How Often Should Swimmers Lift Weights?

/ Train Daly/
How Often Should Swimmers Lift Weights?

Incorporating resistance training into a swimmer’s program can significantly enhance performance and reduce injury risk. Most swimmers benefit from 2-3 weightlifting sessions weekly, lasting 30-60 minutes, especially in the off and pre-season. These sessions should focus on compound movements like deadlifts, squats, and swim-specific exercises to build strength and power. But how often should you lift weights, and what exercises are best?

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5 Reasons Every Swimmer Should Lift Weights

/ Train Daly/
5 Reasons Every Swimmer Should Lift Weights

Strength training isn’t just for bodybuilders; it’s essential for swimmers too. Discover the 5 key reasons every swimmer should lift weights, from injury prevention and improved mobility to enhanced endurance, efficiency, and speed. Learn how incorporating weightlifting can make your strokes more efficient and powerful, balancing your body for peak performance in the water. Plus, find out whether it’s better to swim before or after lifting weights. See how strength training can transform your swimming abilities.

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Stable Endurance Training

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Stable Endurance Training

The Bunkie test is a functional endurance test to help identify functional stability, endurance, and control through some of the common fascial lines. It’s a series of 5 exercises, performed bilaterally (both sides). Its a simple test for identifying weak links in your ability to efficiency coordinate multiple muscles linked in a kinetic chain associated with particular movement patterns, and can help you identify weak links and patterns to program more specifically for your needs.

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Mobile Endurance Training

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Mobile Endurance Training

Mobility first! Before you can stabilize, load, and perform you must have the freedom to move. Learn the keys to assessing what needs to be addressed, how to improve, and enhance your trining. “The Big Three”, ankles, hips, and shoulders, are the most mobile joints in the body. Identify any deficits, and move on from areas that meet a functional standard. Remember, mobility and stretching do not make you fit, but can inhibit your ability to get fit and perform if they do not have their functional range of motion. Test, intervene, rest. Once you move well, go train!

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Animal Flow Bodyweight Conditioning: Your Guide to a Total Body Transformation

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Animal Flow Bodyweight Conditioning: Your Guide to a Total Body Transformation

Enter Animal Flow, a modality I have been programming for over a decade. Its the perfect blend of total body, ground-based, bodyweight conditioning, blending elements of mobility, stability, endurance, and power.

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Lower Back Care

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Lower Back Care

Lower back pain is a common issue that affects athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. In this guide, Coach Dan Daly shares expert advice on building a strong and resilient back. Learn the best exercises for lower back and core strength, including marching bridges, single leg hyperextensions, and dynamic planks. Designed for swimmers and endurance athletes, these workouts help improve performance, reduce injury risk, and enhance overall stability. Start your journey to a healthier, pain-free back today with these proven techniques. Read article.

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The Gym in Your Hand: Kettlebell Training Made Simple

/ Train Daly/
The Gym in Your Hand: Kettlebell Training Made Simple

Kettlebells are the ultimate gym in your hand, offering efficient and versatile workouts for athletes. This guide explores the benefits of kettlebell training, from mobility and strength to power development. Learn how to design effective full-body routines and why kettlebells are essential for swimmers and triathletes aiming to boost performance. Read the full article.

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Improve Your Swimming on Land with the Vasa Trainer

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Improve Your Swimming on Land with the Vasa Trainer

With pools and open-water options still limited, now is the perfect time to focus on dryland swim training. The Vasa Trainer has been a key tool in my swim training and that of my clients for years. This swim-specific strength equipment allows swimmers to develop technique, strength, and endurance outside of the water. Perfect for isolating upper body movements and swim drills, it’s ideal for athletes at any level. Ready to level up your swim training at home? Check out my Vasa Trainer workouts and use code “DALY5” for 5% off your own trainer. Read on for more details!

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