Swimming Workout: Build Strength for Better Swimming with These Key Exercises

When most people think about a swimming workout, they picture lengths up and down the pool until they’re out of breath. And yes, time in the water matters. But if you want to genuinely improve your speed, technique, and endurance, you need more than just laps.

A structured swimming workout blends intelligent swim sessions with the right strength work on land. When you combine focused drills with a proper strength workout for swimmers, you develop better stroke efficiency, stronger kicks, and the ability to hold form under fatigue.

Over the years, working with competitive swimmers, triathletes, and recreational athletes, I’ve seen firsthand how the right mix of pool and gym work transforms performance.

In this guide, I’ll break down:

• The fundamentals of an effective swimming workout
• How to build a gym program for swimmers
• Key strength training exercises for swimmers
• Core, upper-body, and lower-body work that transfers directly to the water
• Endurance-focused swim drills
• A practical weekly structure you can follow

Let’s get into it.

Why a Structured Swimming Workout Matters

Swimming is a technical sport. You can be incredibly fit, but if your stroke breaks down, your speed drops and your energy disappears quickly.

A structured swimming exercise routine helps you:

• Build aerobic capacity
• Improve stroke mechanics
• Increase power per stroke
• Reduce injury risk
• Develop muscular endurance

When you combine swim training with Strength and conditioning for swimmers, something interesting happens: each stroke becomes more effective. You’re not just working harder you’re moving better.

I’ve coached swimmers who plateaued for years doing only pool sessions. Once we introduced structured weight lifting for swimmers and focused dryland training, their times began to drop within months.

Swimming Workout Basics (For All Levels)

Whether you’re a beginner or preparing for competition, every swimming workout should follow a simple structure:

1. Warm-Up (10–15 Minutes)

Purpose: Raise heart rate, mobilise joints, and prepare muscles.

Example:

• 200m easy swim (freestyle)
• 100m backstroke
• 4 x 50m drill work (catch-up, fingertip drag, sculling)

The aim isn’t speed. It’s rhythm and control.

2. Technique-Focused Drill Set

This is where you improve efficiency.

Examples of best swimming exercises for technique:

• Catch-up drill (improves timing)
• Single-arm freestyle (isolates pull mechanics)
• 6-kick switch (improves body rotation)

Good technique reduces drag. Less drag = more speed for the same effort.

3. Main Set (Power or Endurance Focus)

This depends on your goal.

For endurance:

• 5 x 200m at moderate pace (30–45 seconds rest)

For speed:

• 10 x 50m fast (60–90 seconds rest)

This is the engine-building part of your swimming workout.

4. Cool Down

Easy 100–200m to bring heart rate down gradually.

Strength Training for Swimmers: Why Dryland Work Matters

Swimming is low-impact, but that doesn’t mean it’s low demand. Your shoulders, hips, and core are constantly working.

A well-designed strength training for swimmers programme improves:

• Pull strength
• Kick power
• Core control
• Shoulder stability
• Injury prevention

When swimmers neglect dryland training, overuse injuries often follow.

Designing a Gym Program for Swimmers

A good gym program for swimmers should focus on movement patterns that transfer into the water.

Here’s what that looks like:

Movement Pattern	Why It Matters for Swimming	Example Exercise
Pulling	Freestyle & butterfly pull	Pull-ups
Pushing	Shoulder balance	Push-ups
Hip extension	Starts & turns	Deadlifts
Rotation	Freestyle & backstroke	Cable rotations
Core stability	Stroke control	Planks

This approach ensures your swimming strength and conditioning actually improve performance rather than just building muscle.

Strength Training Exercises for Swimmers (Key Dryland Movements)

Here are some of the best exercises for swimmers that I regularly programme.

1. Pull-Ups

Transfer directly to freestyle and butterfly pulling strength.

• 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps
• Focus on control, not swinging

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

Balances shoulder strength and builds pushing control.

3. Romanian Deadlifts

Essential for powerful starts and turns.

4. Lat Pulldowns

Great alternative if pull-ups are too difficult.

