Having coached swimming over many years, I know that the sport requires both cardiovascular fitness and refined technique. Swimmers at the highest levels of competition demonstrate incredible technique alongside fitness levels that most of us can only dream of.
You don't need to excel at both, but it helps. I've seen strong swimmers with poor technique outpaced by smaller swimmers with great form, and powerful swimmers outmuscle technical ones in competition. Fitness sustains effort, while technique ensures efficiency. In this post, we'll explore the pros and cons of both, helping you balance them for optimal performance.
Benefits of Focusing on Endurance
Fitness-focused swimming offers tremendous benefits for your overall health and endurance. Statistically, cardiovascular fitness can improve by 30% to 78% with consistent training. Swimming also strengthens muscles, improves mental health, and does so without the high-impact strain on your joints that other forms of exercise might cause.
It’s relatively easy to begin working on fitness swimming. All you need is a pool or open water, and you're good to go. Self-training is accessible too, with countless resources available, from books and blogs to YouTube tutorials and community advice.
Consistency is key, and when you stay motivated, you'll find it easy to track your progress. The clock doesn’t lie, and you can measure your improvements by tracking pace, splits, or heart rate.
Fitness swimming also offers specificity. You can train in environments that mimic your competition settings, whether in a pool or open water. Knowing your current ability lets you tailor your training, and as your confidence grows, so will your intensity and performance.
Benefits of Technique Swimming
While having some fitness is essential, improving your technique can dramatically boost your efficiency in the water. Refining your technique reduces resistance and helps you swim faster with less effort. Small adjustments, like enhancing your pull or kick, can lead to significant gains in distance per stroke. This efficiency means you can maintain speed over longer distances and even reach higher top speeds when needed.
Technique work is invaluable for refining your swimming form. As your body position and movements become more efficient, you'll find more opportunities to shift gears and swim faster when necessary. Whether you’re targeting a short race or a long endurance event, technique improvements can make a huge difference in your performance.
Limitations of Only Focusing on Fitness
Despite the many benefits, fitness swimming has its challenges. The 30%-78% improvement in fitness doesn’t translate directly into a 30%-78% increase in speed. This is due to the exponential increases in resistance: frictional resistance doubles, form drag quadruples, and wave drag increases eightfold.
Staying motivated can also be tough, especially during long training blocks or in less-than-ideal conditions. Following a strict schedule and swimming up and down a lane in winter can sometimes feel monotonous.
Another challenge is finding balance. Overtraining can lead to burnout, while undertraining may result in suboptimal performance. Knowing how much to push yourself without overdoing it is an art. Additionally, swimming with a club or friends might not align with your specific goals. While these sessions can be beneficial, they may not always cater to your individual needs.
Limitations of Technique Training
Technique-focused swimming also presents its own set of challenges. Without proper guidance, you might not even be aware of the inefficiencies in your stroke. Self-diagnosing and improving your technique can be difficult, especially if you’ve been swimming a certain way for a long time.
It’s also hard to know where to start. Social media trends might tempt you to focus on the latest technique drills, but these might not address your specific needs. For example, you might fixate on improving your catch when the real issue lies in your body position.
Measuring progress can also be tricky. Unlike fitness, where your times and heart rate offer clear metrics, technique improvements are harder to quantify. It's tough to tell if you're truly more efficient in the water or if you're just feeling better in one session.
Furthermore, technique adjustments must be specific to your goals. What works for a sprinter might not suit a long-distance swimmer. Additionally, changing one aspect of your technique can sometimes disrupt another, causing your stroke to become less efficient overall.
Finding the Right Balance of Technique and Endurance
For optimal improvements, it’s crucial to integrate both fitness and technique into your training. A balanced approach will yield the best results. Aim for consistency, with regular training sessions that you can sustain week after week. It’s better to have a steady routine of three sessions per week than to overdo it one week and take the next off.
When working on technique, start with easy sets and focus on one aspect at a time. Engage a qualified coach to guide you in identifying which areas to prioritise first. Begin by optimising your body position before working on propulsive movements. Think of your stroke as a cycle: focus on one technique point at a time and gradually work through each phase of your stroke.
By balancing fitness with technique and making thoughtful, progressive improvements, you'll become a more efficient and powerful swimmer, ready to achieve your goals in the water.
If you would like to know how to efficiently create a swim workout incorporating both technique and fitness, check out our post on How to Create a Swim Session
Because I know of the importance of both technique and fitness when swimming, all of our swimming training plans focus on progressive improvement of both of these aspects. Check out some of our improvement training plans here:
If you need any advice or would like help creating a clear program to improve your technique, fitness, or both, let's have a chat.
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