Dive into Pool Training: The Ultimate Workout for All Fitness Levels That’s Low Impact on the Body and High Impact on Results

Have you added training in the pool to your training regimen?

8 years ago at age 36, I found myself at the bottom of Laird Hamilton’s pool training with guys in their 50s and 60s. I’d spent the 3 months leading up this experience training hard so arrived fit and ready. Even so, guys 20 – 30 years older than me were crushing me in the workouts. Their fitness level was incredible. I was humbled, but inspired, and that was the beginning of my pool training journey that has continued to this day.

“If pool workouts produce these kind of results, then count me in” I thought to myself afterwards.

Turns out, pool workouts have much more to offer than just lap swimming (BOOORRINGG! , I thought) or groups of non athletic elderly folks splashing around with styrofoam weights (”Kudos to them” I thought to myself. “Maybe I’ll take that up when I’m 80.”) My week training in Laird’s pool showed me that pool training could be much more, and something that we should incorporate at every age of training!

Why Pool Training?

Pool training is perfect for your mental and physical health. Best of all, it has benefits for all ages and skill levels, even beginners still learning to swim!! Here’s a good overview of the benefits of pool training.

Cardiovascular Conditioning. Water training provides a gentle yet effective way to improve cardiovascular health, crucial for everyone, especially professionals and first responders.
Breathwork. Breathing is essential for life, and water training can enhance breath control, efficiency, and overall respiratory function.
Strength Endurance. Water allows for prolonged, repetitive movements, building muscle endurance without the strain of land-based exercises.
Total body conditioning. The water resistance engages all major muscle groups, offering low-impact strength endurance training, mobility training, and cardiovascular benefits all in one workout.
Improve Your Aerobic Capacity. Pool training is the ultimate cardio workout because its highly effective, gentle on your body, and works for all ages
Ballistic Movements. The water’s cushioning effect makes it safer to perform explosive movements, such as jumps, reducing the impact on joints.
Increased Caloric Burn. Burn more calories in water than on land in the same amount of time. How? The naturally cooling effects of the water causes your body to burn more calories, plus the cooling effects allow you to train harder for longer (water naturally wicks away body heat.)
Improve mental resilience & boost confidence. Training under water is uniquely powerful for training mental resilience and ability to perform under stress. (always train with a partner for safety!)
Increase athletic explosiveness. Ballistic movements in the pool are much gentler on the joints than on land.
Safe and low impact on joints. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or working to prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your body, water workouts are gentler on your body while still being highly effective!
Helps build comfort in the water.
Water is naturally relaxing.
Lots of FUN!

Who Can Benefit?

When was the first time you encountered someone training in the water? For most people, it was either watching someone swim laps in the local community pool, or watching an eldery water aerobics class based on Styrofoam dumbbells and pool noodles.

Pool training has MUCH more to offer. Here are some other groups who can benefit:

Beginners : Pool training is a fun & effective workout that works for beginners. You can safely acclimatize in less than 4 ft of water (no swimming experience needed.)

Fitness Enthusiasts: Anyone looking to improve their overall fitness and health can benefit from water training. It allows for cardiovascular training, strength building, and endurance exercises that are easy on the body.

Professional Athletes: These athletes can use water training to reduce the wear and tear on their bodies while still achieving excellent results. For example, a basketball player can train explosively and build endurance in the pool without the impact on their joints.

Swimmers and Triathletes: These athletes have a core part of their sport in the water, making water training essential for their performance. Swimming provides an excellent cardiovascular workout, helping them improve in their respective sports.

Martial Artists: Water training is a perfect compliment to martial arts training. It offers physical training that’s less grinding and taxing on the body – perfect for building cardio and conditioning. Perhaps even more significant is building mental resilience and breathing capacity and regulation, both very important for martial arts.

Military and First Responders: Similar to martial artists, these individuals require mental performance under stress. Training in the water is perfect for improving the ability to stay calm and focused in high-pressure situations.

Surfers: Surfers must handle the physical and mental challenges of being submerged by waves. Water training builds breath control and stress response, enhancing performance.

Rehabilitation: Water has been used for rehabilitation for centuries due to its cushioning and supportive properties. It’s perfect for those recovering from injuries or with limited mobility. It produces great results while minimizing the risk of reinjury.

Elderly Population: Water training is ideal for seniors, especially those new to working out, as it provides a gentle and supportive environment.

