Chapter 15 Staying Strong, Supple, and Injury-Free: “Dryland Training” the Total Immersion Way

My goal with this book has been to guide you on what to do in the pool, so I won’t attempt to provide the last word on what coaches call “dryland training.” But Total Immersion, as much as a way of swimming, also means a philosophy of intelligent and practical exercise. Plus, if you have come to this book as a relatively new swimmer, you deserve at least a “quick-start guide” of the sort that comes with a new computer. So I will suggest a range of exercise options with three goals:

• Dryland supplements to the gravity-free exercise of water, essential to a strong musculoskeletal system

• “Prehab” exercises to keep your shoulders—a swimmer’s most vulnerable joint—healthy and pain-free

• Basic guidance on sensible strength training that will help your body perform optimally while doing swimming movements.

And while I’ll just present the basics here, I’ll suggest resources for deeper study in the appendix.