Looking to get new swim gear on a budget? Shop the Best Sales for Swimmers in This Exclusive Guide.
As the holiday season approaches, along with training camps, swimmers have more than just visions of sugarplums dancing behind their swim goggles.
The best sales of the year are the perfect time for swimmers to score unbeatable deals on the gear and equipment they need to improve their performance in the pool.
Whether you’re an elite, Olympic-level swimmer or a parent looking for the ideal gifts for your young athlete, this guide to the best sales for swimmers has you covered.
Let’s dive in and make a splash with these savings!
The Top Best Sales for Swimmers
Alright, let’s dive into some savings and faster times in the pool.
Here are the top deals for swimmers during the best sales of the year:
Magic5 Swim Goggles – up to 50% off
TheMagic5 Swim Goggles are a game changer in terms of swim goggle fit and comfort. They are the first (and only) swim goggles that are customized for the specific shape of your face, reducing leaks, headaches, and even eliminating those pesky red circles around the eyes.
TheMagic5 Swim Goggles use an app to perform a 3D scan of your face, which is then sent to their headquarters where a goggle gasket is manufactured specifically for you. Super neat, to be honest!
The Magic5 Swim Goggles are 20% off, but you can really save money on the bundles they offer, including up to 50% off the Magic5 Discovery Bundle, which includes a kickboard, swim snorkel, mesh bag, fingertips swim paddles, and much more.
Swim Outlet is the leading online swim store for competitive and recreational swimmers. If you follow the sport, you’ve seen the SwimOutlet logo on the most popular swim sites on the web (SwimSwam.com, for example) and they provide a ton of customized swim gear for teams.
During Black Friday week they are offering a huge range of deals on swim goggles, mesh swim bags, swim goggles (the Arena Cobra Ultra Swipes, for example, are almost $20 off), swim parkas, swim caps, and some of their tech suits.
The Arena Powerskin ST 2.0, the best budget-friendly tech suit in the water, is also up to 40% off. Boom!
No promo code required—swim over to SwimOutlet’s website and see the current deals that run all week long.
Amazon – 20-48% off
Amazon is the world’s leading online retailer. They sell a TON of stuff for swimmers, including many tech suits (although not as many or in as many sizes as Swim Outlet), swimmer’s earplugs, swim training fins, and more.
Naturally, Amazon has lots of different Black Friday deals for swimmers. Some of the better ones I found include from the most popular swim brands on the pool deck, including Arena, Speedo, and TYR.
Speedo, a renowned name in the world of swimming, is synonymous with performance, innovation, and style. Nearly every major Olympic star has repped Speedo stuff, from Michael Phelps to Caeleb Dressel.
For decades, they’ve been the go-to brand for competitive swimmers and recreational enthusiasts alike, offering a huge range of swimwear, accessories, and equipment designed to optimize performance in the water.
Speedo’s main website has a ton of deals on swim goggles, caps, and other swimming equipment, with deals up to 50% off. Whether you are in the market for a new training suit, racing swim goggles, or jammers, Speedo has you covered.
The Black Friday deals run all week long and you can check to see what current deals they have rolling at the link below.
Are you looking for the best swimming apps to supercharge your swim workouts and track your performance? Whether you’re a competitive swimmer or just looking to improve your fitness in the water, these top swim apps can help you achieve your goals.
With advancements in fitness technology, swimmers now have access to apps that offer real-time tracking of key metrics like heart rate, SWOLF score, distance, and pace. From beginners to seasoned athletes, these apps cater to all levels of swimmers, offering the tools you need to elevate your swim training.
In a Rush? Try FORM Swim Goggles!
For those who want the ultimate swim tracking experience, the FORM Swim Goggles are the top choice. Paired with an intuitive app, these goggles display real-time metrics like stroke rate and pace directly on the lenses, giving you the ability to stay focused and adjust your performance mid-swim.
5 Best Swimming Apps for Superior Swim Performance
Let’s dive into the best swimming apps to help you take your workouts to the next level. We’ll break down each app’s features, benefits, and the kind of data you can expect to track, ensuring you get the most out of every swim.
The Best Swimming Apps for Swimmers
The right swim app can be a game-changer for all types of competitive swimmers. In this section, we will take a deep dive into the top swim apps available, exploring standout features, potential drawbacks, and more.
The best swim apps are:
FORM Swim Goggles – Best overall swim app for swimmers who want real-time data, comprehensive training programs, and highly accurate results.
Apple Watch Workout App – The best free swim app for Apple users, the Workout App covers all of the essentials for tracking swim workouts.
Swim.com – Compatible with both Apple and Android devices, the Swim.com swim app has lots of community features and no membership fees.
TritonWear – An advanced swim app and tracking device that is ideal for more experienced competitive swimmers and teams who want maximum performance data.
MySwimPro – The MySwimPro is a great option for beginner swimmers who want full access to workouts, training plans, and technique videos.
Next, we will examine each swim app in more detail.
1. FORM Swim Goggles
🥇 Best overall swim app for tracking workouts
Key features:
Heads-up-display that shows stats in the goggle lens.
$19 per month for premium swim app features.
Almost 2,000 workouts that can be paired to the swim goggles.
Over 30 training programs for different goals (open water, sprint, technique, etc.).
Custom workout builder.
Open water feature (pair with Apple Watch or Garmin).
The FORM Swim Goggles are the best swimming app on the pool deck, and the fact that it comes with a set of swim goggles with a heads-up display means the competition is not even close.
Inside the lens of the FORM Swim Goggles is a revolutionary digital display that shows your time elapsed, splits per lap, heart rate (when paired with a watch or heart rate sensor), and just about everything else you can imagine.
The swim app itself is highly intuitive.
The amount of data the FORM swim app pulls is almost overwhelming. Whether we are talking about pace per 100m, distance per stroke, SWOLF score, or tracking average speed, the FORM swim app monitors it.
Additionally, and this is where the FORM Swim Goggles really take things to yet another level, are the custom and programmed workouts that can be uploaded to the swim goggles.
Choose a swim workout based on your goals and abilities, and follow along at the pool. No guesswork. Hop in the water and go.
(The programmed swim workouts, created by Olympic coaches and swimmers, do require a monthly membership, however.)
The FORM Swim Goggles last around 15-16 hours on a single charge, good for about a week’s worth of swim workouts in my case, and the fact it can be paired with your Apple or Garmin watch for live data streaming during open water swimming makes it a killer choice for triathletes and open water swimmers.
The main downside of the FORM Swim Goggles isn’t the swim app, but rather the heads-up display that does take away some of your peripheral vision in the water. This is a little disconcerting at first and it takes around 200-300m of swimming to habituate yourself to.
But when you consider the gain in actionable training insights compared to the slight loss in peripheral vision, you gain more than you lose.
The FORM Swim Goggles and its swim app are easily the best swimming app and “all in one” swim training solution for athletes serious about swimming faster.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Best swimming app overall
Small loss of peripheral vision
All-in-one solution—no need for a separate watch or tracker
Training programs require monthly subscription
Works awesome in open water swimming
The app has tons of actionable data for better swim workouts
Heads-up-display is customizable
Online swim coaching feature
FORM Smart Swim Goggles | The World’s First Smart Swim Goggles
4.9
$199.00
Shop @ FORM Swim Goggles
2. Apple Watch Swim App
⭐ Best free swim app
The Apple smartwatch is the best watch for swimmers, and the competition isn’t even really close. The slim case, beautiful display, and legendary Apple quality help it swim laps around the competition.
But what makes the Apple Watch even better for swimmers is the on-board swimming app that provides detailed tracking of swimming workouts.
The swim app, which is technically the Workout App, on the Apple Watch offers complete customization, allowing you to tailor the dashboard to display the swimming metrics that matter most to you.
Additionally, it offers the convenience of quickly adjusting the pool length for precise tracking.
This swimming app is also one of the very few I’ve ever used that can accurately monitor when swimmers are doing kick on a kickboard. As someone who routinely performs up to half of my swim workouts on a kickboard, this is an essential feature.
The Apple Watch Workout App tracks all the essentials in the water.
The Apple Watch and the swim app are also among of the most accurate waterproof fitness trackers I’ve ever used.
The Apple Watch’s swim app is exhaustive in the metrics it monitors, including all of the usual suspects: time elapsed, distance swam (highly accurate), stroke detection, heart rate, splits, and more.