Stroke Victims: Water training under the guidance of a training partner or coach is ideal for stroke survivors seniors, as it provides a gentle and supportive environment.

People with Physical Disabilities : Ever seen someone wheelchair bound who is able to move freely or even stand underwater? It’s truly a beautiful gift. The supportive power of water opens up a range of possibilities for those with physical disabilities.

What Kind of Workouts Can I Do in The Pool?

Unless your goal is maximal strength training (increase how much weight you can lift) or skill training (improving a particular athletic skill such as a tennis swing, a basketball dribble, etc), the pool is the best place to train. It’s safer and gentler on the body, increases movement ranges, regulates body heat, and much, much more. Here are perfect kinds of workout and training to do in the pool :

Mobility training. Water provides an additional challenge for mobility training, especially when paired with bungees, bands, and / or small weights / dumbbells. The support and cushioning of water also allows you to move through additional ranges of motion that might be tougher on land. Example : squats, pistol squats, etc.
Rehabilitation. Water provides a great cushion on your body when performing rehabilitation movements. This is a gentle way to get your body working again after knee, ankle, and/or shoulder injury.
Total Body Conditioning. The water is a great place for total body conditioning. Many advanced athletes like using the water to compliment their overall training program because it puts less wear and tear on their joints. For example, basketball players, tennis players, or pickleball players can perform strengthening movements and aerobic conditioning without pounding their knees and joints.
Mental resilience. This kind of training should only be done with a partner for safety reasons. Utilize underwater training to improve mental resilience and stress management.
Breathwork. This kind of training should only be done with a partner for safety reasons. Build breathwork awareness, improve CO2 tolerance, and expand aerobic capacity using a combination of above and below water training.
Surf and Turf. Combine land and water workouts for the ultimate workout. I love calisthenics or kettlebell training on land paired with above and below water aerobic training for a full body workout.

Example Workout

Curious how this all comes into play? Check out this example workout you can do in a pool of any size. Make sure to grab a partner for safety!

Message with questions or more information on the movements.

Warm-up

Deep full breathwork on land to prime the respiratory system. 1 minute to 5 minutes as time allows.
Swim 4 – 8 lengths. Option to run holding weights in either hand for pools that are smaller and/or shallower.

Mental Resilience

Beginners or those without a training partner should skip the mental resilience portion.

Ball Rolls. 4 rounds of :
1. In one breathe, roll a medicine ball underwater from the shallow end approximately 40 feet down the pool.
2. Pick the ball and do a slow recovery walk back. Your head should be above water so you can breathe normally.
3. No rest in between rounds
Weighted Swims + Underwater Carries. 4 rounds of :
1. Underwater swim across pool holding weight in right hand. Leave weight on bottom of pool.
2. Above water recovery swim back.
3. Underwater swim across pool holding weight in right hand. Leave weight on bottom of pool.
4. Above water recovery swim back.
5. Underwater swim across pool. (Optional above water recovery swim.)
6. Walk weights underwater back to the start.
7. 30 seconds recovery.

Full Body Conditioning

Runs + Jumps + Swims. 5 Rounds of
1. Grab 2 by medium size weights. Start at the shallow end and run with max effort to the depth of your choice. Athlete’s choice to keep head above water or progress to an underwater depth.
2. 10 explosive jumps with maximum effort effort and intensity.
3. Without turning around, run backwards at max effort to the starting point.
4. Place the weights at the bottom of the pool.
5. Swim at a full sprint the length of the pool.
6. Recovery swim at a moderate pace to the start.
Rotational Swings + Swims. 4 rounds of :
1. Grab a single medium size weight (a GoRuck Jerry Can sand bag works even better.) Place the weight on the bottom of the pool to your left side. Lift the weight up and using your core rotate the water off the pool bottom high into the air and then place it on your right side. Repeat going from your right to your left. This is 2 repetitions. Repeat for a total of 20 repetitions.
2. Place the weight on the floor of the pool.
3. Swim at a full sprint the length of the pool.
4. Recovery swim at a moderate pace to the start.
Full Body AMRAP. Repeat continuously for 10 minutes.
1. 10 Muscle-ups on pool side (or 10 pushups)
2. Swim down and back
3. 10 Rows w/ medium size weight or GoRuck bag
4. Swim down and back
5. 20 squats in pool
6. Swim down and back

Ready to Start?

Ready to investigate pool training for yourself? Let me know what questions you have or how I can help. There are workouts and options for all levels, skills, and purposes!