5. Cable Rotations

Improves torso rotation for freestyle efficiency.

Core Workouts for Stability and Balance

Swimming is essentially controlled rotation. Without core control, your legs drop and drag increases.

Your swimming weight training workouts must include core work that builds stability, not just visible abs.

Effective Core Exercises:

• Front plank (30–60 seconds)
• Side plank
• Dead bugs
• Pallof press
• Hanging knee raises

I’ve worked with swimmers who improved their 400m times simply by improving trunk control. When their body position improved, they used less energy per stroke.

Upper Body Weight Lifting Workouts for Swimmers

Upper-body strength is often overemphasised, but it’s still vital.

A smart weight-lifting program for swimmers includes:

Pulling Strength

• Pull-ups
• Seated rows
• Single-arm dumbbell rows

Shoulder Stability

• Face pulls
• External rotations
• Y-T-W raises

These help reduce shoulder irritation, which is common among high-volume swimmers.

If you’re programming weight-lifting workouts for swimmers, aim for:

• 2 sessions per week
• Moderate loads
• Controlled tempo
• No training to failure

Swimming is already high volume — the gym should support it, not exhaust you.

Lower Body Weight Workouts for Swimmers

Leg drive is underrated.

Strong legs improve:

• Starts
• Turns
• Underwater dolphin kick
• Sprint speed

Key weight exercises for swimmers include:

• Squats
• Split squats
• Hip thrusts
• Box jumps (for power)

For those focusing on weight training for swimmers, keep lower body training balanced — strength plus explosive work.

Sample Weekly Plan: Swimming + Strength

Here’s a simple structure that combines a pool and a gym.

Day	Training Focus
Monday	Swimming workout (technique + endurance)
Tuesday	Strength workout for swimmers (upper body + core)
Wednesday	Swimming workout (speed intervals)
Friday	Weight lifting for swimmers (lower body + core)
Saturday	Long aerobic swim

This balance prevents burnout and allows recovery.

Endurance-Focused Swimming Exercise Routine

Endurance swimmers benefit from progressive overload in the water.

Example session:

• 400m warm-up
• 6 x 100m moderate pace
• 4 x 200m slightly faster
• 8 x 50m strong finish

Total: 2,400m

This type of exercise, a swim session, builds aerobic capacity while reinforcing pacing control.

Case Study: From Plateau to Progress

One athlete I worked with had been stuck at the same 100m freestyle time for two years. He swam five times a week but did no dryland work.

We introduced:

• 2 strength sessions weekly
• Focused swimming weight training workouts
• Core stability drills
• Reduced overall swim volume slightly

Within 12 weeks:

• His stroke rate improved
• Shoulder pain disappeared
• He dropped 2.3 seconds off his 100m

The difference wasn’t more swimming. It was smarter strength and conditioning for swimmers.

Best Swimming Exercises for Performance Gains

If I had to prioritise, these are the best swimming exercises to support performance:

In the pool:

• Pull buoy sets
• Paddles (used carefully)
• Sprint 25m repeats
• Underwater kick sets

In the gym:

• Pull-ups
• Deadlifts
• Planks
• Rotational cable work

Keep it simple. Master the basics.

Common Mistakes in Swimming Strength and Conditioning

1. Lifting too heavy
2. Ignoring mobility
3. Overtraining shoulders
4. Skipping core work
5. Not aligning gym work with swim goals

A proper weight-lifting program for swimmers supports the pool — it doesn’t compete with it.

Final Thoughts

A well-designed swimming workout goes beyond just laps. When you combine structured pool sessions with intelligent strength training exercises for swimmers, your body becomes more efficient, powerful, and resilient.

Swimming strength and conditioning isn’t about bulking up. It’s about moving better, holding technique under fatigue, and building a body that supports performance in the water.

If you want to improve your results, reduce injuries, and train with purpose, the right structure makes all the difference.

Ready to get fit? Explore our Personal Training and Online Live Coaching services to take your fitness journey to the next level!

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