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Does dryland training make swimmers faster?

Added to pool training, it helped sprints most. Fast, specific work transfers best. · 3 min read · Updated October 2, 2026

In short: Pooled trials found that adding strength work to swim training improved 25–100 m sprint times more than swimming alone, though the authors of one analysis rated much of the evidence low quality; 200 m results were unclear. Jump-style power work has the most support for starts, but one 2025 meta-analysis found no significant difference in start time. In one small trial of boys, pool gains showed up a few weeks after land gains.

How we made this guide: we built it from the research below and checked every number against it: Wang et al., network meta-analysis of swim training (2025); Jin et al., resistance training and front crawl meta-analysis (2024); Crowley et al., resistance training for swimmers review (2017); Muniz-Pardos et al., dryland strength or power review (2022); Amaro et al., dryland training in age-group swimmers (2017); Hermosilla et al., dryland training and turns review (2021); Jin et al., plyometrics in adolescent swimmers meta-analysis (2026).

Most swim teams do some dryland: pull-ups, medicine balls, jumps, a few planks. Whether it makes swimmers faster is a fair question, and the answer depends on what you train and what race you swim.

Sprints: yes, on top of swimming

A 2025 network meta-analysis of 36 randomized trials with 844 competitive swimmers aged about 10–21 (Wang et al.) compared pool-only, dryland-only and combined training:

RaceWhat the trials found
25 mCombined pool + dryland about 0.9 s faster than control; dryland alone about 0.6 s faster; both estimates are uncertain, with intervals running from almost no difference to about 1–2 s
100 mCombined about 2.0 s faster than control
200 mNo clear difference between approaches

A separate 2024 meta-analysis of 13 studies (Jin et al.) found strength programs added to swim training improved front-crawl sprint times by roughly half a second at 50 m and a couple of seconds at 100 m, linked to a faster stroke rate rather than a longer stroke (very low quality evidence; the 2025 network meta-analysis found stroke length improved with combined training too). That analysis grouped in-water resistance (like paddles and parachutes) with dryland, and the authors rated much of the evidence low quality, so treat the exact numbers as a guide.

What kind of strength work transfers

A review of competitive swimmers (average age 16 or older) (Crowley et al., 2017) found the best transfer came from specific, low-volume, high-velocity or high-force programs, not slow, high-volume gym work. Another review (Muniz-Pardos et al., 2022) adds a caution: stronger swimmers do tend to be faster, but whether general strength training itself makes you faster is less certain than that link suggests.

Starts and turns

It takes a few weeks to show up

In a trial of 21 boys around 13 years old (Amaro et al., 2017), six weeks of dryland training improved jumps in both programs (and throws in the explosive-power group), but a faster 50 m appeared only in the explosive-power group (7 boys), after four more weeks of swimming. For teenage swimmers more broadly, a 2026 meta-analysis of plyometric training (Jin et al.) found promising trends that didn’t reach statistical significance, so it’s promising, not proven.

What this means for your program

Our reading:

Track the block

A dryland block only tells you something if you can compare your times before and after. We built My Track Record so a swim or a gym session is one spoken sentence, so your swims and gym sessions are on record to compare.

General information for healthy swimmers, not medical advice. Younger swimmers should do strength work under a qualified coach; if you have an injury or a medical condition, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first.

Log swims and dryland sessions by voice.
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Andrew, founder of My Track RecordBy Andrew, founder of My Track Record. Andrew has been active all of his life across a variety of sports and continues to stay active through climbing, swimming, weight training, golfing, snowboarding, and more. He built My Track Record so logging food and training takes one spoken sentence and can support any activity. He puts these guides together from published sports science research cited on each page. About Andrew

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