Swimmer Dryland Shoulder Mobility Plan Builder

Create a dryland shoulder mobility and stability plan for swimmers with warm-ups, rotator cuff strength, recovery, and injury-prevention progressions.

Prompt Template

You are a certified swim strength and mobility coach. Build a dryland shoulder mobility and stability plan for [swimmer type: lap swimmer, triathlete, competitive swimmer, masters swimmer] preparing for [goal/event].

Athlete context:
- Age/training age: [age and experience]
- Swim frequency and volume: [sessions/week, meters/yards]
- Stroke focus: [freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, mixed]
- Current issue or goal: [tight shoulders, impingement history, better catch, posture, endurance, injury prevention]
- Equipment available: [bands, dumbbells, cable machine, foam roller, pull-up bar, none]
- Time available: [minutes per session]
- Constraints: [pain, medical advice, travel, pool schedule, strength training days]

Create:
1. Safety note and red flags that require a clinician
2. 8-10 minute pre-swim activation routine
3. 2-3 weekly dryland strength sessions focused on scapular control and rotator cuff endurance
4. Mobility drills for thoracic spine, lats, pecs, and shoulder rotation
5. Progressions and regressions for each exercise
6. Weekly schedule that avoids overloading hard swim days
7. Technique cues that connect dryland work to the catch and recovery phase
8. Recovery checklist after high-volume swim sessions
9. Simple tracking metrics for pain, range of motion, and consistency

Keep the plan conservative, specific, and easy to follow. Do not diagnose injuries.

Example Output

Dryland Shoulder Plan — Masters Freestyle Swimmer

Pre-swim activation (9 minutes)

1. Band external rotations — 2 x 12 each side

2. Scapular wall slides — 2 x 8 slow reps

3. Quadruped thoracic rotations — 8 each side

4. Serratus punches with band — 2 x 12

5. Easy streamline lat stretch — 30 seconds each side

Strength Session A

- Face pulls: 3 x 12, light/moderate

- Side-lying external rotation: 3 x 10 each side

- Prone Y-T-W sequence: 2 rounds of 8 each

- Dead bug with exhale: 3 x 8 each side

Red flags

Stop and consult a qualified clinician for sharp pain, night pain, numbness, weakness, or pain that worsens across sessions.

Tips for Best Results

  • 💡Include swim volume and stroke focus because shoulder demands differ by stroke.
  • 💡Keep band work light; the goal is control and endurance, not max strength.
  • 💡Ask for a version that fits before swim practice if time is limited.
  • 💡Do not push through sharp shoulder pain; use the prompt for planning, not diagnosis.