What is a Good Swimming Workout for Beginners? (Try Free)
By filling out the form below, you can have a free swimming workout (we will email it for you) that is for you from a professional swim coach:
What is a Good Swimming Workout for Beginners? Free first swimming workout!
The table below is workout recommendation for swimming for beginners:
| Good Swimming Workout element for Beginners | Advice |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 2-3 times per week |
| Session Length | 20-45 minutes |
| Typical Distance | 400-1000 yards (16-40 laps of 25 yards) |
| Tools | Kickboard, fins, pull buoy |
| Strokes to Use | Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke |
| Focus | Technique, breathing, gradual endurance build |
Below, we’ll explore various beginner swimming workout options, including those with no equipment, specific to kids, focused on freestyle swimming, and even ones that can be done at home.
If you have 30 minutes or an hour to workout, in this article you can find a program for yourself:
Swimming training program for beginners PDF
You can download the PDF below and do the workout program, or you can fill out the form at the top of this page, and a coach will write you a program according to your conditions:
Beginner Swim Workout No Equipment
- Warm-Up (10-15 minutes):
- Start with 4*50 meters freestyle flutter kick, backstroke flutter kick, breaststroke kick, and dolphin kick.
- Rest for 1 minute after every 100 meters.
- Main Set (25 minutes):
- Swim 5*200 meters freestyle. Swim every 100 meters in 5 minutes. After swimming one set, rest for the remaining
- time until the 5 minutes are finished.
- Cool Down (5 minutes):
- Swim at a very slow pace for 3*100 meters
Beginner Swim Workout for Kids
Here’s a simple beginner workout for kids:
- Warm-Up (5 minutes):
- Take kids hands and stand in a circle, then ask them to come under water to see you and blow bubbles.
- Main Set (15-20 minutes):
- Tell them to float on their back while kicking their legs. Or tell the kids to put their faces in the water, and float on their chest with their arms and legs looking like a star.
- Games (5 minutes):
- Let them have fun in the water for themselves for 5 minutes. You can recommend that they go underwater, blow bubbles, and dance together.
What is a Good Swimming Workout for Beginners at Home?
For beginners who don’t have access to a pool but still want to practice swimming movements, here’s a dryland workout you can do at home:
| Stroke | Good Swimming Workout for Beginners at Home (Dryland Exercises) |
|---|---|
| Freestyle | Squats, lunges, box jumps, push-ups, pull-ups, flutter kicks, rows, deadlifts, bench press, dips, core work (planks, superman, woodchop), dynamic stretching |
| Backstroke | Squats (goblet, back, box), weighted lunges, pull-ups (weighted), deadlifts, Russian twists, shooters squats, hollow holds, deadbug with band, glute bridge with diagonal reach, core work |
| Breaststroke | Weighted squats, lunges, resistance band work, push-ups, jump rope, adductor rocks, scap pulldown with band, plank to squat, muscle up (TRX), hip circles, fire hydrant, sumo RDL, high elbow pull, reverse-to-lateral lunge, plank walk |
| Butterfly | Pull-ups, squats, jump squats, core work (hollow holds, flutter kicks, superman, planks), active hangs, lat pulldowns, rows, tricep extensions, medicine ball slams, box jumps |
Perform 3 sets of 8–12 repetitions for strength exercises, hold core exercises for 30–60 seconds per set, and complete 2–3 sets of plyometric exercises.
30-Minute Swim Workout for Beginners
If you only have 30 minutes to swim, here’s an effective workout plan:
- Warm-Up (5 minutes):
- Swim 3*50 meters backstroke
- Main Set (20 minutes):
- Swim 25 meters using only backstroke flutter kick with your arms locked behind you, then swim 25 meters back using only breaststroke kick with your arms locked behind you. Repeat this sequence 5 times.
- Rest for 1 minute within each set
- Cool Down (5 minutes):
- Swim freestyle at low pace
1 Hour swim workouts for beginners
- Warm-Up (10 minutes):
- Swim 4* 100 meters freestyle
- Rest 1 minute after each set.
- Main Set (40 minutes):
- Swim 5 sets of 50 meters using only freestyle flutter kick, keeping your arms straight along your sides (at your hamstrings).
- Rest for 1 minute after each set.
- Then, swim 5 sets of 50 meters using only backstroke flutter kick, with your arms extended straight up in front of your face.
- Rest for 1 minute after each set.
- Cool Down (10 minutes):
- Swim backstroke at slow pace.
FAQs
What is a good swim pace for beginners?
A typical beginner pace for freestyle is 2:00 to 2:30 per 100 meters (or 2:10–3:00 per 100 meters for those just starting out or with less technique).
How many swimming lessons does a beginner need?
Many instructors suggest that 3–6 lessons can make most adults able to float and swim a short distance, while 10–20 lessons are recommended to develop the beginners swimming techniques.
Does walking in a pool count as exercise?
Yes, walking in a pool is considered exercise. Walking in a pool is for those recovering from injury or with joint issues. Walking in water can burn more calories than walking on land and offers benefits for heart health, muscle strength, and stress relief.
How many laps in a pool is 1 mile?
The number of laps in a mile depends on the pool length:
- 25-meter pool: About 65 laps
- Olympic (50-meter) pool: About 33 laps
Is 20 minutes of swimming a day enough?
Yes, 20 minutes of swimming a day is is a good swimming workout for Beginners. For many people, 20–30 minutes of moderate swimming 2–3 times per week is already beneficial, and daily 20-minute sessions provide even greater advantages.
What is a normal swim workout?
A normal swim workout includes:
- Warm-up: Easy swimming, kicking, or drills (5–10 minutes)
- Main set: Intervals or continuous swimming, often with rest periods (15–30 minutes)
- Cool-down: Easy swimming (5–10 minutes)
Total workout time is usually 30–60 minutes.
How long should a beginner swim workout be?
Beginners should start with 20–30 minutes per session that can be extended to 30–45 minutes.
What's a good beginner swimming workout?
A good beginner workout might look like this:
- Warm-up: 2–4 laps easy swimming (any stroke)
- Main set: 6–12 laps freestyle
- Kicking or pulling drills: 2–4 laps with a kickboard or pull buoy
- Cool-down: 2–4 laps easy swimming or stretching
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