Swimming homework: how to monitor progress

Why Swimming Homework Matters (Yes, Even Outside the Pool)

When people hear the phrase swimming homework, they often imagine soggy worksheets or chlorine‑stained notebooks. But swimming homework isn’t about paperwork, it’s about building habits, awareness, and skills that make swimmers stronger, more confident, and more consistent in the water.

Whether you’re a beginner learning to feel comfortable in the pool or an intermediate swimmer chasing smoother technique, the work you do between sessions can be just as important as the laps you swim.

Let’s break down what swimming homework really means, why it matters, and how you can track your progress with a simple monitoring swim set.

What Is Swimming Homework?

Swimming homework is any activity—physical, mental, or technical—that supports your development as a swimmer outside of your regular training sessions. Think of it as the glue that holds your progress together.

It usually includes:

• Body awareness work (balance, posture, core stability)

• Mobility and flexibility

• Breathing practice

• Video review or technique notes

• Goal setting and reflection

• Monitoring sets to track improvement

The goal isn’t to overwhelm swimmers with extra tasks. It’s to create small, meaningful habits that reinforce what they’re learning in the pool.

Why Homework Helps Swimmers Improve

Swimming is a highly technical sport. Even small improvements in body position, timing, or breathing can make a huge difference. Homework helps because it:

• Builds consistency
  Progress comes from repetition, not just intensity.

• Improves technique faster
  When swimmers understand why they’re doing something, they execute it better.

• Boosts confidence
  Tracking progress makes swimmers feel capable and motivated.

• Strengthens the mind–body connection
  Swimming is as much about awareness as it is about strength.

A Monitoring Swim Set for Beginner to Intermediate Swimmers

This set is designed to be repeated every 4-6 weeks. It’s simple, measurable, and adaptable. The goal is to track improvements in pacing, efficiency, and comfort—not to swim as fast as possible.

Warm‑Up

• 100 easy choice

• 4 × 25 drill of choice (focus on long, controlled strokes)

Monitoring Progress set

You can choose the version that suits you best:

• Option 1: 6–10 × 100m

• Option 2: 6–10 × 50m (if 100s feel a bit much)

How it works

• Start your timer when you push off

• Take 10 seconds rest after each repeat

• Stop your timer 10 seconds after you finish the final rep

  Then subtract the rest breaks:

• 60 seconds (for 6x)

• 100 seconds (for 10x)

Using a watch or a swim calculator can be very helpful!

Record

• Total time

• Breathing pattern

• Stroke count on the first and last length

• How your body felt at the end

Optional (Intermediate): 4 × 25m Descending

Each 25 gets slightly faster.

Record

• Times

• Whether you can control the speed increase

• How your stroke changes under pressure

This helps swimmers learn controlled speed rather than chaotic sprinting.

How to Use This Set as Homework

You don’t need to swim it every week. Instead:

• Repeat it monthly to track progress

• Compare notes on stroke count, pacing, and comfort

• Set small goals based on what you notice

• Share results with your coach if you have one

The magic of a monitoring set is that it turns improvement into something you can see, not just feel.

Swimming homework isn’t about adding pressure, it’s about giving swimmers tools to understand their own progress. When you combine mindful practice with a simple monitoring set, you create a powerful feedback loop that accelerates learning.

Get in touch

If you need any help with your swimming, writing set plans, video analysis or some simple advice, give me a shout!!