Exercises to Improve Freestyle Without a Pool

To improve your freestyle swimming, you’ll obviously have to spend time in the pool working on your stroke, but you can also improve in other ways. By performing what is referred to as dryland training sessions, you can improve your freestyle even when away from the water. By strengthening the key freestyle swimming muscles -- mainly in your upper body and core -- you can improve your freestyle times and gain an edge in your next race.

  1. Core

    • To strengthen the core muscles vital to your freestyle stroke, perform a plank exercise in which you hold the position for 30 to 40 seconds. For advanced variations, lift an arm or leg off the floor and hold it horizontally while you maintain the plank position. Use a stability ball and a medicine ball to perform Russian twists. Set your head, neck and upper back on the stability ball while you hold the medicine ball in your hands, with your arms straight in front of your upper chest. Keep your arms straight as you rotate your torso from side to side on top of the stability ball. Turn face down on the stability ball to perform hip switches. Hold your legs straight and parallel with the floor, then rotate your hips to the right and left, stacking your hips vertically at the peak of your movements. Perform two sets of each exercise, and 10 to 12 reps of stability ball activities.

    Upper-Body Exercises

    • Your upper-body muscles are primarily responsible for pulling you through the water during the freestyle stroke, particularly during long-distance events. Work your chest, back, shoulders and upper-arm muscles by doing reverse flys on a stability ball. Position yourself face down with your upper chest on the ball, and hold a pair of light dumbbells in front of you. Keeping your elbows slightly flexed, lift the dumbbells up and to each side. You can also perform a pushup variation that places extra emphasis on the serratus anterior muscles at the sides of your chest. Assume a pushup position and do a standard pushup, but continue pushing down at the peak of your motion, rounding your upper back and separating your shoulder blades. Do two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise.

    Medicine Ball Exercises

    • Using a medicine ball is an efficient way to exercise your core and upper body simultaneously. Perform an underhand toss by holding the ball next to your hip and throwing it underhand to a training partner, aiming for the outside of his hip. Alternate throwing the ball from the right and left sides. You can also do an overhead toss by holding the ball in both hands above your head and passing it back and forth with your partner. Perform situps by holding the ball over your head in the starting position, then throwing it to your trainer or partner as you rise. Have your partner throw the ball back to you as your torso descends. Do three sets of at least eight reps per set.

    Considerations

    • Consult a physician before attempting a new exercise routine. Warm up before each dryland training session with five to 10 minutes of light cardio work. Loosen your muscles with dynamic stretches, such as trunk rotations, side bends and arm swings. Perform your dryland session as a circuit, moving quickly from one exercise to the next without rest, for a more challenging cardio workout.