However, if you’re seeking community features and swim training plans, you may want to explore other options. And I find it is inaccurate when measuring sprint efforts (25m fast, for example), having difficulty getting those minute splits.
On the other hand, if your goal is straightforward tracking of distance, heart rate, stroke count, and average pace, the Apple Swim app is the ideal choice – and it comes at no extra cost with your Apple Watch.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Free with Apple smartwatch
Splits aren’t always accurate
Tracks kicking on a kickboard
No community features or training plans
Easy to change pool sizes
Customizable dashboard for tracking what matters most to you
Swim.com is a smartphone app developed by former national-level swimmers. The swim app tracks all of your workouts, with advanced swim tracking and tons of data for staying on top of your swims. While it has versions for both Apple and Android devices, it rivals the Apple Watch Workout App in terms of functionality and price point.
The Swim.com app comes with a large variety of swim workouts that can be adjusted and selected according to your specific goals in the water. For example, the app has distance swim workouts, fly-centric swim workouts, and so on.
One of the main strengths of the Swim.com swim app is the community features. The app has different leaderboards, challenges, achievements (unlock different badges, for example), and you can network and connect with other swimmers across the globe.
Similarly, if you are just looking for a swim app to monitor the essentials of a good swim workout, including heart rate, distance swum, and more, the Swim.com swim app nails all the basics.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Community and social features
Some reviews note that it can be buggy when syncing data
Works with Android and Apple devices
Tracks tons of swim workout metrics
Tracks open water swims
4. TritonWear
⭐ Best swim app for high-performance swim teams
TritonWear is an advanced swim app and hardware for tracking tons of data points in the pool. Paired with a poolside tablet or smartphone, the TritonWear device, which is clipped to your swim goggle straps on the back of your head, monitors every aspect of your performance in the pool.
Whether it’s time elapsed, stroke rate, distance per stroke, or splits, the TritonWear swim app covers it all in granular, almost exhaustive detail.
TritonWear monitors several performance metrics I haven’t seen in any other swim app on the market. These include speed underwater, push-off depth, and the percentage of your swims done underwater.
This can be extremely helpful for seeing how fast your breakouts and underwater dolphin kicking are in comparison to overwater speed.
TritonWear is primarily marketed to swim teams, with several big-name programs using the swim app and hardware to track the performance of groups of swimmers at one time.
For individual swimmers, the sheer data that comes out of the swim app is obviously awesome, but you can only view it after your swim practice or if you have a tablet at the end of your lane. The hardware is also a bit pricey, with an annual membership cost attached to it.
I tried the TritonWear swim app and hardware when it first came out several years ago, and while I loved the premise behind the device, and how it’s out of the way (as opposed to a swim watch or heads-up-display), it wasn’t super comfortable on the back of my head under a swim cap and the data was a little buggy.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Highly detailed analytics and stats
Pricey
Ideal for group and team use
Not very comfortable device placement
Tracks speed under water
Shows trends over time
5.MySwimPro
⭐ Best swim app with technique videos
MySwimPro is a standalone swimming app for Apple and Android devices that started as a logging platform to track swim workouts, but has now evolved into a complete training library including guided swim practices and technique videos.
The MySwimPro app is the best swimming app for beginners and people who want a little more guidance with their swim training. The swim app has a ton of pre-made workouts and more detailed training plans for people with short to medium-term goals in the pool.
One huge benefit of the app for newer swimmers are the detailed technique videos that help you dial in your technique.
MySwimPro logs and tracks a ton of data, giving you a rich and immersive analytics tool for monitoring the things that matter most in the pool, whether that’s heart rate training, distance, SWOLF score, and so on.
The MySwimPro app also includes some dryland training workouts, although they are fairly simple and generalized and not ideal for more specialized athletes.
MySwimPro offers a free trial before moving into a monthly charge (between $9 and $20 per month) for access to the library of workouts and training plans.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Technique videos and guided workouts
Paid membership after free trial
Data-rich dashboard for tracking all of your swimming stats
Works with Apple and Android devices
Optional personal training option
Offers free trial
How do swim apps track my swimming?
Swim apps work through a series of motion detection algorithms in the tracking device.
Devices like the Apple Watch have an accelerometer and gyroscope that track your movement, filtering it through a series of algos that correlate to specific types of movement.
Swim apps are programmed to see the difference between when you push-off and when you are at rest, or when you are doing butterfly but not freestyle, and so on.
While they aren’t perfect, swim apps, swim watches and other waterproof fitness trackers are highly accurate at counting laps, figuring out what swimming stroke you are doing, heart rate, and more.
What are the benefits of swim apps?
Swim apps can improve the performance of swimmers by measuring the things that matter most to you.
Swim apps log all sorts of performance data, including time elapsed, distance swam, stroke rate, stroke count, SWOLF score, heart rate, average pace, and more.
Whether you like to swim for distance or are more specific about heart rate zone training or want to increase your efficiency in the water, a swim app can help you accomplish your goals.
How accurate are swim apps?
Swim apps are fairly accurate, but they are not perfect. Accuracy comes down to several factors, including consistency of movement and proper biomechanical stroke technique in the water.
Doing things like bobbing in the water, sculling, stopping mid-length, changing strokes while swimming, and irregularly sized swimming pools can make totally accurate record keeping challenging.
Evaluate your swim workouts to see where the swim app struggles to understand what you are doing in the water and try and help it “get” what you are doing the next time you swim.
What we eat in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day, both in the pool and out. Here’s why breakfast is essential for swimmers.
When it comes to nutrition for swimmers, the focus is often on post-practice recovery meals or pre-workout snacks to maximize performance. Many swimmers also wonder what to eat before or during swim meets. But one crucial meal that often gets overlooked is breakfast.
This is surprising, considering how much breakfast impacts not only morning workouts but overall energy levels and performance throughout the day.
Some swimmers avoid breakfast because they aren’t hungry in the morning, don’t have time, or believe skipping it helps with weight loss. While intermittent fasting may aid fat loss in some cases, it’s not ideal for growing athletes or those with rigorous training schedules. Here’s why breakfast should be a priority for swimmers:
1. Helps Maintain Balanced Nutrition Throughout the Day
Skipping breakfast can lead to poor eating habits later in the day. After a long day of training, studying, or working, you may find yourself ravenous and prone to overeating at night. Eating a nutritious breakfast helps prevent evening binge eating and keeps your daily nutrition balanced.
2. Boosts Energy for Later Workouts
Without proper fuel before a workout, you’ll feel sluggish, have reduced energy, and your muscles won’t perform optimally. A lack of breakfast also affects metabolism, raises heart rate during workouts, and makes exercises feel harder.
A study by the University of Loughborough found that athletes who skipped breakfast performed 4.5% worse than those who ate breakfast, even when tested hours after the missed meal. Eating breakfast ensures better endurance and performance, not just in the morning but for your entire day of training.
3. Improves Focus and Cognitive Function
Your brain needs glucose to function, consuming 20% of your daily energy. Skipping breakfast leads to poor focus, decreased activity levels, and difficulty studying or working. Studies show that students who skip breakfast perform worse academically, reporting feeling tired and unfocused.
4. Quick Breakfast Solutions for Busy Mornings
For swimmers who struggle to find time in the morning, meal prepping is a simple solution. You don’t need a full meal; something quick with carbs and protein, like a smoothie or a yogurt with fruit, will suffice to fuel you before hitting the pool.
For swimmers, breakfast is essential to fuel the body, improve performance, and stay focused throughout the day. Don’t skip it—prepare ahead, eat smart, and swim stronger!
Boost Your Speed and Endurance: 7 Interval Swim Workouts for All Levels
Unlock faster swimming with these seven interval training workouts designed for swimmers of all abilities. Whether you’re a beginner or training for the Olympics, interval swim training is key to improving your speed and stamina.
So, what is interval training for swimmers? It’s a workout technique that alternates between short bursts of intense swimming and periods of rest or active recovery.
Why is interval training my go-to method for swim workouts? Because while long, steady swims have their benefits, interval training offers a powerful mix of speed, enhanced technique, and cardiovascular benefits that often surpass traditional endurance swimming.
There are countless ways to structure an interval swim workout. Below, we’ve outlined a variety of interval training styles, complete with sample sets, to help you take your swim performance to the next level.
Let’s dive into these interval swim workouts and start swimming faster!
