DRYSIDE TRAINING GOLD MEDAL WORKOUT

BY J.R. ROSANIA • DEMONSTRATED BY NORIKO INADA • PHOTOS BY EMMI BRYTOWSKI

If you’re like me, you watched as much Olympic swimming as possible last month. What incredible athletes these world-class swimmers have become! A large part of their conditioning involves dryland training— exercises done out of the pool with various kinds of equipment.

One of the new ways of thinking in exercise science is: the better conditioned and athletic ability, the better the athlete. In this case, sometimes strengthening and conditioning the swimmer in the gym can carry over into a better swim performance.

For the next two months, I will provide several exercises that will help improve a swimmer’s strength, power and quickness. Movements can be both swim-specific and just general strength or explosive movements.

Perform this routine two or three times a week. Complete each exercise with eight to 12 repetitions and two to three sets per exercise. Resistance should be tolerated effort, and be sure to complete all the repetitions. Remember to discontinue the dryland program seven to 10 days away from your primary competition.

Be sure to check out next month’s Gold Medal Workout (Part 2).

Meanwhile, have fun...and train like an Olympian!

1) PUSH-UPS WITH FEET ON STABILITY BALL Lie face down on a stability ball and walk your body forward so the ball is at your ankles. Perform push-ups. The farther out you go toward your ankles, the more difficult.

2) DUMBBELL ALTERNATING BENT-OVER ROW While standing and holding a dumbbell in each hand, bend forward until your chest is parallel with the floor, and extend your arms downward. Raise one arm at a time to just above your hip. Alternate arms. 3) PLANK WITH AN ALTERNATING ARM EXTENSION Establish a plank position with both forearms on the floor. Slowly raise one arm off the floor and extend it forward (similar to the catch phase in freestyle). Hold it for one second and return to your starting position. Alternate arms.

4) VERTICAL STRAIGHT-LEG MEDICINE BALL CRUNCH Lying on your back with your legs vertically straight and holding a medicine ball, keep your arms straight and crunch the ball toward your toes. 5) DUMBBELL SQUAT WITH OVERHEAD PRESS While standing and holding a dumbbell in each hand by your shoulders, drop into a deep squat, then press the dumbbells overhead as you stand up straight. v

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MEET THE TRAINER J.R. Rosania, B.S., exercise science, is one of the nation’s top performance enhancement coaches. He is the owner and CEO of Healthplex, LLC, in Phoenix. Check out Rosania’s website at www.jrhealthplex.net. MEET THE ATHLETE Noriko Inada, 43, swam for Japan at the 1992, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. She now swims Masters for Phoenix Swim Club, and owns Masters world records in the women’s 25-29, 30-34, 3539 and 40-44 age groups.

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NOTICE All swimming and dryland training and instruction should be performed under the supervision of a qualified coach or instructor, and in circumstances that ensure the safety of participants.