Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
I like incorporating dryland exercises I to practice occasionally, and deep water means it is an opportunity for one of my favorites — press-outs. A press out is essentially a vertical push-up at the side of the pool. The swimmer starts in the water with his belly close to the wall and hands in the gutter. Pressing down on the gutter, he raises himself up until his upper body is entirely out of the water and then drops back in. It is a great exercise for developing strength for all strokes. Here is one of my favorite sets to incorporate press-outs:
16 x 100 free LCM
#1 – with 4 press-outs at the 50 @1:30
#2 – with 3 press-outs at the 50 @1:25
#3 – with 2 press-outs at the 50 @1:20
#4 – FAST swim (no press-outs) @2:00
You can vary the number of press-outs and the interval to create many different interesting combinations of speed and reps. Make sure your swimmers’ shoulders are ready for the stress and don’t do too much too quickly.
The Swimming Wizard 