🏋️‍♀️ Why Swimmers Shouldn’t Train Like Powerlifters

April 17, 2025

If you’ve ever walked into a weight room and wondered whether you should be lifting like the strongest athletes in the gym… you’re not alone.

It’s tempting to think that more plates = faster swimming. But here’s the truth:

📉 Heavy barbell lifts aren’t built for swimmers.
Swimming is about power, mobility, and control, not max strength in a static environment.

Let’s break down the science behind why training like a powerlifter can slow you down, tighten you up, and limit your potential in the water.

The Science

Powerlifters train to move maximal weight in one direction, typically in bilateral, ground-based, high-load patterns (squat, bench, deadlift).

Swimming, on the other hand, is:

✅ Performed in a horizontal plane
✅ Requires unilateral power and core-driven movement
 ✅ Depends on mobility, elasticity, and fluid coordination

A 2019 study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that excessive max strength training reduced range of motion in overhead athletes and increased injury risk, especially in the shoulder and thoracic spine

What Can Go Wrong

Here’s what happens when swimmers follow powerlifting-style programs:

🔹 Limited Shoulder Mobility
Heavy pressing reduces scapular control, a must-have for healthy freestyle and fly mechanics.

🔹 Overdeveloped Prime Movers
Too much chest and quad work leads to muscular imbalances, poor posture, and tight hips, all of which break streamline and reduce kick efficiency.

🔹 Low Transfer to Swimming
Powerlifting builds absolute strength. Swimming relies more on rate of force development (the ability to produce force quickly).
That’s not the same thing.

What to Do Instead

Swimmers need to train for the demands of the pool, not the platform.

✅ Train Unilaterally
Use split squats, single-arm rows, and single-leg RDLs to mimic stroke mechanics and reduce asymmetry.

✅ Prioritize Core Control
Exercises like planks, anti-rotational work, and isometric holds improve body line and rotational power.

✅ Build Power, Not Just Strength
Use medicine ball throws, resisted jumps, band work, and lighter Olympic variations to train explosiveness.

✅ Keep Mobility High
Your dryland should maintain or improve range of motion. Think shoulder stability work, thoracic rotation, and dynamic mobility drills.

Need Personalized Help?

Want to fine-tune your stroke and drop time? 🏊‍♂️

📹 Get personalized coaching tailored to your swimming style—expert feedback on your technique, starts, and turns, no matter where you train.

➡️ Ready for a custom game plan to swim faster? Check out our virtual coaching packages here:

Virtual Coaching | Swim Trident USA

With 40+ years of coaching, we help swimmers unlock their potential with personalized coaching and cutting-edge training. Our programs are designed for rapid progress, so you can reach your goals faster than ever.

The weight room can be a game-changer, but only if it’s used right.

Swimmers don’t need to squat 400 pounds. They need to be explosive, mobile, and streamlined.

Trade in the powerlifting mindset for a swim-specific plan, and you’ll move better in the water and stay healthier all season.

Stay fast,
The Swim Trident USA Team

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