Types of Interval Training Workouts for Swimmers
The most common types of interval training swim workouts include:
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Sprint interval training
Repeated-sprint training
UItra short race pace training (USRPT)
Tabata
Fartlek training
Long interval training
The features of each type of interval training are listed below.
We also include sample sets for each type of interval training swim workout to help you get started with this type of training at the pool.
1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for Swimmers
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in the pool is one of the most effective ways to get a powerful swim workout. Research shows that HIIT improves VO2max, resting metabolic rate, and aerobic capacity (Atakan et al., 2021).
A study by Thum et al. (2017) also found that HIIT was significantly more enjoyable for participants compared to continuous training. In their paper titled “High-Intensity Interval Training Elicits Higher Enjoyment than Moderate Intensity Continuous Exercise,” subjects did eight rounds of HIIT on a bike (60 seconds of 85% effort, followed by 60 seconds of active recovery) or 20 minutes of continuous cycling. The HIIT group overwhelmingly reported greater enjoyment.
Designing a HIIT Set for Swimmers
Creating a HIIT workout for swimming is simple: alternate between 30-60 seconds of fast swimming and equal periods of active or complete rest. Here are some sample HIIT swim sets:
10×75m freestyle @ 1:30 (fast)
20×50m freestyle @ 1:10 (fast)
30×25m freestyle @ :40 (fast)
40×25m alternating fast and easy @ :30
20×50m alternating fast swim and easy kick @ 1:10
As you can see, there are countless ways to incorporate HIIT into your swim workouts. Just remember that for a swim workout to qualify as HIIT, you should aim for 85-90% effort during the fast intervals. This is not quite an all-out sprint but very close!
2. Sprint Interval Training (SIT)
Sprint Interval Training (SIT) is a more intense form of interval training that cranks the effort to the maximum, reduces the work duration, and extends the recovery time. The work intervals in SIT should be no longer than 30 seconds, with recovery periods around 4 minutes, allowing for active or complete rest.
Here’s a sample SIT swim workout:
4×50m freestyle ALL-OUT @ 4:00 (Recovery between sets can include light swimming for active recovery or complete rest.)
To qualify as Sprint Interval Training, you should be pushing for 100% maximal power, 85% max sprint speed, or 170% of VO2max (Gillen & Gibala, 2014). Although SIT sets are short in total distance, they demand maximum effort, so be sure to warm up thoroughly before diving in.
3. Repeated Sprint Training
Repeated sprint training (RST) is another type of interval training with a robust list of benefits for swimmers.
A meta-analysis that reviewed the benefits of RST published in the Journal of Sports Medicine (Taylor et al., 2015) showed that repeated-sprint training significantly improved speed, power, repeated sprint-ability, and even endurance.
Speed, speed, and more speed.
Repeated sprint training alternates 10 seconds (or slightly less) of all-out swimming with relatively short rest periods of approximately 60 seconds. Compared to Sprint Interval Training, RST has a lot more reps.
The rest period is less than other types of all-out interval training strategies, which means there is inevitably going to be some performance decline within each round.
For swimmers who cannot swim the length of a pool all-out in 10s or less (so, 99% of us), swim fast for 10s of the length, whether that means 15m or 20m or 21m and then coast into the wall.
I’d also suggest configuring the sprints to be 10s of swimming, not including push-offs.
See also:Try This Advanced HIIT Swim Workout for Power and Speed in the Pool
Here are some example RST sets you can do in the pool:
This type of training is excellent for building speed endurance in the water.
Do your best on those final reps of each set to keep your technique together.
4. USRPT
Ultra-short race pace training is a type of swim set that has exploded into the swimming consciousness in recent years.
A derivative of HIIT, and popularized by Olympic gold medalist Michael Andrew, USRPT consists of doing a ton of repetitions at race pace on short rest. Hence, the name.
Michael Andrew recovering after another big USRPT set. Credit @swimmermichael
The primary goal of USRPT is to train a ton of meters or yards at race pace, whether it’s 25s, 50s, or even 100s.
USRPT gives enough rest between repetitions to maintain race-worthy technique and the maximum intensity requires full engagement and focus.
(Like many topics in the swimming world, such as “is it a length or a lap?”, USRPT always elicits a hot debate. We’ll cover the full list of pros and cons of this training methodology in a future article.)
USRPT is a very strict form of interval training for swimmers because it requires that you hit your target pace.
If you miss pace on one rep, you sit out for a repetition. If you miss pace on two consecutive reps, or you miss three times total, the set is over.
The goal, in a sense, isn’t fully completing the set perfectly. If you can complete 30×25 at race pace and on short rest, the race pace should be quickened to encourage further adaptation.
Here are some example USRPT sets:
20x50m freestyle at 200m race pace – use an interval that gives you :20 rest
30×25 freestyle at 100m race pace – use an interval that gives you :15 to :20 rest
This type of swim training is brutal.
Michael Andrew, the fella who, along with his coach and father, Peter, brought this form of training to the swimming masses, does this training exhaustively.
At the American Olympic preparation camp, Andrew was doing workouts where he’d swim 60×50 race-pace [20 butterfly, 20 breaststroke, 20 medley or freestyle].
Michael Andrew’s daily regimen of USRPT. Credit: Social Kick Podcast
Ouchie.
This type of interval training requires you to keep a close eye on the clock and a lot of mental toughness.
5. Tabata
Tabata is a form of interval training that looks too good to be true.
The protocol is just four minutes long, with eight efforts of :20 seconds of work alternating with :10 of rest.
But when done properly, Tabata training is brutal.
Pioneered by Izumi Tabata, the Tabata training protocol can improve VO2 max with just four sessions per week, with four minutes of work per workout.
The original paper on Tabata, published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 1996 showed that this training protocol improved VO2max by a whopping 15% over just eight weeks of training.
I like that!
Here’s how to do Tabata training in the swimming pool:
8x [:20 all-out, maximum effort + :10 rest]
Configuring how to 20s of work may be challenging for swimmers who can easily cross the pool in less than 20s when going fast.
Some ideas to get the full 20s of all-out effort include:
Add resistance to “slow down” your swimming so it takes 20-seconds to cross the pool. Using a swim parachute or DragSox, for example.
Tethered swimming. If you are fortunate enough to have access to a Power Tower or Stretch Cordz (resistance tubing), use this type of resistance swimming to hit that 20s target.
Do the 20s kick. A great way to improve leg endurance is to jump on the kickboard and do a Tabata protocol with just your legs to improve closing speed in your races and improve overall leg fitness.
But again, the key to this type of training is total effort.
The original paper showed that participants generated 170% of VO2max while working out, so drop the hammer when doing this type of training in the pool.
And as always, warm-up and warm-down thoroughly before unleashing all-out swimming in the pool.
6. Fartlek
Fartlek training is one of my favorite ways to spice up aerobic training in the pool and is a great interval option for endurance-minded swimmers.
Fartlek, besides being fun to say out loud, is a Swedish word for “speed play.”
Fartlek is a type of interval training where you do long stretches of swimming with random bursts of speed.
Yooouuu… will be doing Fartlek interval training at the pool today.
Research published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology showed that Fartlek training helped swimmers to significantly increase breathing capacity.
I love Fartlek training as it teaches you how to change gears in the pool, is mentally engaging, and it is low-pressure speed work.
Plus, it’s just more fun compared to steady-state swimming!
Here are a couple of ways that swimmers can introduce Fartlek training to their swim workouts:
1,000m freestyle swimming – last 15m of each 100m is FAST.
1,500m freestyle as 100m swim cruise, 25m kick fast
For swim coaches, a fun way to keep your swimmers on their toes is to issue a 20-minute freestyle swim.
Every minute or so blow the whistle to signal “FAST” and wait around 25-30 seconds before signaling a return to cruise speed.
Swimmers will be all over the pool, at different parts of the lap, and so they will have multiple opportunities to work different parts of the swim (turns, finish, breakouts, mid-lap swimming, and so on).
7. Long interval training
Long interval training involves longer, more sustained efforts and is a good option for cranking up quality yardage and building endurance for swimmers.
Long intervals are also a swim workout-splitting strategy that can improve workout performance, including increased overall velocity and better technique.
With long intervals, repetitions last several minutes and have less velocity than the supramaximal interval swim training described earlier.
One study, published in the Journal of Sports Medicine International, took a group of healthy runners and tested them on a non-motorized treadmill to compare long-interval training with Tabata.
