The year-round swimming preparation includes specific phases with the goal of swimmers maximizing their performance in major meets. The base training consists of the following phases, focusing on having a strong base in all four strokes and all distances: in-season maintenance, building intensity and specificity, and dryland training. The following phases go hand in hand, such as taper, which is a rest period after months of heavy training to reduce volume and intensity, and competition season, which happens directly after taper, which is the time to showcase the hard work so far in the season. The final phases are nutrition and recovery, which are essential to preparing the body to perform well.

How our swim team achieves excellence with year-round training and conditioning to improve speed and endurance

Base training for year-round swimming focuses on having a strong base in all four strokes and the ability to swim in all fourteen individual events. With a base like this, the next training phases get more specific to each swimmer in which distances and strokes they are best at. The hardest phase of swimming training is building intensity and specificity. In this phase, swimmers are doing the most yardage at the fastest intervals. This season of training is supposed to be extremely taxing on a swimmer’s body. These sets are specifically designed to cater to each swimmer’s best races with a focus on swimming as fast as possible multiple times with the least amount of rest possible to mimic the pain during competition. 

The next crucial phase in year-round training is dryland. This is accomplished in the gym where swimmers utilize weights and certain exercises to build strength and speed. Doing dryland training can also help build a swimmer’s power and endurance while maximizing range of motion and injury prevention. The last phase of base training is in-season maintenance. This phase resembles competition as swimmers focus on hitting their race pace or slightly faster. This phase is less taxing than building intensity and specificity as there is sufficient rest between sets. This allows swimmers more time to recover, simulating the amount of time between races in competition.

Year-round swimming training plan for peak performance and excellence in competition

Competition season is the most important season where a swimmer’s hard work pays off. After all the taxing training for months, they finally get to rest. At least a week or two before a big competition, swimmers will start their taper. Taper is a phase where swimmers decrease their training volume while increasing their rest to prepare their bodies to go best times. As for the dryland aspect of taper, the weights and intensity are significantly reduced. After about 2 weeks of taper, swimmers’ bodies should feel well-rested and ready to race. As competition finally rolls around, swimmers are extremely focused on their races and achieving the best times. Competitions that swimmers taper for are usually meets where there is a preliminary and finals session. Prelims are swam in the morning and swimmers have to qualify in the top 8, 16, or 24 in that event to qualify for finals. The amount of finals spots usually vary by the harder the meet is. The finals session is on the same day but this time in the afternoon and there are a few hours in between sessions to eat and rest. The finals session is another chance to improve a swimmer’s best time and place higher. 

Recovery techniques for swimmers to achieve year-round excellence and results 

After the season ends, it officially becomes the off-season. Swimmers get about three weeks off during August before they come back for the next season. This is an essential time for swimmers to clear their heads from swimming and have a long rest period. This phase is very refreshing for swimmers to finally have some free time from their busy swim training schedule. During this time, it is also important to keep up good nutrition and healthy recovery habits. Good nutrition is vital in preparing a swimmer’s body for practice and competition. But it is even more important to keep this up even during the off-season. Creating good nutrition habits year-round can lead to the best results in-season. Recovery can come in many different forms. A great way to recover is to roll out on a foam roller, do compression therapy, red light therapy, some light gym sessions, and even a few light swims. The best swimmers do take their time off but also know how to recover correctly.

Start training for excellence in competitive swimming

Reaching peak performance in competitive swimming requires consistency, discipline, and a structured approach. The above plan combines a blend of endurance, speed, strength, and technique development tailored to your swimming discipline. However, it’s also important to remain flexible, as individual needs and recovery time can vary. With dedication to training and a commitment to ongoing improvement, swimmers can push themselves toward their full potential in the water.

Alexis DeAngelis

My name is Lexie DeAngelis and I am a senior at St. Francis Catholic High School. This is my third year as the SAAC representative for swimming and I have been apart of the swim team at St. Francis all four years. My love for this sport has continued outside of school as I have been a club swimmer for 13 years. I have been an athlete representative for my club swim team, Lifetime Northern California, for the Sierra Nevada Swimming LSC for the last four years. I have won the St. Francis swimming coaches award twice and have contributed to our numerous Delta League and Section titles.