Open Practice with Todd DeSorbo: Dynamic Dryland Training

with Todd DeSorbo,
University of Virginia Head Coach;
2024 US Olympic Swim Team Women'ss Head Coach (Paris);
2x USA Swimming Foundation's Golden Goggle Coach of the Year (2024, 2025);
2025 ASCA George Haines Coach of the Year;
2x Swammy National Coach of the Year (2021, 2024);
Six Straight NCAA Women's National Championships (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026);
Five Straight CSCAA Women's Coach of the Year Awards (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025);
8x Women's ACC Championships (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026);
5x ACC Women's Swim Coach of the Year (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024);
2021 US Olympic Swim Team Assistant Coach (Tokyo);
North Carolina State Associate Head Coach from 2011 to 2017
Helped the Wolfpack men capture three consecutive ACC titles and the women win the 2017 ACC title;
University of North Carolina Wilmington Assistant Coach from 2007 to 2011
Cape Fear Aquatic Club (NC) Coach from 2005 to 2007
College swimmer for Kentucky and University of North Carolina Wilmington

Since he took the helm in 2017, Coach Desorbo’s University of Virginia swim program has consistently been among the most successful swimming programs in the country. Led by the 2024 US Olympic Head Coach Todd DeSorbo, the Lady Cavaliers have won 6 consecutive NCAA titles since 2021. In this ‘Open Practice’ video, you will get an exclusive, behind the scenes look at the dynamic dryland program that is the foundation for some of the best swimming performances ever!

Coach DeSorbo leads the athletes through a dynamic dryland program that mixes jump rope, body weight exercises and med ball exercises. The beginning of the program starts with a 15-minute warm up circuit of jump rope, body weight leg exercises and high plank work.

In the second part of the program, DeSorbo leads the athletes through a series of jumps followed by back rolls. This portion of the program develops strength, athleticism and helps the athletes increase their speed and explosiveness; this is important because it develops the necessary leg strength for elite starts and turns. The back rolling work focuses on having tight, fast turns.

Up next, the dryland program focuses on core strength. This phase uses a mix of advanced plank exercises, core-based exercises, individual med ball core exercises as well as partner med ball exercises. Developing a strong core is essential to elite swimming performances.

Lastly, Coach DeSorbo’s dryland program focuses on being a better athlete. DeSorbo leads the athletes through a series of exercises that includes jump roping, body balancing, core work and explosive med ball exercises and concludes the session with 10 minutes of stretching

Your dryland program needs to be the cornerstone of your program. With a glimpse into a live practice session featuring one of the top coaches in the world, you get a sense of the focus, attention to detail and commitment required to take your athletes to the next level!

48 minutes. 2025.