As a chiropractor with over 24 years of experience specializing in treating professional athletes, as a USA Swimming Coach, and as a parent of a competitive swimmer, I have seen firsthand the detrimental effects of improper training methods on young athletes.
The prevalent trend seems to be that many swim programs lack a well-designed dryland routine. Clubs are often running short-staffed and rely on generic sets that favor long distances with little instruction. This oversight directly contributes to the injuries I see far too often.
Additionally, it can be easy for coaches to fall into the trap of undercoaching. Sets are sometimes built around mindless swimming with excessive yards because it’s easy. Coaching is hard and should be hard. Not correcting technique errors in daily practice can have long-lasting consequences.
Today, I want to delve deeper into why overtraining without adequate strengthening and undercoaching without proper technique instruction pose significant risks to the health and longevity of young swimmers.
The Risks of Excessive Yardage
Coaches often advocate for high-yardage training to enhance endurance and performance in swimmers. However, pushing young athletes to swim long distances without sufficient preparation can lead to serious consequences.
1. Increased Risk of Injury
Research underscores the link between high training volume and injury rates among swimmers. A study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences highlighted that overuse injuries, such as swimmer’s shoulder and lower back pain, are prevalent in young swimmers who engage in extensive training without proper conditioning and recovery protocols (Ackland et al., 2010).
These injuries not only sideline athletes but can also impact their long-term participation in the sport.
2. Development of Poor Technique
Fatigue induced by excessive yardage can compromise swimming technique. According to findings from the Journal of Swimming Research, fatigue negatively impacts stroke mechanics, potentially leading to biomechanical inefficiencies that increase the likelihood of injury (Seifert et al., 2020).
Coaches must prioritize technique refinement during training sessions to mitigate these risks effectively. Without proper technique correction, swimmers may develop harmful habits that impede their progress and predispose them to injury.
The Role of Strengthening and Conditioning
1. Importance of Dryland Exercises
Dryland training plays a crucial role in enhancing muscular strength, stability, and flexibility essential for swimming performance. A comprehensive dryland program tailored to address specific muscle groups involved in swimming can significantly reduce the incidence of overuse injuries (Strutton et al., 2019).
Research has shown that swimmers who incorporate regular dryland exercises not only improve their strength but also develop better overall body control, which translates into more efficient swimming techniques and reduced injury risk.
2. Correcting Technique Issues
Addressing and correcting technique flaws early on is paramount in injury prevention. Studies suggest that athletes with poor swimming technique are predisposed to musculoskeletal injuries due to repetitive stress on vulnerable joints and muscles (Bradley et al., 2018).
Coaches must actively observe and correct swimmers’ techniques during practice sessions, providing personalized feedback to ensure that each athlete maximizes their potential while minimizing injury risks.
Safe Yardage Guidelines Based on Age Groups
Setting age-appropriate yardage guidelines is essential for developing young swimmers safely and effectively. As athletes grow, their bodies respond differently to training demands, and without proper structure, the risk of overtraining, burnout, or injury increases significantly. Below are maximum yardage limits and training focuses based on age and development level. These guidelines prioritize long-term athlete development, technique mastery, and physical wellness.
8 & Under Swimmers
- Maximum Yardage: 1,500 yards per practice
- Primary Focus: Skill development, fun, and water confidence
- Details:
For swimmers under the age of 9, practices should remain short, engaging, and technique-driven. The emphasis should be on learning efficient body position, basic stroke mechanics, kicking, and fun drill-based activities. Coaches should avoid high yardage and instead foster enjoyment of the sport. Too much volume at this age can discourage participation and lead to form breakdown.
9–12 Year Olds
- Maximum Yardage: 3,000 yards per practice
- Primary Focus: Stroke technique, endurance introduction, and motor skill development
- Details:
As swimmers approach the preteen years, they can handle slightly more structured training. Yardage may increase gradually, but sessions should still be heavily technique-based. This is a key age for building muscle memory and teaching proper stroke patterns. Dryland exercises can be introduced in a fun, body-weight-focused way to improve coordination and core strength. Practices should encourage consistent effort without high-intensity volume.
