A Swimming Training Partner

Last Updated on November 11, 2022 by admin

**Many of the world’s top swimmers have a swimming training partner to help them achieve their swimming goals.**

In this article, we’ll provide advice, hacks and tips on the importance of having a swimming training partner, and why every competitive swimmer should have one.

Swimmers spend many hours training in the pool in pursuit of excellence.

Swimming can sometimes be seen as a solitary sport.
Some swimmers find being able to consistently perform to their optimum on their own, over a period of time, both hard and difficult.
Many of the world’s top swimmers have a swimming training partner to help them achieve their swimming goals.

Why have a swimming training partner?

**Having a training partner can often help to keep the training at the correct level of intensity.**

They can make training more enjoyable

Having a swimming training partner to share the workload with, can often make training sessions, if not more enjoyable, then certainly less gruelling.

They can improve training attendance

As a direct result of swimmers obtaining a swimming training partner and thus making training more enjoyable, swimmers are often motivated to increase their training attendance levels.

They can help ensure that training is conducted correctly

Having a swimming training partner can help ensure that training is conducted correctly. This could include,

Conducting an effective joint poolside/deck warm-up procedure.
Looking out for one another to ensure that drills are being conducted correctly.
Ensuring any partner training drills are conducted correctly.
Conducting an effective joint poolside/deck cool-down procedure.

They can help to keep training at the correct level of intensity

**A training partner can often help to keep the training at the correct level of intensity.**

Having someone to train hard alongside and even adding a bit of healthy competitive rivalry, can often help to keep the training at the correct level of intensity. This could include,

Sharing the training workload, especially during a tough or difficult set.
Keeping a track of set target times.
Keeping a track of the number of reps completed.
Ensuring that the correct rest interval is taken.
Ensuring that each rep is started at the correct time.
Trying to beat their partner during test sets.
This can make both swimmers achieve their swimming goals more easily.

They can also be a training partner out of the water

**A swimming training partner can also help one another improve one another’s land/dryland training and cross-training programmes.**

Just as a swimming training partner can help one another in the pool, they can also help improve one another’s land/dryland training and cross-training programmes.

They can provide extra motivation

Sometimes swimmers experience tough times when life in general or swimming, in particular, seems extra tough, like getting over an illness or injury.

Having a swimming training partner who knows the swimmer best in the pool, can provide the extra motivation that is sometimes needed when these situations arise, to help get them back on track.

Getting to morning training

Sometimes swimmers need a little bit of extra motivation, to attend morning training sessions

Many swimmers send and receive texts to and from their swimming training partners/buddies as soon as they wake up.
They send one another short motivational messages. For example, ‘see you at the pool, together we’ve got this!’
This can be an excellent way of providing the extra motivation to get out of bed, especially on cold dark winter mornings.

Swimmer training partners can become great teammates

**By cheering for their training partner during their event from the poolside/deck, can give the swimmer a great deal of encouragement and support.**

During the pressure of competition, a training partner can be a great source of support to both swimmers.

Sitting together on the poolside/deck can make them both realise that they’re not facing the experience and pressure of competition alone.
Simply talking to one another while sitting on the poolside/deck awaiting their event, can take their minds off any pressures and help them both to relax.
Performing a familiar shared warm-up routine, can build confidence and reduce any stress or anxiety.
Cheering for their training partner during their event from the poolside/deck, can give the swimmer a great deal of encouragement and support.

They can put things in their proper perspective

Every competitive swimmer experiences some disappointment at some time during their competitive career.

When that happens, swimmers sometimes become too hard on themselves.
Having a swimming training partner can sometimes help in this situation with an honest and positive appraisal of the situation.

What makes a good swimming training partner?

**Both swimming training partners should have similar swimming goals.**

A swimming training partnership works best when the swimmers are of similar abilities.

Other key attributes include,

Both swimmers should like one another

It’s important that both swimming training partners like one another.

Swimming training partners that respect one another are more likely to pull together when the training gets tough.

They should share similar swimming goals

Both swimming training partners should have similar swimming goals.

By working together and helping one another, swimming training partners boost both of the swimmer’s chances of achieving their swimming goals.

Both swimmers should have the same attitude and levels of motivation.

It’s also important that both swimming training partners have the same attitude and levels of motivation.

Being driven by the same level of determination to succeed, is a key successful swimming training partnership attribute.

Both swimmers should have the same work ethic

Last but certainly not least, both swimming training partners should have the same work ethic.

One of the potential downsides of having a swimming training partner is that one partner is likely to only train as hard as the other partner does.
Therefore, it’s important for a successful training partnership that both swimming training partners are always looking to become better and faster swimmers.

Takeaways

Swimmers spend many hours training in the pool in pursuit of excellence.

Swimming can sometimes be seen as a solitary sport.
Some swimmers find being able to consistently perform to their optimum over a period of time can be both hard and difficult.
Many of the world’s top swimmers have a swimming training partner to help them achieve their swimming goals.

Having a training partner to share the workload with can often make training sessions, if not more enjoyable, then certainly less gruelling.

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