The long interval training (4×4 minutes of 90-95% effort with several minutes of rest between reps) and the Tabata protocol produced identical outcomes in VO2max, heart rate, and lactate concentration.
The advantage of long interval training is that it’s done with less intensity, so it could be hypothesized that it’s a better-suited interval training protocol for swimmers who don’t enjoy all-out and supramaximal efforts.
Where long intervals really shine, however, is when we compare it to long, unbroken swimming. Long intervals in this scenario (1000m swimming straight vs 2x500m swimming) produce higher lactate concentrations and increase post-exercise oxygen consumption.
One study published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology broke up 30-minute cycling workouts into 2x15m sets. Excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) was significantly higher in the long interval group (5.3 L vs 7.4 L)
There is also an argument to be made that because long intervals cover more yardage compared to other types of interval training, there are more opportunities for swimmers to learn how to maintain stroke technique under stress.
Anyway, here is what a long interval training swim workout would look like:
4x 300 swim fast with 3mins rest between reps.
Taking a 1,500m swim and breaking it up into 5x300m or 3x500m
Taking a 3,000m straight swim and breaking it up into 3x1000m or 6x500m.
Long intervals are an excellent alternative to long stretches of swimming as you will swim faster, swim with better technique, and, frankly, get less bored.
What is Interval Training in Swimming?
Interval training is a powerful method for swimmers to enhance performance by combining high-intensity efforts with periods of rest or active recovery. This training style involves short, intense bursts of effort at near, maximal, or even supra-maximal levels, followed by rest.
According to a meta-analysis from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, interval swim training typically includes:
Efforts at 90% or higher of VO2max
75% or higher of maximal power
Supra-maximal intensity levels
These high-effort intervals are then balanced with complete rest (e.g., resting on the lane rope) or active rest (such as slow swimming).
Benefits of Interval Training for Swimmers
Incorporating interval swim workouts can be a game-changer for swimmers of all levels. This training method helps boost endurance, increase speed, and keep your workouts engaging.
Whether you’re a beginner getting started with lap swimming or an elite athlete aiming for the podium, interval training provides customizable workouts to match your goals.
So dive in, try these interval swim sets, and elevate your swimming speed and endurance to new heights!
Take Your Individual Medley to the Next Level: Top IM Workouts for Swimmers
Ready to improve your individual medley? These IM sets and workouts are designed to help you build a stronger aerobic base, master pacing, and improve your weakest strokes.
The individual medley (IM) is one of the most challenging events in competitive swimming, combining all four strokes—freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly—into a single race. This makes the IM not only a test of versatility but also a true measure of overall swimming skill and endurance.
IM swimmers need to be proficient in each stroke, which requires specialized training to develop both technique and stamina.
In this guide to the best IM swim workouts, you’ll find key sets and exercises that focus on improving your conditioning, stroke efficiency, and race strategy. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced swimmer, these workouts will help you dominate the individual medley.
The IM workouts are designed to help you:
Learn proper pacing
Master the transitions between strokes
Improve conditioning to finish strong
Make your “weak” strokes stronger
And more.
Whether you are looking to develop a background to “survive” your first 400 IM or aiming for the podium, this collection of IM swim workouts will help you master the four strokes and master your personal best times on race day.
Let’s dive right in.
The 4-2-1 Medley Stack
This IM workout is designed for maximum coverage of distances and specialties. A general medley swim workout, if you will.
It combines a balance of speed and pacing to give you a full range of conditioning for your IM events.
8×50 IM order (two rounds) as 25 drill, 25 swim — @1:00 (or around 20 seconds rest after each 50)
8×25 IM order (two rounds) swim – build to fast on each 25 — @:40
100 choice loose
The Main set:
5 rounds
4×50 IM order swim — @1:00 (Hit opening 50 pace of each 100 for your goal 400m IM pace)
200 IM drill @3:00
8×25 IM order swim — @:45 (hit opening 25 pace of each 50 for your goal 200m IM pace)
100 IM drill @2:00
100m IM FAST @2:00
Warm-Down
200 swim choice loose
The 400m IM Pacing and Transitions Set
The 400 IM is a true distance event that requires proper pacing.
As Olympic and NCAA champion coach Gregg Troy—who coached Ryan Lochte, Elizabeth Beisel, and other 400m individual medley Olympic medalists—notes, each 100 needs to swum strategically.
“The 400 IM requires a conscious effort by the athlete to not overswim the first part of any of the 100s,” says Troy. “This is especially true for the first 50 fly. The athlete should build effort and speed through each 100 and focus on smoothly transitioning to the next stroke.”
This medley set is specific to the 400m individual medley and is designed to teach swimmers how to build the first 50 of each 100.
After a proper warm-up, dive into the main set:
4-6 rounds:
50 fly swim build @:40
100 fly as 50 drill choice, 50 fly swim fast @2:00
50 back swim build @:40
100 back as 50 drill choice, 50 back swim fast @2:00
50 breast swim build @:40
100 breast as 50 drill choice, 50 swim fast @2:00
50 freestyle build @:40
100 freestyle as 50 drill choice, 50 swim fast @2:00
Set notes:
Build the 50s to FAST. Interval should be short rest—no more than 5-10 seconds.
On the 100s, focus on a fast transition from drill to the fast 50s.
Swim each 150 as a broken 100.
Drill 50s should be done smoothly and not sloppily.
Intervals for the 50s and 100s should decrease throughout the season as conditioning improves.
The IM Closing Speed Set
Individual medley races are tough to train for. Not only do you need to be able to be technically efficient in all four strokes, but you need the fitness to do all of them at a high level.
This set is designed specifically to help you close your IM races with speed.
Every swimmer knows the misery of “dying” at the end of a race; the legs feel like cement and the will to push on begins to evaporate.
This IM swim workout focuses on giving you the legs to close like a champion on race day.
After doing a thorough warm-up of your choosing, which should include plenty of freestyle, IM drill and kicking, let’s get after the meat-and-potatoes of the IM workout:
3×75 swim, building each 25 and working the transitions (fly, back, breast by 25) @1:00
200 free swim, last 50 FAST (with a six-beat kick) @2:30
3×75 swim, building each 25 and working the transitions (fly, back, breast by 25) @1:00
200 free kick, last 50 FAST @2:30
3×75 swim, building each 25 and working the transitions (fly, back, breast by 25) @1:00
200 free swim, last 50 FAST (with a six-beat kick) @2:30
3×75 swim, building each 25 and working the transitions (fly, back, breast by 25) @1:00
8×100 free as 50 kick fast, 50 swim (holding the same kick intensity as the fast 50 of kick) @1:45
Make sure to give it a good warm-down afterward.
And if possible, hit your legs with the foam roller after practice; they are going to need it!
Michael Phelps’s Favorite IM Set
Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer of all time, and he was an absolute monster in the individual medley races. Phelps won gold in the 200m individual medley four consecutive times, the only swimmer in history to do so.
While his training over the years is legendary (including not missing training—not a single day—for five straight years), Phelps favorite swim practice was on the easier side.
This individual medley set is simple, designed for speed, and allows swimmers to hit top speeds across all four strokes of the individual medley.
After warming up, let’s dive right into some IM drill and speed:
80×25 @ :35
4 rounds:
4 butterfly drill + 1 butterfly swim
4 backstroke drill + 1 backstroke swim
4 breaststroke drill + 1 breaststroke swim
4 freestyle drill + 1 freestyle swim
While not the toughest individual medley workout on the pool deck, it does give swimmers a chance to hit all four swim strokes in IM order and play around with some different swim drills and top-end speed.
And hey, if it’s good enough for the greatest medley swimmer of all time, it’s good enough for me!
The One-Hour Ladder Medley Set
Short on time but long on goals in the water? This packed one-hour swim workout touches on all the bases when it comes to individual medley training.
If possible, try to get a dryland warm-up under your Speedo before diving into the water; doing so will allow you to spend more time improving your conditioning and less time warming up.
A 10–15-minute routine that includes arm swings, leg swings, jumping rope, and planks to activate the core is enough to promote blood flow to target muscles and prime you for a killer swim workout.
