Is there a couch to 5k type programme for swimming?

[ClaudiaWankleman]

I'm an average swimmer, can do all the strokes moderately well (butterfly excepted) but just have no stamina. I've not been swimming in 10+ years and I'm honestly feeling a little bit intimidated. I'd really like to be able to build in some swimming to my week, maybe once or twice a week.

Is there a beginners programme you could recommend? Not necessarily building up to swimming 5k of course, but just one of those kind of programmes that builds gradually and is for people who have no clue.

i am doing C5K at the moment for running and also have restarted swimming recently. I never thought to look for a C5k swimming routine what a great idea!
I’ve done a quick google search and The outdoor swimming society seem to have a plan, but it looks more appropriate for outdoor swimming unfortunately, I couldn’t imagine doing the plan in an indoor pool. https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/5k_sp_2023.pdf
i found this on Facebook too which looks better. http://www.ruthkazez.com/SwimWorkouts/ZeroTo1mile.html?fbclid=IwZnRzaAR3__QBHfKsksZDd8WnDysCbgIdIsiqBl-5SIxlx25M1g8nc58omB1TGydDJVJNng
id be interested to know if anyone has anything else to share.
I’ve just signed up to do 20k in July & August as a sponsored swim for the children’s hospice I work for so I’m keen to look at building up my stamina too.
Good luck OP, I’ll follow along with your thread for ideas and perhaps we can share progress!

I think just build it up yourself in a similar way to the way the running does. e.g. do 4 lengths and then have a rest maybe 5 times = 20lengths, do that for 3 swims or until if that feels easy then do 6 lengths, a rest, 5 times = 30 lengths, then 10 lengths, rest, 3 times = 30 lengths so the same total distance but your stamina is improving as you need less rest. etc.

Thanks I think the plan I'm looking for would look like this! Except it would hopefully also give some information on pace, how I should feel etc. As I said, I feel quite intimidated about getting into the swimming pool and I think if I'm able to commit to a plan that someone else has written down it will help me not give up at the first hurdle. I found running really challenging as I am so in my head but having a plan like C25K helps me get past it.

I did a 5k swim and when I looked into it all the "training plans" seemed waayy more serious than I wanted. With leg only bits and arm only bits and sprints and rests etc etc. I ended up "designing" my own programme. Essentially what I did was do 2 short swims a week (half an hour or so) and then one long swim.

To start with I would do 4 lengths then take a little rest. Then I upped it to 6, then 8, then 12. Eventually I got to the point where I only took a water break every half kilometre. That essentially took my "short" swims to being 1km each.

Then the longer swim I basically added 500m each week, so to start with it it was literally 500m like my short swims, then slowly longer. If you are feeling low on stamina you could go up by say 250m instead.

I think for me, the key thing was remembering that I get out of breath when I start swimming but actually carrying on doesn't make me any more out of breath or tired, so if I just ignore the fatigue that sets in around 8-10 lengths, I find I don't really get any more fatigued.

Thing is, swimming is hard work, and repetitive.

the legs/arms/sprint bits on swimming programmes aren’t intended to be “serious”. It’s to improve your technique and fitness.

the danger is if your technique isn’t perfect, and whose is, when you swim long sessions and you get tired your technique just gets worse and worse. So instead of improving your swimming you’re picking up bad habits and actually becoming less efficient. Which also leaves you open to strains and injuries.

by following the programmes you’ll improve your technique and efficiency, and get better over longer distances.

I am sure they're great for some people - but that wasn't what I was looking for. I don't enjoy sprints, I don't own a float or a pull buoy.

I did a 5k swim in 2 hours which I was quite content with.

I'm delighted if other people find those methods work for them - I simply explained what I did. but I don't reckon I have a fast twitch muscle in my body (exaggerating for effect, to be clear!); when I was running at school my time per 100m in the 100m sprint was the same as my time per 100m in the 800m. So for me, slowly adding distance and increasing the time between breaks has been a really effective way of improving my stamina. And indeed matches the couch to 5k method for running, where no one is asking you to do any sprinting.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. I only thought I would return to say that I can now swim a kilometre (and I am pushing for the next one!) and to share how I did it, in case anyone finds this in the future.

As I said, I found swimming quite intimidating. I went the first week with the aim of doing 400m, in a 50m pool. I tried it in front crawl which I absolutely hated. So, I switched the next week to breast stroke (but a 'proper' stroke with my head entering the water etc.) and a plan to do it in 2 sections, with a break after the first 200m. Every length where I feel too exhausted I switch to a gentle back stroke and keep moving.

Once I was comfortable with that distance I added another 100m each week. I still try and complete any distance in two sections with more of a breather in between. If it's an odd number of lengths I do the longer leg first and then a shorter one, which feels much more pleasant.

It has absolutely helped that I am in a 50m pool where I cannot touch the bottom in any part. I've never strayed out of the slow lane. I have plans to learn to swim in front crawl but the distance was my motivating factor so I'm glad I focused on it, rather than being bogged down in perfect form. No injuries or anything other than feeling pretty wiped out after some sessions.

Our local pool has a group for adult swimmers who are ‘improvers’ to work on technique and stamina, maybe that would work for you?

Our local pool has a load of swim workout laminated things on the wall that you can take and use, of increasing meters. Eg '175m - 50m front crawl, 25m legs only, rest 40 secs, 50m arms only, rest 1 minute, 50m backstroke'. They might be from Swim England? Maybe they are online?

This is similar https://www.swimming.org/members/swimming-fitness-training-plan/