[**You can pick up some cords here.**](https://www.finisswim.com/Dryland-Cords)

Swimmers often have questions when they consider adding dryland cords to their swim program, like: 
How old should I be?
Which exercises are best?
When should I do them (before or after practice)?
How many reps of each?
How long per session?
How many times per week?

The answers will be different for everyone, based on body maturity, goals, available time, and what their coach or program calls for or allows.

Dryland cord exercises should be used ONLY with swimmers who’ve developed the muscle control and coordination necessary to “work” the cords with slow, controlled movements.  Swimmers should also have an awareness of different muscles and muscle groups because they will need to isolate different muscles in order to use the cords effectively.

With dryland, the most important question is not how much or how often, but HOW.  How you perform each exercise – your FORM and technique – is far more important than how many reps you do.  Five reps, performed with control and focus, can benefit you just as much, if not more, than 50 reps done with improper form and without isolating the muscles you want to strengthen.

The rule of thumb is to do only as many reps as you can do while holding good form.  For a young swimmer, this might mean 5 or 10 reps of each exercise.  

For an older athlete, this might mean 10 to 20 reps of each exercise.  Or, a mature swimmer could think about doing two or three sets of an exercise – 30 seconds “on,” 15 seconds “off,” and 30 seconds “on” again.  These are just guidelines.

There’s no set order in which you need to do the exercises.  You can do all of them…or pick and choose.  You can go straight through…or mix them up.  You can do half of them one day…and the other half on another day.  You can do them before practice…or after…or both.  The details are up to you.

This course contains 16 easy-to-follow, swim-specific exercises for dryland cords.  We give you the essential visual images to show you the proper “form” for each exercise.  Pay attention to how Signe aligns her head, neck, and spine in each exercise.  Notice how she plants her feet and bends her knees.  Notice how she focuses her eyes.  Try to imitate Signe’s level of control and focus.  When she performs the moves slowly and with perfect form, Signe finds it easier to isolate and work the muscles she wants to strengthen.

This course gives you the basics.  Now it’s up to you to add focus…and dryland cords…to your training.

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Introduction