Here is the IM workout for those of you short on time:
Warm-up [10 mins]:
600 as: 100 swim free, 100 IM drill, 100 kick free, 100 IM drill, 100 swim free, 100 IM swim building each 25 to fast
Main set [36 mins]:
2×100 IM swim build @1:45
100 free cruise @1:30
3×100 IM swim build @1:45
100 free cruise @1:30
4×100 IM swim build @1:45
100 free cruise
3×100 IM swim best average @2:00
100 free cruise
2×100 IM swim best average @2:00
100 free cruise
1×100 IM swim ALL OUT
Warm Down [10 mins]:
10×25 freestyle swim, smooth, with perfect technique @:45 to cool down [9 mins]
Ten deep water bobs to loosen up your arms and a 5-minute hot tub if time allows 😊.
Swim Workout Notes:
This is a classic ladder swim workout, but instead of descending intervals on the way back down, increased speed and rest.
This quality-minded set lays an excellent aerobic foundation for your swimming.
Don’t forget to work the transitions in the 100 IMs. Races are won and lost on the turns, so swim in and out of them like you mean it.
The Weak Stroke Medley Swim Workout
Fast individual medley swimming requires being proficient in all four strokes. We all have a stroke (or even two) that aren’t as strong as our best strokes.
To train those strokes, you need to spend sustained chunks of time in training focusing on them. If your weak stroke is backstroke, the key is to essentially train like a backstroker for an extended period of time in swim practice.
“To address weaknesses and to develop the medley swimmers must spend extended periods working on each area of the medley,” says Coach Troy. “Many times, weak strokes or areas are identified but not addressed properly.”
One of my favorite sets of all-time applies here.
It’s a set that utilizes some fast paced 50s to increase speed while breaking up the fast reps with kick and drill 50s to keep the heart rate up and increase the overall mileage performed on your weak stroke.
8×50 as drill/swim in IM order – focus on smooth swimming the whole way through — @1:10
Set notes:
The fast swims should aim to be swum at the 100 pace.
Work the stroke count on the fast swim 50s to help encourage better distance per stroke in the water.
What are the benefits of doing individual medley swim workouts?
IM training has many benefits beyond trying to drop time in the individual medley races on race day, including being more challenging, building a big swim-specific base, and keeping things fresh in the pool.
Medley training represents a huge challenge for swimmers, which can create a lot of different goals and training opportunities for improvement.
Medley training also serves as an excellent platform for future stroke specialization.
And because of the variety, individual medley training is awesome for keeping swimmers mentally fresh and engaged during long slogs of training during the season.
What is the best way to train for individual medley events?
Individual medley events require a ton of training. Swimmers must be exceptionally fit, particularly for the 400m individual medley, which is a true distance event.
The best way to train for IM events includes building a large aerobic base, lots of freestyle swimming, learning proper pacing, and focusing on weaker strokes with sustained blocks of training.
Build a training program incorporating lots of freestyle swimming and focus on weaker strokes with sustained blocks of training targeting that specific stroke to see improvement.
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Want to Swim Faster, Eat Healthier, and Save Time? Start Meal Prepping Now
Meal prepping is a game-changer for swimmers looking to boost performance, save money, and stay on top of nutrition. If you’re juggling swim practice, school, or work, meal prepping can help you fuel your body efficiently without the stress of last-minute meals.
My first experience with meal prepping happened in high school, during those grueling double practices. Like many swimmers, my daily routine consisted of early morning practices, school, another swim session, and then dragging myself home, exhausted and waterlogged.
In those early hours, I would scarf down a quick breakfast while preparing a second one, plus snacks and lunch to get me through the day. By the time I left with my swim bag, school bag, and what felt like enough food to feed an army, it was as if I were heading off on an expedition.
On nights when I had extra energy, I’d prep meals for the next day, giving me my first taste of the convenience and power of meal prepping.
In this guide, we’ll dive into why meal prepping is essential for swimmers and share expert tips on how to streamline your process to save time and maximize your swim performance.
The Benefits of Meal Prepping
The reality is that meal prepping takes a little bit of up front work and planning, and is exactly why so many swimmers don’t do it. They would rather be rushed and packing meals at the last minute than be proactive.
But the upsides are pretty ridiculous:
1. You will eat better (and swim faster as a result).
You already know that properly fueling yourself is key to your swimming success. Proper nutrition means that you are giving yourself grade-A fuel for high performance swimming, while also priming your body for quick recovery between workouts.
Meal prepping requires meal planning, and when we are consciously choosing what we are going to eat ahead of time we are much less likely to fall whims to the last-second cravings and urges that drive most of our brutal food choices. (“I’m hungry and there is nothing to eat, soooo I better order a pizza!”)
When a healthy meal is the convenient choice better nutrition and eventually better swimming, follow suit.
This aspect alone is worth it. But hey, let’s sweeten the pot with a couple other biggie reasons…
2. It will save you a ton of time.
Each Sunday afternoon while I watch/listen to football I take about two hours to cook my meals for the week. By the end of the two hours, or one quarter of football, I have 3 meals prepared for each day of the upcoming week.
With these meals all I gotta do is toss it in the microwave and nuke it’s butt for 45 seconds or so and I got warm, delicious, and healthy chow to stuff my face with.
Which cuts down on a whole lot of hemming and hawing outside of the refrigerator trying to decide what to eat, and then the time spent actually making it…for twenty-one meals.
Heyo!
I’m no space scientist or anything, but that is a lot of free time I have opened up to dedicate to napping and, uh, other things I will think of later.
For swimmers who are running a really tight schedule meal prepping can be a total game changer, especially mid-week when you are getting completely decimated with training and schoolwork.
3. It will save you a metric butt-ton of money.
Yes, that first grocery store bill will be hilarious when you start meal prepping. And not the ha-ha hilarious, the sweet molasses what have I done hilarious.
But if you plan it correctly, and once you get a hang of it, you will only really need to go shopping for grub once a week.
More importantly, with ready-made meals at your disposal you are less prone to go buy a made meal somewhere else because you feel like you don’t have the energy to make something.
How to Meal Prep Like a Chlorinated Champ
Okay, so now that we have discussed the awesomeness that comes with prepping your meals, here are some tips for making the most of this super-duper process.
1. Target your worst meal.
I have never struggled with making breakfast, or making good food choices with breakfast.
Perhaps because it’s first thing in the morning and my daily allotment of willpower is topped up, or because fast food in the AM doesn’t sound that appealing (my sugary-carb cravings don’t start gnawing at me till late afternoon), the first meal of the day has always been all good in the hood for me.
Dinners, on the other hand, not so much. Real struggley. By the time that meal comes around I am usually exhausted from a full day of training and work, and by then will literally eat anything as long as it comes with cheese.
Understanding this, when I began meal prepping for my week I started out with my dinners because they were the meal that I was struggling with the most.
You don’t need to cook a week’s worth of food at once, nor every meal—but you should absolutely target the times and meals where you struggle with making respectable culinary decisions.
2. Go in with a plan.
Want to know what the best couple hundred dollars you’ll ever spend is? Getting a legit diet plan from a registered sports dietitian.
Unless you are doing something relatively important at the moment, like open heart surgery, drop whatever it is you are pretending to be doing while reading this article and make an appointment to talk to one.
A couple hundred dollars will get you a meal plan that is based on your likes and dislikes (and allergies and sensitivities too) in the fridge. More importantly, they will put together a meal plan for you that is based on your build and activity level.
That last part is super critical—the dietary needs of each of us is wildly different. The dietitian I have worked with in the past provided a shopping list for my meal plan, taking out all the guesswork.
Conquering your appetite and dietary needs is a full 50m easier when we have supervision and expertise in our corner (and these things are proven to be positive influences on whether or not people stick to their nutrition goals, FYI).
3. Cook everything in bulk.
Now, the way you approach your meal prep is going to come down to your individual circumstances.
Just because I cook everything up on a Sunday doesn’t mean that this is how you want to spend that day of the week. You could just as easily cook a couple days worth of meals at a time, or even spend half an hour each evening cooking up the following day’s meals.
If it works, do it.
But if you want to maximize your time-management returns, cooking everything up at once is a no-brainer.
You will learn how to multi-task like a boss during this process, by the way, becoming master of the kitchen, juggling the stove top, oven, the barbecue, and the chopping board simultaneously.
The Takeaway
I know what you are thinking…
The upsides sound great, and you are feeling motivated about the positive changes you can inflict just by planning your meals out, but there is that one last little piece of resistance, isn’t there?
The thought that you are going to be eating the same meals over and over again is scaring ya off a little bit. The boring nature of meal prepping, and the work involved, sounds like too much of a commitment and redundant.
I need that spice of life, that variety!
