Building Resilience in the Pool: A Year of Shoulder Health with City of Glasgow Swim Team

It’s been nearly a year since I transitioned into the aquatics world, working with the City of Glasgow Swim Team’s High Performance and National Performance Squads. Coming from a background in field sports, I’ll admit I was initially apprehensive about this new venture. But I was quickly met with a warm welcome from the coaching staff and a group of athletes fully committed to excellence.  

After initial conversations with Head Coach Andrew Addison, we outlined key performance indicators to guide the design and delivery of the dryland strength and conditioning (S&C) programme. Our primary goal? Keep athletes healthy and injury-free throughout the season. 

Understanding the Shoulder: Swimming’s Most Common Injury Site 

Further discussions with the coaching staff highlighted shoulder injuries as an area of concern. Research confirmed that shoulder injuries are the most prevalent among swimmers, with studies reporting incidence rates ranging from 40% to 91% [1]. These injuries are typically attributed to a mix of stroke biomechanics, muscular overuse and fatigue, and joint instability due to glenohumeral laxity [2]. 

Armed with this data, I focused on three key questions to guide the programme: 

- What do I measure, and how? 

- What areas can S&C impact? 

- What are the non-negotiables in the S&C plan? 

Implementing Objective Monitoring: The ASH Test 

To build a comprehensive shoulder health profile, I incorporated the Athletic Shoulder (ASH) Test using prone I, Y, and T positions, assessed with the VALD Dynamo. This allowed for measurement of peak force (N), time to peak force (s), and asymmetry between limbs—all with minimal setup and instant feedback via the app. 

Initial test results, alongside self-reported injury and pain histories, laid the groundwork for a growing normative database. Periodic re-testing throughout the season has proven valuable in identifying higher-risk periods (e.g. during intense training blocks or pre-competition) and shaping S&C strategies accordingly. 

S&C for Shoulder Health: Targeted, Practical, Individualised 

My next step was to identify how the S&C programme could meaningfully influence shoulder health. Three core areas emerged: 

1. Improve thoracic extension and rotation 

2. Strengthen the rotator cuff, strengthen & lengthen the latissimus dorsi 

3. Improve shoulder stability and shoulder mobility (especially external rotation) 

To address these, I implemented a matrix of exercises with progressions and regressions, ensuring flexibility for individual needs within group sessions. With two 60-minute sessions per week, shoulder health had to be integrated seamlessly into a broader performance programme. 

Key Elements of the Intervention 

- Mobility and Stability-Focused Warm-Ups 

Emphasis on thoracic rotation and extension using bodyweight drills, resistance bands, and light loads. 

- Stability Through Movement  

Bodyweight exercises like bear crawls, inchworms, and handstands, along with static holds such as planks and crab positions, formed the foundation of shoulder stability training. 

- "Fillers" for Individualisation 

Time between main lifts was used efficiently with tailored exercises—selected based on stroke type and athlete-specific needs. 

- Unilateral Lat Work   

  Including pullovers, pulldowns, and rows to both lengthen and strengthen. 

- External Rotation & Deep Range Strength  

Cuban presses, face pulls, and isometric holds (e.g., deadhangs, deep press-up holds, pullover holds) to develop strength and control through extended ranges of motion. 

Example of upper body exercise selection during general preparation phase. Note that the exercises in the table are split across the two land S&C sessions within the training week as part of a full body strength and power programme. Other areas of focus include thoracic extension, shoulder stability and lat flexibility, which are targeted during the activation and further programmed as needed by individual athletes.

Mid-Season Progress: Measurable Gains and Injury-Free Training 

Re-testing mid-season revealed encouraging trends: increased posterior shoulder strength across the board, reduced asymmetries, and most significantly—no time-loss shoulder injuries. 

Despite a demanding training period leading into major competitions like the Scottish National Age Group Championships and Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, the squads have remained resilient and injury-free. 

Looking Ahead: Continued Growth and Precision 

As we move into the second half of the season, the focus remains on monitoring, refining, and enhancing the shoulder health strategy. I plan to build on our data collection with mobility assessments and further individualise programming based on athlete profiles. Future data collection can help to determine whether relationships exist between training load/volume, shoulder strength and injury, providing powerful insight that can inform both pool and dryland training programmes. 

The aim is simple: keep athletes in the water, performing at their best. 

References: 

1. Wanivenhaus, F., Fox, A. J., Chaudhury, S., & Rodeo, S. A. (2012). Epidemiology of injuries and prevention strategies in competitive swimmers. Sports Health, 4(3), 246–251. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738112442132   

2. Rupp, S., Berninger, K., & Hopf, T. (1995). Shoulder problems in high level swimmers: impingement, anterior instability, muscular imbalance? International Journal of Sports Medicine, 16(8), 557–562.