Water Polo Workouts and Exercises

Try these at home workouts from Men’s Senior National Team Athletic Trainer, Chris Bates. All of these workouts have been provided by USA Water Polo and are similar to workouts used by the Men’s Senior National Team.

They require almost no equipment, making them great to try at home or on the pool deck. These exercises can be mixed around to create your own personal routine. Remember to consult your doctor before starting new workouts and stop immediately if you feel light-headed, dizzy, or experience chest pain.

Water Polo Workout #1

#	Exercise	Reps
1	Scissor Jumps	10 (5 each leg)
2	Glute Bridges	24 (12 each leg)
3	Push-Up Shoulder Taps	10
4	Leg Lifts	24
5	Dead Bugs	20
6	Supermans	10

What do these workouts cover?

• Scissor Jumps: Primarily work on lower body strength and explosive power, engaging muscles like quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
• Glute Bridges: Focus on strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles.
• Push-Up Shoulder Taps: Engage the chest, shoulders, and core muscles for stability and strength.
• Leg Lifts: Target the abdominal muscles, particularly the lower abdominals, as well as the hip flexors.
• Dead Bugs: Work on core stability and coordination, engaging the abdominals, obliques, and lower back muscles.
• Supermans: Strengthen the lower back, glutes, and posterior chain muscles, helping improve posture and spinal stability.

Water Polo Workout #2

#	Exercise	Reps
1	Broad to Vert Jumps	5
2	1-Leg RDLS	16 (8 each leg)
3	Lateral Lunges	20 (10 each leg)
4	W’s (floor)	1 (hold for 20 seconds)
5	Reverse Snow Angel	10
6	V-Ups	10
7	Windshield Wipers	12 (6 each side)

What do these workouts focus on?

• Broad to Vert Jumps: These focus on explosive power and lower body strength, engaging muscles like the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. They also improve agility and coordination.
• 1-Leg RDLS (Romanian Deadlifts): Primarily target the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles while also engaging the stabilizing muscles of the core. They help improve balance, flexibility, and strength.
• Lateral Lunges: They enhance hip mobility and overall lower body strength.
• W’s (floor): This exercise primarily targets the muscles of the upper back.
• Reverse Snow Angel: Focus on strengthening the muscles of the upper back, strengthening the muscles responsible for shoulder blade retraction.
• V-Ups: Concentrate on the abdominal muscles, as well as the hip flexors.
• Windshield Wipers: Work on core stability and oblique strength.

Water Polo Workout #3

Try doing 3 – 5 rounds of this circuit for a harder workout!

#	Exercise	Reps
1	Split Squat	30 (15 each leg)
2	Copenhagen Plank	1 (hold for 20 seconds)
3	Overhead Squat	15 -30
4	Deficit Push-Up	20
5	Downward Dog + Toe Taps	20 (10 each side)
6	Quadruped Crawls	5 Yards
7	Supermans	1 (hold for 20 seconds)

What do these workouts target?

• Split Squat: This exercise primarily targets the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
• Copenhagen Plank: Focuses on strengthening the core muscles, particularly the obliques.
• Overhead Squat: An excellent exercise for overall strength, mobility, and stability.
• Deficit Push-Up: Targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, while also engaging the core muscles for stability. The elevated position increases the range of motion, making it a more challenging push-up variation.
• Downward Dog + Toe Taps: Works on shoulder stability, core strength, and hamstring flexibility. The downward dog position engages the shoulders and upper back, while the toe taps target the core and hip flexors.
• Quadruped Crawls: Focuses on core stability, shoulder strength, and coordination.
• Supermans: Holding the Superman position helps improve spinal stability and strengthens the back muscles.