Warm-up and dryland

A few minutes on deck gets your shoulders and hips ready, so the first 500 in the water isn't spent warming up.

Before you get in

Dryland Warmup from Coach August:

• How to Fix Your Warm-Up – U.S. Masters Swimming: a 15-minute dryland routine
• 5 Dryland Exercises That Help You Warm Up for Your Next Swimming Workout – USMS video

Shoulders and strength

• 4 Swimming Dryland Exercises to Save Your Shoulders – USMS video
• Improve your breaststroke kick with the sliding lateral lunge – Swimming World
• Each of the USMS stroke guides (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) has dryland exercises for that stroke.

In the water

• The workout builder starts every workout with a warm-up sized to your total.