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Swimming is great exercise, but practicing with a group can seem mysterious to the uninitiated. Can I just show up? Are other swimmers going to laugh at me? If your questions are even more basic than that, you may first want to review our Let's Get Started page.

Great News

The great news about joining a club as an adult is that you get to set the agenda. You show up when you want to—and even how you want to—making whatever fashion statement you choose on that day. That type of freedom is liberating. On the flip side, you are fully responsible for your progress or lack thereof. You make no gains by sitting on deck in a trendy Speedo (or at home on the couch, in a potato sack).

Showing Up

Showing up is half the battle, so decide today—right now—to show up at a practice. You lose nothing by trying, and as many Masters swimmers will tell you, you just may be making one of the best decisions of your life.

What is a Typical Workout?

Like a good play, a good workout develops in three main acts: the warm-up, the main action, and the cool-down. A sufficient warm-up is essential for mature athletes, and a relaxing cool-down will help to fight fatigue and sore muscles.

A typical workout lasts for an hour or more. The main part of most workouts consists of sets of varying distances. Repetitions divide each set into manageable parts, such as “5 x 100,” which means that you swim 100 yards (the length of a football field), stop to rest, and then repeat that distance four more times, for a total of five repetitions.

In addition to sets, you may be asked to complete skill drills that challenge you to think about body position, parts of each stroke, and other essentials of swimming. For example, your coach may ask you to swim with your fists clenched, to draw attention to the importance of high elbow and unbroken wrist line.

Prepare For a Challenge

As a new swimmer, or someone returning after a long absence, you must be prepared for a challenge—especially to your lungs. Breathe often! Do not try to impress yourself or others by holding your breath, or your workout will be over very soon. Swim smart and build up your endurance over time. It can take six months before you can make the workouts as written—even for skilled athletes who have endurance in other sports—swimming is different. Give yourself plenty of time, enjoy your new friends, and communicate any concerns to your coach.

What Equipment Do I Need?

Not much! The beauty of swimming is that the water provides all the resistance you need to work every part of your body. No machine can match it.

Swimsuits

Bulky suits weigh you down and make it harder to swim efficiently, so the best choice is a skin-tight material in one piece, designed specifically for swim training. Note: “real” swimmers do wear Speedos, among many other brands, but the women rarely wear bikinis unless they are designed for swim training. Wear a suit that will not move when you dive into the water or push off the wall. For men, surfer-style board shorts make completing a workout difficult. If you’re not ready to don a brief, try jammers, which resemble cycling shorts and extend to the knee.

Goggles and Caps

To protect eyes and hair from chlorine, two other critical equipment items are goggles and caps. Although swimmers with short hair may forego a cap, goggles are a must, or eyes will suffer. For both products, low-cost versions are more than adequate.

Toys

Don’t rush out and buy other equipment right away—your new coach and teammates can help you save time and money by letting you try out some of their stuff first. Some clubs have kick boards and pull buoys available for their swimmers. Pull buoys are sturdy flotation devices placed between the legs that allow for concentrated use of the arms only. Your coach may also recommend fins, paddles, or a snorkel.

Good swimming equipment can be hard to find. Your local sporting goods store may have the basics. We also encourage you to support our sponsors, who do a lot to support Masters swimming nationwide. Masters swimming geeks will love products with the USMS logo. Other good places to find equipment are at large pools and swim meets, where vendors often set up booths to sell equipment to the attending athletes.

Swimming is great exercise, but practicing with a group can seem mysterious to the uninitiated. Can I just show up? Are other swimmers going to laugh at me? If your questions are even more basic than that, you may first want to review our Let's Get Started page.

Great News

The great news about joining a club as an adult is that you get to set the agenda. You show up when you want to—and even how you want to—making whatever fashion statement you choose on that day. That type of freedom is liberating. On the flip side, you are fully responsible for your progress or lack thereof. You make no gains by sitting on deck in a trendy Speedo (or at home on the couch, in a potato sack).

Showing Up

Showing up is half the battle, so decide today—right now—to show up at a practice. You lose nothing by trying, and as many Masters swimmers will tell you, you just may be making one of the best decisions of your life.

What is a Typical Workout?

Like a good play, a good workout develops in three main acts: the warm-up, the main action, and the cool-down. A sufficient warm-up is essential for mature athletes, and a relaxing cool-down will help to fight fatigue and sore muscles.

A typical workout lasts for an hour or more. The main part of most workouts consists of sets of varying distances. Repetitions divide each set into manageable parts, such as “5 x 100,” which means that you swim 100 yards (the length of a football field), stop to rest, and then repeat that distance four more times, for a total of five repetitions.

In addition to sets, you may be asked to complete skill drills that challenge you to think about body position, parts of each stroke, and other essentials of swimming. For example, your coach may ask you to swim with your fists clenched, to draw attention to the importance of high elbow and unbroken wrist line.

Prepare For a Challenge

As a new swimmer, or someone returning after a long absence, you must be prepared for a challenge—especially to your lungs. Breathe often! Do not try to impress yourself or others by holding your breath, or your workout will be over very soon. Swim smart and build up your endurance over time. It can take six months before you can make the workouts as written—even for skilled athletes who have endurance in other sports—swimming is different. Give yourself plenty of time, enjoy your new friends, and communicate any concerns to your coach.

What Equipment Do I Need?

Not much! The beauty of swimming is that the water provides all the resistance you need to work every part of your body. No machine can match it.

Swimsuits

Bulky suits weigh you down and make it harder to swim efficiently, so the best choice is a skin-tight material in one piece, designed specifically for swim training. Note: “real” swimmers do wear Speedos, among many other brands, but the women rarely wear bikinis unless they are designed for swim training. Wear a suit that will not move when you dive into the water or push off the wall. For men, surfer-style board shorts make completing a workout difficult. If you’re not ready to don a brief, try jammers, which resemble cycling shorts and extend to the knee.

Goggles and Caps

To protect eyes and hair from chlorine, two other critical equipment items are goggles and caps. Although swimmers with short hair may forego a cap, goggles are a must, or eyes will suffer. For both products, low-cost versions are more than adequate.

Toys

Don’t rush out and buy other equipment right away—your new coach and teammates can help you save time and money by letting you try out some of their stuff first. Some clubs have kick boards and pull buoys available for their swimmers. Pull buoys are sturdy flotation devices placed between the legs that allow for concentrated use of the arms only. Your coach may also recommend fins, paddles, or a snorkel.

Good swimming equipment can be hard to find. Your local sporting goods store may have the basics. We also encourage you to support our sponsors, who do a lot to support Masters swimming nationwide. Masters swimming geeks will love products with the USMS logo. Other good places to find equipment are at large pools and swim meets, where vendors often set up booths to sell equipment to the attending athletes.