13–14 Year Olds
- Maximum Yardage: 5,000 yards per practice
- Primary Focus: Aerobic base building, stroke refinement, and strength development
- Details:
At this stage, athletes begin to transition from skill acquisition to performance-focused training. Training volume increases to help build an aerobic engine, but stroke technique and mechanics must still be emphasized. Yardage should include varied sets, stroke-specific training, and moderate-intensity aerobic sets. Dryland can become more structured and include light resistance, mobility work, and injury prevention exercises.
15 & Over Swimmers
- Maximum Yardage: 7,000 yards per practice (varies by discipline and goals)
- Primary Focus: Periodized training for competition, individualized plans, and performance optimization
- Details:
High school-aged swimmers and beyond vary significantly in training volume depending on their goals (e.g., high school championships, college recruitment, or elite national meets). Most mid- to long-distance swimmers may train up to 6,000–7,000 yards per session during base phases, while sprinters may cap sessions between 3,000–4,500 yards with more intense, quality-focused sets. Periodization becomes critical at this level to balance training stress and recovery. Dryland should be fully integrated and tailored to the swimmer’s strength, flexibility, and event needs.
Personally, I feel these guidelines are slightly misleading. I would use these guidelines for maximum yards per day, as some swimmers will opt for more than one practice per day.
Sprinters vs. Distance Swimmers: Training Approaches
Research indicates that the training approach for sprinters differs significantly from that of distance swimmers.
Sprinters
For sprint-focused swimmers, research suggests that shorter, race-paced training sessions may be more beneficial than swimming large distances. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that sprinters who incorporated high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and race-pace sets into their regimen improved their sprint performance and power output more effectively than those who focused solely on high-volume, low-intensity training (Figueiredo et al., 2020).
This approach enhances anaerobic capacity, helps maintain proper sprinting mechanics, and reduces the risk of overuse injuries associated with excessive yardage. It has been suggested that sprinters should swim less than half of the yardage as their distance-focused colleagues.
Distance Swimmers
On the other hand, distance swimmers benefit from a combination of moderate to high yardage, endurance-focused training, and interval work tailored to their race distances. Emphasis should be placed on maintaining efficient technique and building aerobic capacity while avoiding excessive strain on joints and muscles.
Why Coaches Focus on Distance Only: An Outdated Approach
Many club, high school, and middle school swim programs still emphasize high-yardage training, holding on to traditional beliefs that long-distance sets are the key to building endurance, mental toughness, and overall performance. While this philosophy may have worked in previous generations, modern sports science and athlete development research suggest it’s no longer the gold standard, especially for young or developing swimmers.
Below are three major reasons why the “distance-only” model should be reconsidered:
1. Lack of Adaptation in Young Swimmers
Young athletes, particularly those in their growth and developmental years, do not yet have the muscular, joint, or skeletal maturity to handle prolonged, high-volume swim sessions. Coaches who push long yardage too early may unknowingly increase the risk of overuse injuries, such as shoulder impingement, stress reactions, and chronic fatigue.
What the research says:
A study by Ackland et al. (2010) emphasizes the importance of tailoring training to the physiological stage of the athlete. Training that ignores developmental readiness can negatively impact joint integrity, motor control, and long-term performance outcomes.
In short, without sufficient dryland conditioning, strength development, and technique refinement, excessive yardage can do more harm than good. Over time, this can lead to burnout or dropout from the sport entirely.
2. Misconceptions About Volume and Performance
A long-standing myth in swim coaching is that more distance equals better results. This “grind it out” mentality assumes that toughness and endurance come from swimming as many yards as possible, but science shows this is not the full picture.
