Your strength guide
Strength Training... But Where to Start?
Many swimmers know that strength training is essential for swimming faster, more efficiently, and injury-free. But where do you start? Which exercises truly match your swimming style? And how can you ensure your strength training actually boosts your performance in the water, rather than holding you back or wasting time on random circuits?
At Swim Peak Anatomy, we provide a clear path forward. We take complex strength and movement science and turn it into practical, swimmer-focused training programs. Whether you’re just starting out or already experienced but feeling stuck, we give you the knowledge and guidance to move forward with confidence.
In this section, you’ll find ready-to-use programs for both gym and bodyweight training. These programs are designed for swimmers who want an effective and affordable way to build strength and improve performance.
💰 Price: depends on the chosen program
This book takes you from the basics to advanced knowledge, so you’re fully equipped to build smarter strength programs:
💪 Strength & Power: Learn how to apply strength, power, speed, hypertrophy, and mobility effectively in your training routine.
🧠 Science-Based: Get a solid scientific foundation on all major muscle groups and the neural mechanisms that drive peak performance.
🏊 For Swimmers: Access every essential exercise designed specifically for swimmers.
🔥 Our Philosophy: Follow the Swim Peak Anatomy philosophy throughout the book and if you like it, you can always join our membership community afterwards.
💰 Price: €9,99 (incl. VAT)
Become part of our community and get personalized support to reach your peak performance.
🛠️ Customized Programs: Build training plans with us that are fully tailored to your goals and easily adjusted to match the intensity of your swim schedule.
🏆 Peak for Competitions: We’ll build a full annual plan around your key races to help you perform at your best.
📊 Exercise Analysis: Get feedback and assessments on your exercise execution (optional).
💬 24/7 Support: Chat with us anytime to solve your training questions and challenges.
🤝 For Everyone: No matter your age, gender, level, swimming style, or distance, we’ll guide you step by step.
🏋️ The only requirement: access to a public gym.
📖 Bonus: Get our E-book “The Big Five” for free.
💰 Price: €79,99 / Year (incl. VAT)
Reasons Why You Should Do Strength Training!
(Click on the pictures if you're interested)
Become Elite
One of the main reasons swimmers do strength training is because it can dramatically improve their performance in the water. It helps you develop the strongest, most powerful, and most mobile version of yourself, which in most cases translates directly into faster swim times.
Breaking your plateau
Strength training can play a crucial role in breaking through plateaus. Many swimmers, at some point in their career, encounter the so-called ceiling effect: they get stuck at a certain time and, despite all their efforts, no longer make progress. This can be extremely frustrating. You put all your time and energy into swimming, you would do anything to improve your personal record, but the results just do not come.
A major cause of such a plateau is that the body, and especially the muscles, get used to the load of swim training. They stop adapting. Many swimmers then assume they simply need to swim more. But in reality, the number of swim hours is rarely the problem, especially not for sprinters.
A swimmer’s muscles know the water inside out. Additional swim sessions rarely provide the necessary stimulus to move forward. And if there is any progress, it is usually short-lived. More often, fatigue increases, training quality drops, injuries pile up, and a negative spiral emerges that puts both performance and motivation under pressure.
What the body actually needs in such a phase is a new external stimulus to trigger adaptation again. For swimmers stuck on a plateau, the right strength training is often the key to a breakthrough. And by "the right" we mean more than just pushing yourself in the gym. Lifting heavy is no guarantee of faster times. Effective strength training is efficient, targeted, and free of unnecessary junk volume. It must be closely aligned with the specific needs of the swimmer.
Gain mental strength
Strength training can also make a big difference mentally. Many swimmers struggle with a lack of self-confidence behind the starting block. They may be in peak physical condition, but they lack conviction. How often have you thought: "Oh no, I have to swim next to someone who looks stronger"? That thought already puts you at a mental disadvantage before the starting signal even sounds. Strength training not only helps you progress physically but also gives you a mental edge. You feel more confident, you are ready for your race, and you truly believe that you are stronger than ever. That mindset makes the difference at crucial moments.
Injurie prevention
Strength training is a powerful tool for injury prevention. Yet many swimmers and coaches still hold on to a persistent misconception. They believe that strength training actually causes injuries. In reality, the opposite is true, provided you train with a well-structured and thoughtful program. A proper strength program takes into account progression, technique, and workload. In addition, a good plan also focuses on the stabilizing muscles. These muscles support the joints used in swimming, which means other muscles do not need to take on compensating roles. Such compensation is often the cause of overuse and pain.
Discover your perfect program
At SwimPeak Anatomy, we believe that strength training should enhance your performance in the water, not hinder it. Our unique training program helps swimmers become stronger, more explosive, and improve mobility without compromising their swim training. While other programs are often too intense and inefficient, we focus on targeted exercises that truly improve your performance in the water. Our training plans are based on five key pillars, which we call the BIG FIVE. If you're interested, click the "Learn More" button to explore further details.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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No, a gym is not a must. We have also developed general programs for you if you do not have the possibility to go to a gym. If you are curious, click on the button to the right.
This depends on several things. How motivated are you? How quickly do you get everything in your schedule under control? How consistent do you remain over time? All these factors determine whether you will see results quickly or not! Things like strength and power do not develop in 1 training. It is a result of hard work and consistency. So if you are motivated and really want to do everything to develop your body, then after some time you will definitely see a difference both next to and in the pool.
If you are not sure if you are doing the exercises correctly and you need someone to help you with this, then our membership is perfect for you! Every member is entitled to 1 on 1 coaching. You send us the problem you are having and we discuss this via any platform of your choice.