How to Progress from Beginner to Intermediate Swimmer

Swimming is an essential skill that requires patience, technique, and endurance. As a beginner, you may have learned basic strokes, floating, and breathing techniques, but progressing to an intermediate level involves refining efficiency, improving stamina, and building confidence in the water.

This guide outlines key steps, drills, and structured training plans to help you move from beginner to intermediate swimmer while enjoying the process!

1️⃣ Master the Basics Before Moving Forward

Before advancing to more complex techniques, ensure you are comfortable with fundamental swimming skills.

✅ Proper Breathing Control – Exhaling underwater and breathing rhythmically.

✅ Body Positioning – Keeping hips high and body streamlined.

✅ Floating & Treading Water – Essential for confidence and water safety.

✅ Basic Stroke Technique – Knowing at least freestyle, backstroke, and basic breaststroke.

🔥 Tip: If you struggle with any of these basics, spend extra time practicing them before increasing intensity.

2️⃣ Improve Stroke Efficiency

At the beginner level, swimming can feel tiring because of inefficient strokes. Learning to swim smoothly helps conserve energy and increase endurance.

✅ Key Technique Adjustments for Efficiency

✔️ Streamline Your Body – Keep head neutral, hips high, and body straight.

✔️ Kick from the Hips – Avoid excessive knee bending, especially in freestyle and backstroke.

✔️ Eliminate Unnecessary Movements – Keep strokes relaxed and controlled.

✔️ Time Your Breaths Properly – Avoid lifting the head too high when breathing.

🔥 Drill: Fingertip Drag Drill (Freestyle) – Helps develop smooth arm recovery by keeping fingertips lightly touching the water surface during recovery.

3️⃣ Build Stamina & Endurance

Intermediate swimmers can swim longer distances without feeling exhausted. To build endurance:

🏊‍♂️ Best Endurance Training Strategies

✔️ Increase Swim Distance Gradually – Swim 50m-100m sets, increasing weekly.

✔️ Use Interval Training – Alternate between fast and slow swimming for stamina.

✔️ Reduce Rest Time – Shorter breaks between laps help simulate real swim conditions.

🔥 Drill: Negative Split Training – Swim the second half of a set faster than the first to improve pacing.

4️⃣ Learn Proper Turns & Push-Offs

As an intermediate swimmer, you should start practicing efficient turns and push-offs for better lap swimming.

🔹 How to Improve Turns & Push-Offs

✔️ Practice a Strong Streamline – Push off the wall with arms tight and body straight.

✔️ Learn Open Turns First – Helps transition smoothly between strokes.

✔️ Try Flip Turns for Freestyle – Enhances speed and efficiency.

🔥 Drill: Wall Push-Off Glide Drill – Push off the wall in streamline position and glide as far as possible before starting strokes.

5️⃣ Improve Stroke Timing & Coordination

A major difference between beginner and intermediate swimmers is better stroke synchronization.

🏊‍♂️ How to Improve Stroke Timing

✔️ Freestyle: Avoid over-gliding; keep a continuous pull and recovery motion.

✔️ Backstroke: Rotate shoulders in sync with arm movements.

✔️ Breaststroke: Kick after the pull to maintain momentum.

✔️ Butterfly (If Practicing): One pull, two kicks rhythm.

🔥 Drill: Catch-Up Drill (Freestyle) – Helps prevent arms from overlapping and improves timing.

6️⃣ Build Confidence in Deep Water & Open Water

Intermediate swimmers should feel comfortable in deeper water and adapt to open water environments if needed.

✅ How to Improve Water Confidence

✔️ Practice Treading Water for at least 60 seconds.

✔️ Swim in Different Pool Depths to gain adaptability.

✔️ Try Open Water Swimming with a buddy for safety.

🔥 Drill: Vertical Kicking Drill – Tread water without using hands for leg strength.

7️⃣ Follow a Structured Training Plan

A well-structured swim plan helps bridge the gap between beginner and intermediate levels.

🏊‍♂️ Sample 4-Week Beginner-to-Intermediate Progression Plan

Week	Focus Area	Key Drills & Workouts
Week 1	Stroke Technique & Breathing	Fingertip Drag Drill, Catch-Up Drill
Week 2	Endurance & Pacing	Negative Split Training, 4 x 100m with 30s rest
Week 3	Turns & Push-Offs	Wall Push-Off Glide Drill, Flip Turn Practice
Week 4	Confidence & Speed	Treading Water, Sprint Intervals (6 x 50m fast)

🔥 Tip: Adjust rest times and distances based on your comfort level and progress.

8️⃣ Track Progress & Set Goals

To measure progress, set clear swimming goals such as:

✔️ Swim 500m without stopping.

✔️ Improve freestyle pace by 10%.

✔️ Master flip turns.

✔️ Swim confidently in deep water.

🔥 Tip: Keep a swim log to track distance, speed, and improvements.

Final Takeaways: Moving from Beginner to Intermediate Swimmer

✅ Refine Stroke Efficiency – Focus on longer strokes and smoother movements.

✅ Increase Endurance Gradually – Swim longer sets with shorter rest.

✅ Master Turns & Push-Offs – Essential for faster lap swimming.

✅ Build Water Confidence – Practice deep water and open water adaptation.

✅ Follow a Structured Plan – Helps with consistent improvement.

By practicing regularly and focusing on technique, you’ll transition from a beginner to an intermediate swimmer with ease! 🏊‍♂️🔥