What truly matters:
Studies by Figueiredo et al. (2020) and others highlight that performance gains are best achieved through race-specific, high-intensity sets—not endless aerobic swimming. Training should match the event demands, meaning sprinters need speed and power sets, while distance swimmers need a blend of aerobic and race-pace work.
Yardage alone doesn’t guarantee improvement—quality, purpose, and intensity are far more effective tools for performance enhancement.
3. Evolution of Training Science and Best Practices
Swim training has evolved dramatically over the last two decades. Leading swim coaches and performance specialists now embrace scientifically grounded training systems built around:
- Periodization: Structured cycles of training with planned rest
- Specificity: Training that mimics the intensity and style of racing
- Individualization: Adjusting sets based on the swimmer’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals
Coaches who update their training philosophy and ditch the one-size-fits-all, yardage-heavy model create healthier, more successful athletes in the long run. These swimmers not only perform better but also stay engaged, injury-free, and mentally strong throughout their careers.
Advocating for Longevity in Swimming Careers
As both a chiropractor and a long-time advocate for athlete health and wellness, I have seen firsthand the physical toll that early overtraining and improper programming can take on young swimmers. While swimming is often praised for being a low-impact, lifetime sport, the way we train athletes, especially in their formative years, can determine whether they thrive or burn out before reaching their full potential.
To promote long-term success and injury prevention, I emphasize the following three foundational strategies that support the sustainability and longevity of swimming careers:
1. Prioritize Biomechanical Efficiency Over Volume
Many young swimmers are taught to “push through” with high yardage before they’ve truly mastered their stroke mechanics. However, this often leads to ingraining poor movement patterns and increasing the risk of chronic overuse injuries—particularly in the shoulders, hips, and lower back.
Clinical Perspective:
When a swimmer’s stroke is biomechanically inefficient, the repetitive nature of swimming becomes harmful rather than helpful. From a musculoskeletal standpoint, improper form combined with high volume is a recipe for dysfunction. Early correction of posture, alignment, and stroke path is essential.
Technique—not toughness—should drive training decisions in developmental years. Less yardage with perfect form is far more beneficial than more yardage with poor technique.
2. Integrate Dryland and Recovery as Core Pillars
A well-structured dryland program can build the strength, mobility, and neuromuscular control needed to support powerful and injury-resistant swimming. Unfortunately, many youth programs treat dryland as an afterthought, or worse, skip it entirely.
Chiropractic Insight:
Most swimming injuries I treat in young athletes could be prevented with better stabilization training, core strength, and joint mobility work. Swimmers also need structured recovery protocols including stretching, mobility drills, and adequate rest days.
By treating dryland and recovery as integral—not optional—parts of training, we prepare the swimmer’s body for the physical demands of the sport and reduce the risk of long-term damage.
3. Emphasize Athlete-Centered, Long-Term Development
Each swimmer develops at a unique pace, and success should never be defined by early wins at age-group meets. True longevity in swimming comes from following an athlete-centered model that emphasizes growth, confidence, health, and love for the sport.
What This Looks Like:
- Encouraging participation across strokes and distances to prevent over-specialization
- Avoiding year-round training without breaks
- Collaborating with healthcare professionals when injuries or imbalances arise
When swimmers feel supported, listened to, and guided rather than pushed, they’re more likely to stay in the sport longer, reach higher levels of performance, and avoid emotional and physical burnout.
By combining biomechanics, smart training design, and a commitment to the whole athlete, not just their results, I believe we can change the culture of youth swimming for the better. The goal isn’t just fast times today; it’s healthy, high-performing athletes who love the sport for a lifetime.
It is imperative that we prioritize the long-term health and well-being of young swimmers over short-term performance gains. By integrating adequate strengthening, addressing technique issues, and promoting balanced training practices supported by scientific evidence, we can empower young athletes to achieve their full potential in a safe and sustainable manner.
Let us unite in ensuring that every young swimmer can enjoy a successful, injury-free swimming career!
