The Swim - Strength & Mobility

Strength & Mobility for Better Swimming

Swimming might be low impact, but it places unique demands on your body, especially across the shoulders, core, and hips. For triathletes, balancing three sports means making every session count, and that includes your time out of the water.

Body weight strength training - a press up.

Why should you Integrate strength and mobility into your training programme - to support better swimming, because even the best technique falls apart without a strong, mobile body to back it up.

Dry-land work targets three key areas:

• Shoulder stability – using resistance bands and light weights to support joint health and improve stroke control.

• Core strength – exercises like dead-bugs and planks can improve posture and reduce drag in the water.

• Hip mobility – dynamic stretches and glute activation drills promote a more effective kick and streamline position.

Swim at Ironman New Zealand

These aren’t lengthy gym sessions. Just 15–20 minutes, two or three times a week, can lead to noticeable improvements in how you move through the water and how resilient you feel in training.

Building land-based training into your training plan, whether you’re working with us in person or online is an efficient way to boost power, prevent injury, and reinforce the mechanics we coach in the pool.

Coach’s Tip: Don’t overlook dry-land training, it’s often the missing piece for age-group triathletes looking to improve swim times without increasing pool hours. Strength outside the water leads to more control in the water.