How to Use Overspeed Swimming the Proper Approach

One of essentially the most fulfilling instruments that swimmers have at their disposal to enhance efficiency is overspeed coaching.

Highly enjoyable.

The idea is easy:

Swim or stroll out towards resistance tubing that’s belted round your waist till it’s actually actually taut, maintain onto the wall for a number of breaths, after which let the stress pull you again to the wall at Mach 5.

The wave that thunderclaps into the wall is all the time superior. And on the floor, the reasoning for why we do this type of coaching is smart:

Overspeed swimming exhibits you what actually elite pace looks like.

It’s an interesting concept, however the issue is that the physique doesn’t simply be taught pace, it’s additionally studying motion patterns.

How Overspeed Training Impacts Swim Speed

The objective with overspeed swimming is to show the nervous system what elite pace looks like. With sufficient repetitions, the physique soaks up the coordination, limb velocity, and physique place of upper swimming speeds and applies it to our common swimming.

It’s additionally extremely enjoyable. I imply, come on—who doesn’t love swimming twice the pace they normally can!

But does it truly enhance dash swimming efficiency?

And the reply is… type of. Maybe. And not as a lot as we want.

In one research (Girold et al., 2007), researchers had swimmers do three weeks of assisted dash coaching, resisted dash coaching, or common swim coaching. All three teams did their traditional swim exercises, with the assisted and resisted teams bolting on three extra specialised units per week.

The resisted group improved essentially the most. Upper-body power went up, 100m freestyle occasions improved by ~2%, and swimmers elevated stroke price whereas sustaining stroke size. All great things.

The overspeed group acquired sooner too, however enhancements had been a lot smaller. And extra importantly, stroke size went down whereas stroke price elevated. Swimmers needed to flip over the arms sooner to make up for diminished distance per stroke to see these positive factors.

Overspeed Swimming Changes the Stroke

To perceive why overspeed swimming can result in comfortable efficiency outcomes, it’s useful to see what it does to our stroke.

A research (Williams et al., 2006) had junior elite swimmers dash freestyle beneath three situations: assisted, resisted, and usually. During overspeed swimming, they moved about 16% sooner than regular.

As anticipated:

• Stroke price elevated
• Stroke size elevated (they had been getting towed, in any case)
• Average swimming velocity jumped

But the best way they moved via the water is the place issues get just a little spicy.

Even although they had been transferring sooner via the water, hand pace didn’t improve. They weren’t pulling tougher or sooner to match the elevated swimming speeds.

Think of it this fashion: overspeed swimming is like driving your bike downhill. Speed shoots up, however you aren’t producing extra energy when pedaling.

And extra notably, stroke approach modified in the course of the overspeed situation. Swimmers used a shallower hand path to maintain up with the speedy circulation of the water round them.

Which brings us to the principle downside with overspeed coaching: it forces swimmers to reorganize their stroke to deal with sooner flowing water.

The nervous system isn’t studying what it takes to swim at supra-max speeds, but it surely’s as a substitute studying a brand new stroke sample.

Resisted vs Assisted Swimming

Now, I do know what you is likely to be considering—doesn’t resisted swimming change your stroke approach, too?

And you’d be completely proper.

When swimmers add load to the stroke, it modifications in a number of essential methods.

Stroke coordination narrows—there’s much less catch-up within the stroke as swimmers must generate extra constant propulsion. The hand entry turns into extra aggressive, too, changing an extended, relaxed glide with a sharper, extra rapid catch.

Research additionally exhibits that technique-focused resisted swimming—not the all-out energy work most swimmers affiliate with resistance coaching—can enhance physique place by lowering extra roll and lateral motion (Skorulski et al., 2025).

In a way, with assisted swimming you might be borrowing pace, whereas with resisted swimming, you must work for it. But in each instances, the physique self-organizes to maneuver via the water extra effectively.

How to Use Overspeed Swimming Properly

So far we have now thrown a moist towel on assisted/overspeed swimming, however don’t let that dissuade you from utilizing it. Just implies that you ought to be conscious of its limitations.

Overspeed swimming can nonetheless be a useful gizmo for swimmers on the lookout for a jolt to their stroke price and nervous system. Particularly useful for the strength-heavy swimmer who can generate a lot of pressure with every stroke however struggles to show up the RPM.

Here’s how such a sprint set would seem like:

3-5 rounds:

• 25m overspeed swimming
• 20s relaxation
• 25m quick
• 50 simple

The key half is the unassisted dash. That’s the place you train your physique to breed the faster stroke rate beneath its personal energy.

A research (Lee et al., 2025) confirmed that two 20m assisted sprints led to sooner 50m breaststroke occasions in comparison with a daily warm-up. Stroke price additionally jumped, suggesting that overspeed work as a “primer” can wakey-wakey the nervous system earlier than quick swimming.

To get essentially the most from it, use overspeed coaching with both resisted swimming (which helps protect pressure manufacturing) or common dash swimming to switch that increased tempo into race-specific mechanics.

And look, overspeed swimming is simply numerous enjoyable, and there’s worth in seeing what it looks like to maneuver throughout the pool at speeds that make the lane ropes rollick and sway.

Wrapping Things Up

Use overspeed swimming to reveal your self to increased stroke charges. Prime the nervous system earlier than sprinting. Or simply to shake up a dry coaching session and remind your self what it looks like to separate the pool in half.

Just keep in mind that it’s not a substitute for creating actual pace and energy. On race day, pace comes from having the ability to generate extra pressure and displace extra water whereas holding your stroke collectively.

Borrow that pace every now and then, simply bear in mind to earn it the remainder of the time at apply.

ABOUT OLIVIER POIRIER-LEROY

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former nationwide stage swimmer, 2x Olympic Trials qualifier, and writer of a number of books for swimmers, together with YourSwimE-book, Conquer the Pool, The Dolphin Kick Manual, and most not too long ago, The 50 Freestyle Blueprint.

The e book is a beastly 220+ pages of evidence-based insights and sensible suggestions for enhancing freestyle dash pace.

It particulars the whole lot from how you can grasp stroke price, approach, construct a thundering freestyle kick, enhance your begin and underwaters, and way more.

The 50 Freestyle Blueprint additionally contains 20 dash units to get you began and a bonus information on how you can grasp the 100 freestyle to finish your dash preparation.

👉 Learn more about The 50 Freestyle Blueprint here.