Well, I have a little fun fact for you…
If you sat down and wrote out all of your meals over the past couple weeks I would bet you your most rugged drag suit that your meals are shockingly consistent and similar.
You’re already eating the same meals over and over again.
Additionally, there are ways to cook around the “boringness” of meal prepping—different spices, sauces, splitting a baking sheet with tin foil so you can cook three types of seasoned chicken, and so on.
The great secret of success in the pool and in the kitchen isn’t some magic trick or technique, and it’s not even genetics…
It’s embracing the boring nature of doing things a little bit better than the next swimmer each and every day.
Ready to upgrade your swim gear with a top-notch snorkel? Discover the best swim snorkels for enhancing technique and boosting speed in the water with our comprehensive reviews.
Over the past decade, the swim snorkel has emerged as a game-changer on the pool deck, and it’s no surprise why. These versatile tools are invaluable for perfecting your stroke, correcting muscle imbalances, and maintaining optimal head position. They also allow you to practice kicking without a kickboard and help reduce neck strain from repetitive head turns during breathing.
In this guide, we’ll review the best swim snorkels available, catering to everyone from elite athletes to beginner swimmers working on stroke fundamentals. Whether you’re looking to refine your technique or increase your swimming speed, you’ll find the ideal snorkel for your needs here.
Let’s dive in and find the perfect snorkel to elevate your swim performance.
The Best Snorkels for Swimmers
Having tested and reviewed dozens of swim snorkels over the years, here are our top picks:
Next, we will examine each snorkel in-depth, highlighting key features, pros, and cons, as well as what to look for when choosing the perfect snorkel for your swim workouts.
1. FINIS Swimmer’s Snorkel
⭐ Best overall swimmer’s snorkel for laps
The classic. The O.G. The FINIS Original Swimmer’s Snorkel.
FINIS co-founders John Mix and Olympic butterfly champion Pablo Morales developed the first center-mounted snorkel for swimming laps back in 1994. It would take some time for them to catch on, but once they did, they did so with gusto.
Nowadays, the swimming snorkel use has exploded among competitive and even recreational swimmers.
The FINIS Swimmer’s Snorkel is the original, and is still the most popular of the bunch, and hence why it ranks at the top of the list of best swim snorkels.
The swimmers snorkel has a one-way purge valve to quickly rid water from the snorkel, an adjustable head strap, and the bracket can be moved up and down the tube for a proper fit.
They are available in the customary FINIS-yellow as well as in pink.
In the same way that FINIS developed a set of swim paddles designed specifically for freestylers, they have also produced a snorkel that is meant for the freestyle enthusiast.
The FINIS Freestyle Snorkel takes the FINIS Swimmer’s Snorkel and wraps the top half of the tube around the back of your head so that the top of the tube faces back behind you instead of straight up.
The main reason I like this swim snorkel is that it encourages you to swim with better body position while doing freestyle. Because of the curvature of the snorkel, if you pick up your head while swimming, the top of the tube will dip into the water behind you.
The FINIS Freestyle Snorkel helps you keep your head down, neck and spine straight, and improves overall body position in the water. A great choice for the freestyle swimmer trying to break the habit of snow-plowing the water with their forehead when swimming.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Hydrodynamic design; perfect for freestylers
Limited utility with other strokes
Silicone mouthpiece for long sets and swim workouts
Only available in one color
Perfect snorkel for mastering proper head position when swimming
Speedo was a little late to the swimming snorkel game, but the Bullethead is an excellent snorkel in its own right.
It has a minimalist design that reduces drag and friction in the water (the slim profile also means that it doesn’t wobble like some thicker snorkels).
A consistent fit is made possible by notches on the tube (so you don’t lose track of the head strap bracket position). And the headband is padded so that the bracket isn’t digging into your head during extended use.
I really like the bright colors of the Speedo Bullet Head Swim Training Snorkel, along with the silicone head strap that ensures a comfortable and slip-free fit every time you slip it on.
The head strap is also thicker than the other snorkels on this list, which gives you a feeling of greater stability when hitting faster speeds in the water.
Available in five different colors and color combinations, the Speedo Snorkel is fast, looks great, and is comfortable for those long main sets at the pool.
⭐ Best snorkel for competitive swimmers who like to go fast
The FINIS Stability Swimmer’s Snorkel takes all of the things that I love about the original snorkel and adds a couple of key, game-changing features.
First, it has a swiveling mouthpiece that makes it easy to turn so that you can breathe with your full mouth between reps in the pool.
This allows you to communicate more easily with your coach (“I’m going as fast as I can!”). The swiveling mouthpiece means you don’t have to twist the whole snorkel to gulp down more air.
A simple but highly functional feature!
The FINIS Stability Swimmer’s Snorkel also has a smaller head bracket.
Compared to the FINIS Original Swim Snorkel, and most of the other snorkels on this list, the Stability Snorkel has a smaller head bracket, with strap adjustment being made at the back of the snorkel (like swim goggles).
This makes for fewer moving pieces and longer durability.
And finally, the dual head straps allow for a more stable snorkel position and less wobbling when swimming at high speeds. Put on fins and paddles and hit those blistering speeds with this thing on. It’s made for it.
The main downside of the FINIS Swimmer’s Snorkel is that your head feels “busy” with the dual straps and your swim goggle straps.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Best swim snorkel for sprinting
Multiple head straps can feel “busy” when combined with goggle straps
Swiveling mouthpiece for mid-set conversations
Easy-to-track positioning on mouth piece
Slimmer head bracket compared to FINIS Original Snorkel
The FINIS Swim Snorkel Jr, an excellent swim snorkel for beginners, is designed specifically for junior age group swimmers.
The FINIS Swimmer’s Snorkel Junior has the same performance features as the regular snorkel, with an easily adjustable head strap, one-way purge valve for easily getting water out of the tube, and the center-mount design that is perfect for swimming laps.
The tube on the Jr model is two-inches shorter, which means that swimmers have to “push” less with their lungs to purge the tube, and makes it a better choice for smaller swimmers with smaller lungs.
FINIS recommends the Jr version of their swimmers snorkel for kids aged 10-13 years.
The FINIS Stability Snorkel Jr is a snorkel designed for younger swimmers, aged 6-10 years of age. It combines the same easy-to-adjust height on the mouthpiece as the Adult version, with a shorter tube and soft, silicone head mount for smaller faces.
The dual-strap design on the Junior model is different from the adult version in that the strap splits into two halfway, just past the ears. The smaller mouthpiece is also designed for younger swimmers.
The FINIS Stability Snorkel Jr is the perfect snorkel for swimmers who want to increase confidence in the water and focus on mastering technique and proper stroke fundamentals.
Easy to adjust, comfortable enough for extended wear, and made by the leading swim snorkel brand on the pool deck, the FINIS Stability Snorkel Jr is the perfect “first” snorkel for your swimmers.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Best “first” snorkel for younger swimmers
Limited color options
Comfortable head mount that won’t leave marks
Made by the leading swim snorkel brand
Smaller mouthpiece and shorter tube for smaller swimmers
As the name would suggest, the TYR Ultralite 2.0 snorkel’s distinctive feature is its weight—or rather, its lack of it. At just 175g, it’s a featherweight, which comes in handy when having to stuff your mesh bag on the way to practice.
The mouthpiece is made of a soft silicone (helpful for those long swims to avoid jaw fatigue from biting down on the mouthpiece), a hydrodynamic tube and a distinct boomerang shape.
The head strap is tightened on the back of your head, unlike the other snorkels on this list whose straps are adjusted where the headpiece meets the snorkel tube.
The best part about the Ultralite 2.0 is that it comes with two additional tube caps that restrict airflow into the tube.
The caps essentially make your lungs work harder to inhale and exhale, like weight lifting for your lungs. (This type of training is obviously for more experienced swimmers.)
The TYR Ultralite 2.0 is available in black as well as in pink.
✅ PROS
❌ CONS
Multiple air valves for strengthening respiratory muscles
The swim snorkel is one of my favorite all-time tools for getting faster and more efficient in the water.
They come in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes. They also have varying features, including purge valves, spot size, and a whole bunch more.
Suddenly, shopping for this simple-looking tool can get overwhelming.
Here are the key things to look out for when picking up your next snorkel for swimming laps.
✅ Head straps.
Straps are your best friend for keeping the snorkel in place when swimming. A wobbly swim snorkel is a pain in the chlorinated butt, and the last thing you want to do mid-length while you are crushing a swim practice is having to stop and straighten the snorkel.
