How long is a pool?

Most pools in the US are 25 yards or 50 meters. You can do our workouts no matter which type of pool you are swimming in. The only difference is that if you are doing a 100 swim in a 25 yd pool it will be 4 lengths, if you are doing a 100 swim in a 50 m pool it will be 2 lengths.

I see a lot of numbers in the workouts. What do they mean?

All of our workouts will be based on the distance of a swim (so instead of saying "4 lengths swim" or "2 lengths swim", we will say "100 swim".)  The number of lengths of the pool for each listed distance will vary depending on what type of pool you are swimming in (see above question). For a full explanation see How To Read A Workout.

What is interval training?

Interval training is alternating between high-intensity exercise and low-intensity recovery periods. In swimming the best way to do this is to use a clock. For more on this, see our page on Interval Training.

What is a base (or "b", as written in the workouts)?

Your base will be the amount of time allotted for you to complete a swim. Base varies by person depending on ability level. For a full explanation of how a base works, see our Interval Training page (from the above question). To figure out what your base is, go here.

What is kicking?

Kicking is just using your legs to propel yourself forward. This can be done with or without a kick board. For information on how to kick without a kickboard, check out our blog post on How to Kick Without a Board.

What is pulling?

Pulling is just using your arms to pull yourself through the water. To isolate your upper body you use a pull buoy, which rests in between your upper thighs, preventing you from kicking and keeping your lower body afloat.

What are drills?

Drills are exercises that focus on a specific aspect of a stroke. To get an idea of what that means see our Drills page.

What equipment do I need for my first workout?

Suit, cap, goggles, and water bottle. For a more detailed explanation, see our blog post on this topic.

Do I need to use bases for my workouts? It seems confusing.

Learning to use the clock as you swim is the best way to improve your cardiovascular capacity and get the most out of your workouts. While it can look confusing on paper, with a little practice you will see it is a pretty simple concept. THAT BEING SAID, all of our workouts can be done without using a base. And if you are just getting started, it is completely fine to stick with beginner workouts that don’t use a base. The base is there to provide some context as to how much effort should be put in to each component of the workout, and using the clock is the best way to ensure you maintain a certain level of exertion or speed. However, if you find the whole concept too intimidating for right now, that is fine. Don’t let it stop you from getting in the water. Save it for when you feel ready. Stay swimming.