has always been a secret weapon in my own swim training and that of my clients. And since high school, the Vasa Trainer has been a centerpiece around my dryland training out of the water.

Vasa has been a pioneer in swim-specific strength and conditioning for over 30 years. Their swim benches come in several forms, with various attachments for focusing on different adaptations, strokes, drills, and racing components. Those of your who are familiar with an indoor rower will quickly adjust to the smooth ride of the swim bench on the monorail. Like swimming, many of the exercises performed are upper-body dominant, using straps or pulleys, with handles or paddles, scaled using bands, and inclines. Performed prone and supine, like swimming, its the most specific way to develop technique, swim-specific strength, and conditioning on land. I find it particularly beneficial for developing local muscular endurance during build cycles and for isolating specific aspects of technique outside of the water.

Check out some of the Vasa Trainer programming Ive been working on, below, from my home gym the last few months.

Get 5% off on your own Vasa Trainer, and other products, at checkout using code “DALYTEN”, here.

Interested in coaching and programming for your dryland and swimming goals? Contact me, here!

Swim-Specific Strength and Conditioning Workouts

Here are some Vasa Trainer exercises that target swim-specific movements and build strength, power, and endurance. Incorporate these into your swimmer dryland workout routine to maximize results:

Upper Body Strength and Technique

• Double Arm High Elbow Catch: Improve the early vertical forearm (EVF) by focusing on pulling with your entire lower arm as a paddle, from fingertips to elbows.

Double Arm High Elbow Catch - For improving the early vertical forearm (EVF) seen in the worlds best swimmers. Focus on pulling from the shoulder, fingers down, elbow high, using your entire lower arm as a paddle from your fingers to your elbow.

Double Arm Pull: Develop bilateral pulling strength and integrate the vertical forearm catch phase with the pull and finish. Ideal for freestyle, butterfly, and long conditioning sets.

Double Arm Pull - Bilateral pulling strength, integrating the vertical forearm catch phase with the pull and finish. This is an appropriate starting point for freestyle swimmers, butterflies, and longer conditioning sets.

High Incline Pull Out: Build explosive power for butterfly and breaststroke pullouts with speed-focused work at higher inclines.

High Incline Pull Out - Build explosive power with speed work at higher inclines and resistances. Great for butterflies, and breaststroke under water pull outs.

Low Elbow Freestyle - A shoulder friendly freestyle pattern used for resting “swimmer shoulder”, or for longer conditioning sets.

Freestyle with Pulley Attachment – Develop endurance and stroke-specific tempo control.

Freestyle - Develop local muscular endurance, and event specific tempos with freestyle sets using the pulley attachment and hand paddles.

Single Arm Freestyle – Improve symmetry and isolate technique.

Single Arm Freestyle - isolate technique and improve symmetry one arm at a time with single arm strokes, and drills.

Single Arm Catch with Rotation – Enhance rotation, timing, and muscle activation.

Single Arm Catch with Rotation - Improve rotation, timing, and recruitment with this single arm pull and reach using the wrist straps.

Core Workouts for Swimmers

Dragonflag – Increase core endurance and streamline control.

Dragonflag - Better streamline, and core endurance with this eccentrically loaded core exercise.

Rollouts – Strengthen overhead positioning and core stability.

Rollout - Improve overhead position driven from the core, with swim bench rollouts.

Upper Body Strength

Feet-Elevated Vertical Push – Improve scapular mobility and shoulder recovery.

Feet Elevated Vertical Push - Shoulder friendly overhead mobility and strength, improving serratus anterior recruitment, and scapular upward rotation.

Forearm Supported 3-Point Row - Bench supported loaded pulling patterns for additional externally loaded exercises to improve pulling strength.

Lower Body Power

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat: Develop single-leg strength essential for explosive starts.

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat - Single leg strength

Streamline Squat Jumps – Develop explosive power for starts and turns.

Streamline Squat Jumps - Walls and turns-specific lower body power. Using the lower body power platform, performing plyometric jumps in a streamline position at a high incline and resistance.

Single Leg Streamline Squat – Train unilateral leg strength for better balance and propulsion.

Single Leg Streamline Squat - Single leg, start-specific strength.

Single Leg Streamline Squat to Toe – Train unilateral leg strength for better balance and propulsion.

Single Leg Streamline Squat to Toe - Complexity progression off the toe

Single Leg Streamline Jump Squat – Progress to more advanced plyometric movements.

Single Leg Streamline Jump Squat - single leg power

Why Choose the Vasa Trainer?

When it comes to dryland swim training, the Vasa Trainer is unmatched. It’s a comprehensive swimmer-specific tool designed to improve power, endurance, and technique, ensuring you stay strong and competitive—even when pool access is limited.

Build Swimming Endurance on Land

Training on the Vasa Trainer allows you to simulate long-distance swim efforts while applying progressive resistance, making it one of the most effective ways to build endurance on land.

Want to experience the Vasa Trainer for yourself? Use code DALYTEN at checkout to get 10% off your purchase. For personalized coaching and dryland programming tailored to your swimming goals, reach out today.

Dryland training is a game-changer for swimmers looking to maximize their performance. With the right tools and expert guidance, you can continue improving—no pool required. Ready to elevate your training? Get started with the Vasa Trainer today!