Shoulders · Bodyweight
Sitting Swimmer on a Chair
How to do the sitting swimmer on a chair, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Sit tall on a chair with feet flat and arms extended out in front. Sweep your arms back and around in a breaststroke motion, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then reach forward again and repeat in a steady swimming rhythm.
- 1Feel your shoulders and upper back work as your arms sweep back
- 2Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the back of each stroke
- 3Keep your chest tall and core braced throughout
Common mistakes
- Don't shrug your shoulders up toward your ears
- Don't slouch or round your upper back
- Don't rush the arms; move with control
Muscles worked
The sitting swimmer on a chair works the mid traps, front delts, side delts, rear delts, lats, upper traps, lower traps, upper abs, and external rotators.
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- LatsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- External RotatorsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper ChestMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the sitting swimmer on a chair for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.