The off-season is over. Whether you're gearing up for spring meets, open water season, or championship racing, the pre-season window is your foundation for everything that follows. This is where fast swimmers are built—not in the spotlight, but in the disciplined weeks of preparation that most never see.
The Pre-Season Mindset
Pre-season isn't about intensity—it's about consistency. Your goal is to build aerobic base, reinforce stroke mechanics, and develop the structural resilience that will carry you through higher-volume training blocks. Rush this phase, and you'll pay for it later with injury, burnout, or a performance plateau in the water.
Training Fundamentals to Prioritize
1. Build Your Aerobic Base
Low-intensity, high-volume swimming is the cornerstone of pre-season training. Think long aerobic sets, steady-state threshold work, or extended zone 2 sessions. This isn't glamorous, but it develops mitochondrial density, capillary networks, and fat oxidation—the invisible infrastructure of swim endurance.
2. Reinforce Stroke Mechanics
Before you add speed or race-pace work, dial in your technique. Use this phase to work with a coach, film your strokes, and address compensatory patterns. Clean mechanics now mean fewer injuries, better efficiency, and more power transfer when intensity ramps up.
3. Strengthen Your Weak Links
Pre-season is the time to address imbalances and structural weaknesses. Incorporate targeted dryland strength work, mobility drills, and shoulder prehab exercises. Focus on posterior chain development, rotator cuff stability, core strength, and ankle flexibility for better kicks.
4. Establish Recovery Protocols
As yardage increases, so does your need for recovery. Build habits now: consistent sleep schedules, nutrition timing, hydration strategies, and active recovery sessions. These aren't luxuries—they're performance multipliers that keep you healthy in the pool.
Gear That Supports the Process
Pre-season training demands versatility. You're logging yards in early morning practices, transitioning between pool and dryland sessions, and spending more time training than ever. Invest in pieces that regulate temperature, move with you, and hold up to daily use.
Our performance hoodies and windbreakers are engineered for exactly this phase—breathable enough for dryland work, protective enough for deck warmups and early morning walks to practice, and durable enough to become your daily uniform.
The Long Game
Pre-season preparation isn't flashy. There are no best times, no podiums, no instant gratification. But this is where the work gets done. Every aerobic set, every drill session, every early night compounds into the fitness and speed that will carry you through championship season.
Stay disciplined. Trust the process. Build the foundation.
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