🏋️‍♂️ The Top 5 Gym Mistakes Swimmers Make (And How to Fix Them)

Dryland training is essential for swimming performance—but only when it’s done right. Too many swimmers waste time in the gym doing exercises that don’t carry over to the pool, or worse, increase injury risk.

Whether you're a swimmer, parent, or coach, avoiding these 5 common mistakes will help you get more from your training, swim faster, and stay injury-free.

❌ Mistake 1: Training Like a Bodybuilder (Bro Splits)

Traditional "bro splits" (e.g. chest day, arm day) don't reflect the demands of swimming—a full-body, power-endurance sport.

The Fix:
Use total-body or upper/lower splits that include multi-joint, athletic movements like squats, pulls, presses, and jumps. Focus on strength, power, and movement quality—not just muscle size.

📚 Faigenbaum et al. (2009) emphasise that youth athletes benefit more from strength training that targets movement patterns over isolated hypertrophy work.

❌ Mistake 2: Neglecting the Posterior Chain

Swimmers tend to over-develop the anterior chain (chest, quads) and neglect key muscles like the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. This creates imbalances that can impact starts, turns, and posture in the water.

The Fix:
Prioritise exercises like Romanian deadlifts, glute bridges, hamstring curls, and reverse lunges. A strong posterior chain is key to injury prevention and powerful underwater phases.

📚 Hibbs et al. (2008) highlight the importance of core and posterior chain strength in enhancing athletic performance and reducing injury risk.

❌ Mistake 3: Avoiding Power and Plyometrics

Swimming is a power sport—starts, turns, and sprints all demand explosive strength. Many swimmers avoid plyometrics out of fear of injury or because they don’t know how to structure it properly.

The Fix:
Integrate safe, progressive plyometric work like squat jumps, box jumps, and med ball throws. Use them early in your session when the body is fresh.

📚 Markovic & Mikulic (2010) found that plyometric training improves jump ability and sprint performance across multiple sports.

❌ Mistake 4: Poor Technique in the Gym

Poor lifting technique increases injury risk and reinforces bad movement patterns—especially for swimmers with hypermobile shoulders or tight hips.

The Fix:
Work with a coach or qualified S&C professional. Start with bodyweight mastery before loading up. Prioritise controlled tempo, quality reps, and full range of motion.

📚 Behm et al. (2008) underline the role of proper supervision in maximising gains and minimising injury in youth strength training.

❌ Mistake 5: Skipping Warm-Ups or Doing the Wrong Ones

A couple of arm swings and a jog won’t cut it. Swimmers need to prep their body for both the gym session and the specific movement patterns they’ll be training.

The Fix:
Use a proper RAMP warm-up (Raise, Activate, Mobilise, Potentiate). Include joint mobility, activation drills, and short power movements before lifting.

📚 Jeffreys (2007) introduced RAMP as a modern, progressive warm-up framework for sports performance.

✅ Final Thoughts

The gym should be a powerful tool to enhance your swimming, not just a box-ticking exercise.

By avoiding these 5 common mistakes and training with intent, swimmers can build strength, resilience, and speed that transfers to real results in the pool.