3 Tips to Build Swim-Specific Strength (and Leave Your Competition Behind)

Here’s the brutal truth:

Anyone can lift heavy. Not everyone can swim fast.

Big numbers in the gym might look cool, but they don't mean anything if they don't make you better in the water.

Swimming is about power, speed, and holding form under pressure — not just stacking plates.

If your strength doesn’t transfer to faster starts, stronger breakouts, and better walls, you’re just wasting time.

In this article, I’m breaking down the three biggest lessons from my own training — the exact methods I’ve used to turn gym strength into race-day speed.

Real strength. Real power. Real results.

Let’s dive in and get to work. 🏊‍♂️🔥

1. Half-Reps Are Killing Your Progress (And You Don’t Even Know It)

Look — in the gym, we don’t fake it. No half reps, no "good enough" squats.

When I squat, it’s all the way down. Full range. Butt to grass. None of that halfway, bounce-out-of-the-hole stuff you see all the time.

Because think about it: you wouldn’t swim half a stroke. You wouldn’t push off the wall halfway. So why would you train halfway?

In swimming you need strength through your full range of motion. That’s what actually carries over to faster starts, stronger kicks, and cleaner turns.

At first, yeah, going deep might mean dropping the weight a little. That’s fine. Start light, move well, and build from there. Your body will thank you — and when the strength comes in all the way through the movement, that’s when you really start feeling strong in the water too.

Bottom line:
Full reps. Full range. No shortcuts.

2. Random Workouts = Random Results (Make a Plan)

If you want real swim-specific strength, you can’t just show up and lift whatever feels good that day.

Getting stronger isn’t about lifting heavier every session — it’s about progressing with a plan that builds strength at the right time, without crushing your body along the way.

Here’s exactly how we structured one of my recent strength blocks:

• 5x5 lighter weight to build volume, technique, and good movement patterns.

• 5x4 adding load, still focusing on clean, powerful reps.

• 5x3 moderate-heavy — pushing strength but still under control.

• 5x2 heavy lifts, preparing for max effort.

• 5x1 heavy singles to peak strength right before race week.

• Deload — backing off intensity to sharpen up and hit race day fresh.

We ran this structure across all the major lifts — back squats, cleans from the ground, heavy chin-ups — all built to match up with my racing calendar.

Why does this matter for swimming?
Because if you lift heavy every week with no progression, no deload, and no structure, you’re basically walking straight into burnout.
You’ll feel sluggish, tired, and dead-legged by the time your championship meet rolls around — and that’s the last thing you want.

But when you build your strength systematically, your body adapts week after week.
Then, when you dial it back right before race day, all that strength and power is still there — but now you’re fresh, sharp, and ready to explode off the blocks.

The takeaway:
Build your strength the way you build a race — piece by piece, with a plan.
Don’t guess. Train smart. Set yourself up to swim your fastest when it actually matters.

3. Strong isn’t Enough - If You’re Not Explosive, You’re Losing

Swimming is not about who’s the strongest — it’s about who’s the most powerful.

That’s why a big part of my gym training focuses on explosive movements like cleans and box jumps.

Lifting heavy is part of it, yes — but being able to move that weight quickly is where real athleticism lives.

For example, one of my favorite training complexes is a deadlift into a hand clean, paired with high box jumps.

This combo forces my body to fire explosively, develop fast-twitch muscle fibers, and convert raw strength into race-day power.

Pro Tip:
Add a few sets of speed and explosive work right after your heavy lifts. It could be box jumps, medicine ball throws, or clean pulls — just something fast and powerful.

👋Until Next Time

That’s it for today — 3 real-world ways to get stronger, move better, and swim faster.

No gimmicks. No shortcuts. Just the hard, smart work that actually makes a difference.

Remember:

• Full range beats fake strength.

• Smart progression beats random workouts.

• Power beats raw size every time.

Stay positive, stay consistent, and trust the process.
Big things are coming if you keep stacking the work.

— Cody

Until my next newsletter, I will see you all - later