The Effects of Swim-Specific Dry-Land Training on 50-m Freestyle Performance in 12 13 Year Old Swimmers

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effects of swim-specific dry-land training on 50-m freestyle performance in
12 13 year old swimmers. This research employed a quantitative approach using a one-group pretest
posttest experimental design. The participants consisted of 15 male swimmers aged 12 13 years from FITT
Swimming Club Padang, selected through purposive sampling. The intervention consisted of 16 sessions of
swim-specific dry-land training, including plank, close-grip push-up, V-up, chin-up, flutter kicks, physioball
upper-trunk rotation, and physioball bridge. Swimming performance was measured using a 50-m freestyle
performance before and after the intervention, with time recorded in seconds using digital stopwatches
operated by three independent timekeepers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov
Smirnov normality test, and paired-samples t-test through IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. The results showed
that the mean pre-test time was 45.239 seconds, while the mean post-test time decreased to 44.495
seconds, indicating an improvement of 0.744 seconds. Normality testing confirmed that the data were
normally distributed (p > 0.05). The paired-samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference
between pre-test and post-test results (t = 9.117; p = 0.001 < 0.05). It can be concluded that swim-specific
dry-land training had a significant positive effect on improving 50-m freestyle performance in 12 13-yearold
swimmers. These findings suggest that this training method can be effectively integrated into swimming
conditioning programs to enhance sprint performance.