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When it comes to swimming, most people assume that improving their speed means perfecting their stroke.
While refining technique is vital, there are actually ways to swim faster without touching your stroke at all!
These seven hacks will help you boost your swim performance instantly, so you can swim faster, without investing hours in technique drills.
1. Ditch the Distance
One of the biggest misconceptions in swimming is that to get faster, you need to swim more distance. Instead of grinding out long, continuous swims, focus on breaking up your sessions into shorter, more manageable segments.
For example, rather than swimming 800 meters straight, try 16x50s at a faster pace. You’ll improve speed and maintain better form because shorter distances allow you to push harder and hold a higher body position, giving you more efficiency in the water.
2. Train With Resistance
Incorporating resistance tools like parachutes, drag socks, or power towers into your swim training can significantly boost your speed. These tools help activate your muscles, increase power, and strengthen your body without the need for long swim sessions. By adding resistance, you train your muscles to work harder, making you faster when you remove the resistance. The best part? You don’t need to improve your technique to see these benefits.
3. Swim More Frequently, Not Longer
Instead of packing all your yardage into two massive sessions per week, spread it out into shorter, more frequent swims. For example, swim 2,000 meters five times a week rather than 5,000 meters twice a week. By doing this, you’re training your body to swim faster over shorter periods, allowing you to maintain better form and speed.
Plus, frequent swimming improves muscle memory and overall endurance without the fatigue of marathon workouts.
4. Strengthen Out of the Water
Building strength outside of the pool will directly translate into faster swimming. Focus on exercises that target core stability, overall strength, and power.
When your body is stronger and more stable, you’ll swim with more force and better balance, giving you an edge in the water without changing your stroke. Overloading your muscles on land means you’ll be more powerful when you hit the pool.
5. Improve Your Recovery
Swimming faster isn’t just about what happens in the water; it’s also about what happens during recovery. Prioritize sleep, nutrition, and active recovery like stretching or foam rolling.
Better recovery means your body will be ready to perform at its peak every time you swim, allowing you to push harder without increasing fatigue. Proper recovery practices can make you faster without having to overhaul your swim mechanics.
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6. Use Powerful Push-offs
Every time you push off the wall, you gain momentum. A stronger, more powerful push-off means you’ll travel further and faster before you even take a stroke. Over time, these powerful push-offs will shave seconds off your overall time.
Think of each push-off as an opportunity to maximize speed and energy conservation, helping you swim faster without needing to touch your stroke technique.
7. Swim With Faster Swimmers
One of the best ways to swim faster is to surround yourself with swimmers who are already faster than you. Training alongside faster athletes will push you to perform at a higher level and encourage you to swim outside your comfort zone. Being in an environment that challenges you will make you faster simply by increasing the intensity of your workouts.
By incorporating these hacks into your training routine, you’ll see faster swim times without spending hours fine-tuning your stroke. Swim smart, train hard, and enjoy those speed boosts!
Need Swim Workout Ideas?
Download the MySwimPro app! Get the app on your phone or smartwatch, and get your personalized swim training plan. Every workout is adapted to your speed and skill level, and adjusts as you progress.
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