Head straps come in a variety of forms. There is a single strap that breaks off into two at the back of the head to give the snorkel more “grip” on your head. Some snorkels now have two straps (like the FINIS Stability Snorkel). And others have one adjustable strap.
Image credit: @kaatedouglass
Head straps keep the snorkel stable while you are swimming, so make sure to choose a swim snorkel with a strap that will keep it in place.
✅ Head padding.
I’ve long been a fan of doing extended, unbroken swims with a snorkel on. There’s something meditative about staring at the bottom of the pool for long stretches of time.
But after these swims, I found that my forehead was sore from the headpiece. Most snorkel makers have updated their swim snorkels to add padding to the headpiece.
Snorkels are great tools, but they are even better when they can be worn comfortably.
✅ Snorkel tube shape.
The shape of the tube is another key thing to think about when trying to find the right swimmer’s snorkel for you. A majority of snorkels have a slight bend backwards in the tube to keep water from entering the tube.
The FINIS Freestyler has a more bent tube that frees up more room to perform a flipturn without the snorkel crashing into your legs.
If you plan on swimming in open water, look for a tube that has a straighter construction, giving you more clearance and decreasing the odds an errant wave will tumble down the purge valve and tube.
Image credit: @regansmith4
✅ Colors and price.
Lastly, there are the other factors of cost and price. Cost-wise, swim snorkels range in the $30-40 range, with the specialized snorkels costing a little more.
Colors are a choice of preference and style, but a brighter swim snorkel can be a safety win. For swimmers who like to take their snorkel to the lake or ocean, a brightly colored swim snorkel can help increase their visibility on the open water.
What are the benefits of swimming with a snorkel?
The benefits of swim snorkels include developing a more balanced stroke, improving body position, maintaining a straight head when swimming, and reducing neck and trap tightness from extended swimming.
Snorkels are also excellent for doing kick sets without a kickboard and for sculling to improve your feel for the water.
Using a swimmer’s snorkel is a great way to nail that “head down” and straight bodyline in the water.
Can a swimmer’s snorkel help improve cardio?
Yes, swim snorkels can help you build cardiovascular endurance by strengthening your breathing muscles.
Swimmer’s snorkels have a range of different tube widths. A narrower tube width means your lungs must work harder to push air in and out of the tube.
The effects are similar to wearing a training mask while doing dryland or land-based cardio.
FINIS also offers a cardio cap to add to their Jr and regular swim snorkels that narrow the tube width by 40%, encouraging you to really work your pulmonary muscles. (They are only around $6 over at Amazon.)
Why do some pools not allow swimmer’s snorkels?
Swim snorkels create a safety concern because they restrict your ability to see forward, increasing the likelihood of colliding with fellow lap swimmers.
Between the straighter head position that a snorkel encourages and the headpiece and mount blocking forward view, snorkels reduce forward-facing vision.
In the name of bubble-wrapping society, err, safety, some pools have decided that this makes them unsafe for open lap swim sessions when multiple users share a lane.
It’s always worth checking with your local swimming pool to ensure snorkels are okay to use during your next lap swim.
How do I make my swimmer’s snorkel last?
In terms of maintenance, there are two things that you will need to be aware of when using your snorkel.
First, you should be washing your snorkel every so often. Mold will accumulate in the tube and in the mouthpiece. (Fun fact: you can do this easily by throwing it in the dishwasher.)
Secondly, the snaps on the headpiece will snap on you. Sometimes, it’s after a couple of months, sometimes after a year or so, but inevitably, the snap that tightens or loosens the head strap has broken on every snorkel I’ve ever owned. I’ve “solved” this by simply tying the snorkel’s plastic strap once I’ve settled on a tightness I am happy with.
Where is the best place to buy swimmer’s snorkels?
Most local swim shops feature a decent selection of swimming snorkels.
Swim Outlet has the most extensive collection of swimming snorkels online. They also support many competitive swimming teams and organizations and are competitive in pricing with other big online retailers.
Wrapping Things Up
The swim snorkel is one of the best tools you can add to your swim training to improve technique, become a more efficient swimmer, and increase overall speed. Snorkels are also a great way to help you focus on executing drills like sculling with full concentration.
To recap our top picks:
⭐ The FINIS Swimmer’s Snorkelis the original and still the best. It’s available in a ton of colors and also comes in junior sizes for smaller faces.
⭐ Swimmers who don’t love the FINIS options should opt for Speedo’s Bullethead Snorkel. It combines a minimalist design and a padded head mount.
⭐ Younger swimmers will love the comfortable fit and slim profile of the FINIS Stability Snorkel Jr, which has a soft silicone head mount and a to-adjust mouthpiece.
Choose the swim snorkel that matches your goals in the pool and take your swimming to the next level.
Fuel Like a Champion: Essential Nutrition Tips for Swimmers Before, During, and After a Meet
To race like a champion, you need to fuel like one. Discover expert nutrition tips on what to eat before, during, and after a swim meet to optimize your performance and recovery.
You’ve put in the hard work, completed your training, and navigated your taper with ease. Now, it’s time to focus on fueling up properly to set new personal bests and excel in your upcoming swim meet.
As race day approaches, the pressure can make you second-guess every aspect of your preparation, especially your nutrition. Common questions arise:
What should I eat the night before a swim meet?
Is carb-loading with pizza effective or overkill?
What are the best snacks to have between races?
What should I eat on the morning of the competition?
Is it okay to indulge in Nutella just before my race?
Luckily, top sports dietitians are here to clear up the confusion and provide guidance on what you should eat to maximize your performance and recovery.
Forget the stress and simplify your diet with these expert-approved nutrition tips. Focus on enjoying the competition and swimming your best.
Let’s get started!
Come Prepared to Eat Like a Champion.
One of the perks of our sport is travel! We get to go to new cities, new states, new countries.
Unfortunately, getting out of our usual routine and surroundings often means we are defaulting to less-than-awesome food choices.
Instead of relying on take-out or depending on the concession or vending machine, come prepared.
“Most swim meets have some sort of food stand, but you can’t always count on it to have options you know sit well in your stomach,” says Lauren Trocchio, RD, LD, CSSD, former sports dietitian at George Washington University. “Best to bring your own stash of non-perishable and/or perishable snacks (using a small cooler if needed).”
But plotting ahead of time what you are going to eat, and having it ready and on hand, means you can stop worrying about how you are going to fuel yourself and spend that time getting locked in on swimming like a certified boss.
Try out your swim meet snacks before a hard workout.
One of the perks of being prepared ahead of time is that it cuts down the likelihood of you going out and getting last-minute adventurous with your diet.
Hey, I am not knocking trying out new foods (variety is the spice of life and all that!), but trying that super spicy dish the night before competition when you have a, shall we say, timid tummy isn’t a great game plan.
(Unless your game plan is white-knuckling the toilet until the wee hours of the morning.)
Stick to what you know so that you aren’t walking out onto the pool deck with one eye on the starting block and the other scanning for the nearest washroom.
The pre-race nerves and butterflies that happen on race day will make you extra sensitive to what is happening in your belly, so let’s keep the angry grumbles in our belly to a minimum.
Sticking with what you know starts with trying out your meet snacks ahead of time. If those bananas, grapes, and whey protein sit well in your tum-tum before a hard practice, there’s a good chance it will sit just fine before the big race, too.
Rehearse what you are going to eat ahead of time. This is just one additional way of calming some of the uncertainty and unpredictability that is inherent with competition, especially on the road.
“Don’t wait until a big meet to try out your snacks. Try having the snack before a tough practice one day to see how it sits on a stomach in similar race day conditions (high-intensity work),” says Trocchio.
Studies have shown cheering to increase post-meet hunger by 12%
Snack Like a Champion
Swim meets are exhausting. Between the all-out efforts, the warming up, the warming down, and the stress and emotional bumper-carting, it is vital to keep yourself fueled over the course of each day and the weekend.
And this means snacks! All the snacks!
And more importantly, healthy snacks that are easy to digest.
“Needs vary depending on how many events the swimmer is competing in each day. However, one recommendation always remains the same: Pack lots of easily digestible carbohydrate-rich snacks,” says Amy Connell, Director of Sports Nutrition at Columbia University.
