As we close out another decade there have been lots of pieces looking back at what’s changed over the last 10-years. And since RITTER Sports Performance was started by helping swimmers and coaches have more success in their dryland and strength training, we thought it was fitting to look back on this specific topic.
1) Are Swimmers Really Athletes?
For the longest time, swimmers were always thought of as “non-athletes.” It was assumed if you swam it was because you weren’t athletic or didn’t have the hand-eye coordination needed for most team sports.
Early in this past decade that sentiment really seemed to shift. The fastest swimmers behind the blocks started to look more and more athletic. This was due to coaches actually incorporating some level of true “athletic development” programming in addition to the training in the water.
Some coaches were well ahead of this curve but in the past 10 years it really now is very rare for a team to not have an emphasis on dryland. Or at the very least the coaches know that’s a weakness they need to address soon to help unlock their swimmers’ potential.
2) No Super Suits, No Problem
When the “super suits” first hit the seen in the late 2000s it obliterated the records books. But then after a few years they were banned but the records still remained. So how did swimmers go about breaking these insanely fast times? They created naturally what the suits gave artificially.
One of the biggest reasons that the “super suits” helped so much was the extra stability it provided through a swimmer’s core. It not only allowed swimmers to be narrower in that particular body section but it added a stronger foundation for the muscles to support the limbs.
The smart coaches saw this connection immediately and once the suits were banned put a heavy emphasis into core work to make up what would be lost without the aid of the suits. But working a swimmer’s “core” isn’t just about thousands of sit-ups or leg lifts.
In order to fully develop a swimmer’s core and get what the suits provide there needs to be a mix of anti-rotation exercises along with flexing movements. For a swimmer to fully access their power in the water they need to be able to connect what their hand is doing to what their foot is doing. Those roads go through the core and if that base of strength is insufficient the pulling or kicking will always be producing less than its true potential.
3) More Than Just Bands and Balls
If you saw swimmers doing dryland prior to this past decade chances were it was either some type of medicine ball or band exercises. While these in and of themselves aren’t “bad” there’s just much more to the big picture of athletic development than these two pieces of equipment.
With a new emphasis from many coaches on dryland and actual strength training, it’s now very common for teams to train out of a gym or even outfit their own facility to accommodate the needs of their swimmers.
A quality dryland program can’t just be push-ups, some medicine ball work and a few shoulder exercises with bands. There needs to be programming of the five major categories: push, pull, hinge, squat and core or bracing.
4) Not Just for Sprinters
Katie Ledecky is the most dominant distance swimmer of her generation and maybe ever. And guess what? She has a big emphasis on dryland and strength training. It’s not just about yardage, even for distance swimmers nowadays. It used to be that just the sprinters “needed” to do dryland and the distance swimmers just needed more laps.
But with the overall shift in thinking to developing athletes first and then specifically train the swimmer to their event, this has proved the need for all classifications of swimmers to have a quality dryland and strength training program on an ongoing basis.
5) Dryland Specialist Coaches
Prior to founding RITTER Sports Performance, Chris Ritter was busy not only guiding professional swimmers in the weight room but also creating a team wide dryland curriculum for one of the largest and most successful swim teams in the country. He was one of the few swim coaches that also had the specialized knowledge of how to effectively program dryland training for a swimmer’s total athletic development.
Thankfully in the past decade this has become much more common – that teams have coaches on staff that either specialize strictly in dryland training, or that swim coaches get additional education so that they can competently create the dryland and strength training programs.
6) Online Training
Another trend Chris Ritter was ahead on, besides being a dryland specialist, that was also a swim coach, was providing strength training through online platforms.
RITTER Sports Performance has been doing this for over a decade so it’s safe to say we’ve figured out what works and what doesn’t. Because at the end of the day results matter along with the overall experience.
RITTER still proudly trains many clients that have been with them for the last decade, plus years prior to that. Through app-based programming, along with video calls to check in on progress, RITTER has a system to ensure continual improvement for you or your team’s dryland.
No matter if you’re a coach or a swimmer, there’s no hiding behind a less than quality dryland program any more.
The times swimmers are going now are too fast. To stay competitive and get the next set of cuts a dryland and strength training program that makes sense needs to be a priority.
Are you a SWIM COACH?
RITTER helps coaches by creating dryland and strength training programs that follow their specific season plan, equipment and practice schedule. We work collaboratively with coaches and their teams all over the world. Many times, when a coach gets dryland help from us it unlocks amazing potential in their swimmers and the results continue to prove that out.
Learn more – Dryland for Your Team
Are you a SWIMMER?
RITTER has helped swimmers from 12 to 70+ years old. From swimmers breaking World Records, winning Gold Medals or just beating your personal best. Get a plan in place for the coming year for your dryland and strength training, one that’s completely customized to you.
Learn more – Dryland for Yourself
Are you interested in joining RITTER?
We are always looking for great Performance Coaches to join our team. As we continue to grow and serve more swimmers, teams and coaches we are in need of performance experts that are versed in both strength and conditioning as well as swimming. Think you’re the right fit?
Learn more – Apply to join RITTER
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About RITTER Sports Performance
RITTER Sports Performance helps swimmers go faster and coaches get better, worldwide. Through our online resources on strength training, stroke technique, swim-training, race analysis or nutritional coaching–RITTER is ready to help you take your swimming to the next level. Are you?
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