Relay Start Dryland Exercises

These dryland exercises will help you strengthen your legs and core so you can have a more powerful relay transition. They range from basic to more advanced so you can progress along the exercises as you get more comfortable.

Plank With Alternating Leg Lifts

In a relay start, your legs are going to be moving independently prior to your start. Having control over your torso is key, especially while your legs are moving, and planks with alternating leg lifts help that.

To do this dryland exercise, start in a low plank position. While minimizing movement with your torso, slowly lift one leg off the ground with control. Lower your leg and then lift your opposite leg off the ground.

Dumbbell Front Raise

A key component of a great relay start is the ability to swing your arms forward with a lot of speed. Dumbbell front raise helps develop strength in your shoulders to assist with that movement.

To do this dryland exercise, stand with your feet hip-width apart and dumbbells in your hands. With arms straight, raise the dumbbells to shoulder or eye level, whichever is more comfortable for you. Lower under control. Minimize movement of your body through the exercise. You can do one arm at a time if that’s more comfortable for you.

Alternating Superman

Strength and control of the muscles on the back of your torso are key for all athletic movements. Because your arms and legs will be moving through space at high speeds during relay starts, you need to ensure that you can control your body position through the movement.

To do alternating Superman, start by lying on the ground with your legs straight and arms straight above your head. Lift one arm and the opposite leg off the ground. Hold briefly, then return to the ground and lift with your other arm and leg.

Reverse Hyper

Strong hip muscles are key for all jumping activities. Reverse hyper targets your gluteal muscles and hamstrings to provide the strength you need to launch from the block.

To do this dryland exercise, lie flat on an elevated surface with your hips slightly off the end of the surface and your legs hanging straight down. From this position, lift both legs under control until they’re parallel with the floor. Pause briefly and then lower under control.

Sit-up With Reach Into Streamlined Position

Strong abdominals are required to manage your position as you travel through the air and into the water. Relay starts also demand that you’re able to quickly assume a streamlined position while your arms are already moving through space. Sit-up with reach into streamlined position works on both at the same time.

To do this dryland exercise, do a sit-up and, as you raise yourself, reach vertically and assume a streamlined position. Aim to achieve as tall a position as possible reaching as high as possible with your arms.

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Forward Lunge

The relay start differs from the other starts in that you’ll have to step forward and adjust your weight prior to jumping off the block. The forward lunge is a great way to get used to stepping forward and controlling your body.

To do this dryland exercise, start with your feet together, about hip-width apart. Take a moderate step forward, and upon landing, lower yourself under control. Then press through the ground and return to the starting position with both feet together. Step forward with the same leg for all repetitions. Take a break, and then repeat this process, stepping forward with your other leg. Experiment with different step lengths because they provide a slightly different challenge.

Push-ups

The advantage of the relay start is that you can use your arms to generate momentum. You must be able to aggressively swing your arms to do so. This can be difficult to do without some level of upper-body strength, which the push-up can develop.

To do a push-up, start in a high plank position. Slowly lower yourself under control until you reach the floor. Press back up to the starting position. The advantage of a push-up is that it also requires you to stabilize your torso as you’re moving up and down.

Overhead-Underhand Medicine-Ball Throw

The relay start involves a powerful jump that requires coordination of your arms and legs. By moving explosively with them together, overhead-underhand medicine-ball throw helps develop that skill.

To do this dryland exercise, take a slightly wider than shoulder-width stance while holding a medicine ball with straight arms in front of your body. From that position, bend forward and squat down while maintaining a tall posture, so that the ball is in between your legs. Explode up and throw the ball as high as you can.

Forward Lunge to Jump

A great relay start requires you to step forward with speed and then powerfully jump. To help you develop the strength and skill to do so, do the forward lunge to jump.

To do this dryland exercise, start with your feet hip-width apart. Take a moderate step forward into a forward lunge. When your foot touches the ground, quickly jump straight up as high as you can. Land on both feet. Step forward with the same leg for all repetitions. Then take a break and repeat this exercise stepping forward with your other leg.

Forward-Underhand Medicine-Ball Throw

Forward-underhand medicine-ball throw develops coordinated power with your arms and legs.

To do this dryland exercise, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart while holding a medicine ball with straight arms in front of your body. From that position, bend forward at the hips while maintaining a tall posture, so that the ball is between and behind your legs. Explode up and throw the ball as far forward as you can.