Diana Nguyen, who was the Director of Sports Nutrition for the NC State Wolfpack from 2015-2020, echoes the importance of eating snacks to keep your energy and recovery topped up. “Look for high carbohydrate snacks that are easy on the stomach,” says Nguyen.
Here are some healthy swim meet snacks that are easy on the tum-tum:
Bananas
Apple sauce
Pita chips
Bagels
Fig newtons
Dried dates
PB&J sandwich
Electrolye drinks
Grapes
Energy bars
Prezels
Energy chews/gels
Hydrate Like a Boss
Training and competing in water masks the fact that we are sweating while we are swimming. Dehydration sneaks up on us because it’s not obvious that we are sweating like crazy without the tell-tale sweaty brow or soaked gym shirt.
On top of the sweat that we are expelling from racing and putting in thousands of meters of warm-up/warm-down, there is also that unrelenting need to pee from pre-race nerves and anxiety.
Which makes swim meets an ideal scenario for dehydration.
(This study found that muscle endurance crashes with just a 1.6% drop of bodyweight from dehydration.)
During extended bouts of exercise—which is essentially what a session of a swim meet is—we are sweating like crazy, losing water, losing electrolytes and burning glycogen.
Sports drinks, which contain electrolytes, glycogen, and carbs, keep us topped up and fueled when ingested before or during exercise [Science!], [More science!].
Hit your hydration with a 1-2 punch of water and sports drinks. Not only will you perform better, but you will also bounce back quicker. Another study found that athletes who drank a sports drink before and after a 90-minute workout recovered faster.
“Get plenty of fluids and sports drinks so you are always optimally fueled and ready to race,” says Connelly.
“Maintain your hydration! Even though you are in a pool, you still sweat and lose electrolytes. Sip on water and sports drinks throughout the day,” adds Nguyen.
The Swim Meet Breakfast
I always had a hard time sleeping the night before a big race. So many nerves and excitement! This extended to the following morning. Sitting at the breakfast table with a swirling tornado of pre-race nerves and butterflies made eating a little difficult.
The advice from our sports dietitians might sound repetitive, but the truth is that there is no “perfect” swim meet breakfast, just what works for you and is well-balanced.
Why is which it is so important to pay attention to what has worked for you in the past when it comes to your nutrition and performance.
“Eat a balanced breakfast the morning of the meet. A balanced breakfast should include carbohydrates, protein, fluids, and a small portion of healthy fat,” says Auburn Weisensale, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, Director of Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh.
In terms of timing your swim meet breakfast, aim for a three-hour window from the time you throw down on your eggs and avocado toast and when you expect to get up on the blocks. So if you expect to race at 10:00am, load up on breakie around 7:00.
Half an hour before you race, top up with one of those healthy snacks listed earlier.
“Meals should be three hours before competition to allow ample time for digestion,” says Nguyen. “Thirty minutes to an hour before your race, have a carbohydrate-rich snack for a quick energy boost.”
The Post-Swim Meet Meal
Alrighty, so the day is finally over, and feeling has returned to your butt after sitting on cold metal bleachers for hours on end in a soggy swim-suit.
Now, it’s time hit recovery mode.
There are two simple things you should focus on when it comes to eating after a swim meet:
Get some carbs and protein in you within thirty minutes of racing. This is when your muscles are hungriest for energy uptake. “Recover with carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes after competition,” says Wiesensale. A protein shake and a banana have long been my staple post race/workout snack.
Eat a protein-focused dinner. Once you have given something to your muscles to snack on, follow up with a meal that has plenty of protein. “It is extremely important to get a protein-rich recovery meal after the day is done so you can replenish energy stores and rebuild muscle,” says Connelly.
The Next Step
A staggering amount of swimmers, even at the elite level, do not meet the daily requirements when it comes to eating properly.
Swim meet nutrition for swimmers doesn’t need to be something that has to be overthought or overly confusing.
Master Pacing with These Swim Workouts for Better Speed and Endurance
Want to swim faster and more efficiently? Pacing is key to improving your swimming speed, energy efficiency, and overall endurance.
Many swimmers focus solely on building speed and endurance, but without proper pacing, even the fastest swimmers can burn out quickly. Pacing helps you maintain your energy and swim at your optimal intensity, allowing you to sustain speed without exhausting yourself too soon.
In this guide, we’ll cover swim workouts designed to help you master pacing in the pool. Plus, we’ll share tips for managing effort during races so you can swim your fastest.
Let’s dive in and unlock better pacing, faster swimming, and greater endurance.
Set #1: Setting a Target Pace
Let’s start in the shallow end (metaphorically speaking) and start with the absolute basics when it comes to adding this type of swim training.
Set a target time for the set and see how many times you can hit it.
For example:
20×25 freestyle swim – Choose a target time (i.e. 17 seconds per repetition) and see how many of the 20 repetitions you can hit that pace.
20×50 freestyle swim – Choose a target time (i.e. 35 seconds per repetition) and do the same as the 25s.
The repetitions shouldn’t be at 100% effort, either.
Start with medium-effort swimming to get a sense of what speeds at different intensities feel like.
With a baseline in hand, we can start building up the volume and conditioning to really learn pace.
Set #2: Variable Pace Training
Let’s crank up the difficulty a little bit by targeting several different paces and speeds to promote a deeper understanding of how speed and energy distribution work at various intensities.
For these sets, we will use the same target goal paces (:17 per 25m and 35 seconds for the 50m repetitions).
The goal is to swim at three different speeds: slightly slower than pace (forcing you to swim “easy”), hitting the target pace, and swimming faster than pace.
Swimmers learn pacing skills by being exposed to different speeds and paces to teach the body what each velocity feels like.
This set uses a repeating descending format that swimmers of all abilities should learn and get comfortable using.
30×25 freestyle swim. We will do ten rounds of 3×25, with the following target times for the 25s: 18 seconds, 17 seconds, 16 seconds.
30×50 freestyle swim. Same format, but targeting the following times: 36 seconds, 35 seconds, and 34 seconds.
Descend sets are an excellent overall tool for swimmers, as they not only force you to be cognizant of speed and times but also mimic the energy demands of competitive events.
Set #3: Variable Distance and Pace Training
Let’s crank up the difficulty further by increasing the distance of each repetition. Stack up the volume, pushing yourself to maintain pace as the distance increases. This is a great form of conditioning and pacing work that gives you immediate feedback on your ability to maintain speed.
The target pace for this swim set is 35 seconds.
4×50 freestyle swim at pace (Target: 35s)
3×100 freestyle swim at pace (Target: 1:10)
2×200 freestyle swim at pace (Target: 2:20)
1×300 freestyle swim at pace (Target: 3:30)
With this type of set, the sky is the limit.
To get more from this set, keep increasing the distance while holding the pace. 400s, 500, 800s, and so on.
Should you fall off, go back down the ladder.
For example, if you make it to the 300 but fall off the pace, repeat the set going “down,” starting with the 200s, then the 100s, and so on.
Try variations of this set over the days, weeks, and months ahead and keep pushing the distances.
How do you determine pace in swimming?
Swimming pace can be calculated by dividing time by distance.
Distance used to dictate pace can vary, but the most common one used is 100m (or yards).
For example:
Swimming 1,500m in 20:00, your 100m pace is 1:20.
Swimming 400m in 4:40, your 100m pace is 1:10.
Paces can be further split up to 25m and 50m.
Swimming 100m in 1:00, your 25m pace is :15.
The pace distance you choose will reflect the distances you swim in the water and your swimming goals.
Does using SWOLF help swimmers improve pacing skills?
SWOLF is a metric used in swimming to calculate efficiency by combining stroke count and time elapsed of a lap. SWOLF is a great tool to assess your most efficient swimming pace.
For example, if you swim 50m in 35 seconds, and take 35 strokes, the SWOLF score is 70.
A SWOLF score can be improved by lowering the score (hence the “golf” portmanteau; a lower score is optimal) either by taking less strokes or swimming faster, but ideally, by doing both.
SWOLF is a handy tool for evaluating your swimming efficiency and helping you better manage energy and pace.
Wrapping Things Up
Learning pacing skills in the pool can help swimmers manage energy to swim faster, longer.
By training at various intensities, speeds, and intensities, you can get a better understanding of how you perform best in the water.
Training for goal race pace can also be a huge confidence-booster; knowing that you have put in the miles at your target pace in training gives you the confidence to know that you can do it on race day, too.
Add some pace sets to your swimming workouts, get a feel for how you perform best, and swim to new heights.
