Liftworthy
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Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
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Explore/Swimming

Gym exercises for

Swimming

Dryland work for a stronger pull, a faster start and durable shoulders.

  • Pulling strength
  • Start and turn power
  • Shoulder durability

Live ranking · updated by evidence & ratings

Swimming workout My tier list
S
Pull-Up
Straight-Arm Pulldown
A
Cable External Rotation
Lat Pulldown
Incline Y-Raise
B
Broad Jump
Face Pull
Dead Bug
Seated Cable Row
Box Jump
Band Pull-Apart
Hanging Leg Raise
C
Push-Up
Barbell Back Squat
Dip
D
—
F
—

Full ranking

  1. 1S
    Pull-Up
    Strength · Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    85
    Research
    Lifters
  2. 2S
    Straight-Arm Pulldown
    Accessory · Cable
    No ratings yet
    85
    Research
    Lifters
  3. 3A
    Cable External Rotation
    Protection · Cable
    No ratings yet
    77
    Research
    Lifters
  4. 4A
    Lat Pulldown
    Strength · Cable
    No ratings yet
    74
    Research
    Lifters
  5. 5A
    Incline Y-Raise
    Protection · Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    70
    Research
    Lifters
  6. 6B
    Broad Jump
    Power · Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    66
    Research
    Lifters
  7. 7B
    Face Pull
    Protection · Cable
    No ratings yet
    64
    Research
    Lifters
  8. 8B
    Dead Bug
    Core · Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    63
    Research
    Lifters
  9. 9B
    Seated Cable Row
    Strength · Cable
    No ratings yet
    63
    Research
    Lifters
  10. 10B
    Box Jump
    Power · Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    60
    Research
    Lifters
  11. 11B
    Band Pull-Apart
    Protection · Band
    No ratings yet
    59
    Research
    Lifters
  12. 12B
    Hanging Leg Raise
    Core · Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    55
    Research
    Lifters
  13. 13C
    Push-Up
    Strength · Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    51
    Research
    Lifters
  14. 14C
    Barbell Back Squat
    Strength · Barbell
    No ratings yet
    50
    Research
    Lifters
  15. 15C
    Dip
    Strength · Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    49
    Research
    Lifters

From the research

−28%shoulder problems in elite handball players who added a shoulder programme to their warm-up.Andersson et al., 2017 · Elite handball players in Norway; throwing, not racket sports.

What are the best gym exercises for swimming?

Right now Pull-Up ranks first, with an overall score of 85 from the research rubric. It’s followed by Straight-Arm Pulldown and Cable External Rotation. For the core of a programme, the top strength lift is Pull-Up and the top power exercise is Broad Jump. The best choice for you depends on your equipment and how it feels on your joints, which is why every exercise links to alternatives.

Why it ranks: Pulling strength through the same overhead range as the stroke.

How these scores are calculated →