3 Swim Workouts with Paddles (Improve Efficiency and Power)

Looking for some ideas for training with paddles? Here are three swim workouts with paddles for faster, more efficient swimming.

Swim paddles are one of my favorite tools for building a stronger, more efficient pull. And by extension, faster swimming.

But swimmers don’t always use paddles in the most effective way, leaning towards “brute force Guerilla paddling” sets of unyielding yardage, stacking shoulder stress on shoulder strain.

And paddle use, while undoubtedly fun, significantly changes your stroke, which means swimmers and coaches should be more performance-focused when programming paddle-based sets.

Below are three swim workouts swimmers can do that is centered around using paddles. Feel free to adjust the workouts and main sets to your current ability.

Let’s dive in.

Swim Sets with Paddles

The sets include:

• The Distance Per Stroke Challenge
• The Hand Accelerator
• Need for Power

Each set has distances and instructions, but I will leave the intervals up to you. (Except for the power set, which functions on the basis of specific intervals that target the phosphagen system.)

The Distance Per Stroke Challenge

One of the things that paddles do when swimming is increase your distance per stroke.

A study (Lopez-Plaza, 2012) with international level swimmers doing 100m freestyles for time showed that stroke length increased by ~10% when they swam with paddles versus regular swimming.

So in this set, we are going to challenge ourselves to try and swim with as much distance per stroke (without slowing down) without swim paddles as we do with paddles.

Over the course of the main set, you will have lots of opportunities to see how close you can get to time + stroke count totals with paddles, as without.

Warm-Up

900 swim/kick/pull by 100 (x3)

6×50 pull with paddles desc 1-3 (x2)

Main Set

32×50 as four rounds through:

• 2×50 freestyle with pull buoy and paddles – Add time and number of strokes (e.g. 32 seconds + 35 strokes = 67)
• 2×50 freestyle with pull buoy – Add time and number of strokes and for each 50 see how close you can get your score to the example of 67.
• 2×50 freestyle swim with paddles — Add time and number of strokes (e.g. 31 seconds + 34 strokes = 65)
• 2×50 freestyle swim – Add time and number of strokes and for each 50 see how close you can your score to the example of 65

Warm Down

8×50 backstroke with fins cruise

The Hand Acceleration Set

We all know the good things that happen when we use paddles, but there are some downsides too. One of them is that paddles cause hand speed to slow down during the pull.

Makes sense: the larger surface area of the paddle creates more resistance, which requires more effort and time to move through the water.

But faster swimmers have faster hand acceleration under the water as it increases force and velocity (Gourgoulis et al., 2015). Fast swimmers don’t waste time with long, slow pulls once they get past the catch phase, and using paddles can create a pull that un-accelerates.

This set is all about working a fast hand under the body, both with and without paddles, so that you can build a more high-velocity freestyle. Pack your pull buoy, paddles, and your swimmer’s snorkel.

Warm-Up

400 swim choice + 300 kick + 200 pull + 100 build swim

8×25 freestyle pull with paddles desc 1-4 (x2)

Main Set

4×100 freestyle with pull buoy and paddles (80% effort)

8×25 freestyle – ODDS: Long dog drill, accelerate the hands through the pull, EVENS: Swim fast focusing on “fast hands” under the body

3×100 freestyle with pull buoy and paddles (85% effort)

8×25 freestyle – ODDS: Long dog drill, accelerate the hands through the pull, EVENS: Swim fast focusing on “fast hands” under the body

2×100 freestyle with pull buoy and paddles (90% effort)

8×25 freestyle – ODDS: Long dog drill, accelerate the hands through the pull, EVENS: Swim fast focusing on “fast hands” under the body

100 choice easy

50 freestyle fast, focusing on fast hand acceleration and gripping lots of water

Warm-Down

8×50 cruise with fins – ODDS: double-arm backstroke, EVENS: single-arm butterfly.

The Need for Power

This paddle swim workout is all about developing hurricane-force power in the water.  

The overall yardage is short, and this is a more advanced sprint workout based on a study (Valkoumas and Gourgoulis, 2024) and set design that showed a 3.57% increase in swimming velocity after an 11-week intervention.

The set (and another one like it) were used four times per week for the duration of the study.

Bring your swim paddles, a drag parachute, and some intensity.

Warm-Up

300 swim choice + 300 pull (build the 100s) + 300 drill choice

8×25 freestyle swim desc 1-4 to 95% effort

100 easy to reset

Main Set

3x [6x15m all-out with paddles and chute]

• Take at least 60s rest after each repetition and 5 minutes rest after each round.
• Maximum power output is the goal.
• Swim to the wall from 15m to 25m.

Warm-Down

12×50 with fins, ODDS: kick with a board, EVENS: freestyle/backstroke by 50

• Pick an interval to keep heart rate in aerobic territory (130-135 for most swimmers) as this is best for active recovery and removing lactate (Strozberg et al., 1998).

100 swim easy to relax

How often should swimmers train with paddles?

Swimming paddles, like any other kind of resistance tool, should be introduced progressively into your regular swim training.

A study published in the North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy titled “Prevention and Treatment of Swimmer’s Shoulder” noted that sudden increases in training yardage and excessive swim paddle use can contribute to shoulder injuries.

So start slow, build up your endurance and strength with paddles, and increase paddle use week over week.

What are the best paddles for swim training?

The best paddles for swim training comes down to your specific goals and abilities in the water.

For building general strength and power (along with some technique), power paddles such as the Speedo Power Paddles (my top pick), Sporti Power Plus Paddles, and the FINIS Manta Paddles feature large surfaces and ergonomic features to train hard in comfort.

Speedo Power Plus Swim Paddles

4.8

$23.65

Shop Now @ Amazon Shop Now @ Swim Outlet

03/01/2025 04:51 am GMT

More technique-focused swimmers have the option of more technical paddles such as the Arena Fingertip Paddles (designed to help you “feel” the water better) and the FINIS Bolster Paddles (which help you use a more vertical forearm in the pulling motion).

Arena Elite Fingertip Swim Paddles

4.2

$13.50

Shop Now @ Amazon Shop Now @ Swim Outlet

03/01/2025 04:55 am GMT

The Bottom Line

One of the best things about swim paddles is that there is a wide variety of ways that you can use it to improve swim performance.

Get better at grabbing more water? Yup. Developing more power? Heck yeah. Improving hand acceleration under the water? You know it.

The next time you grab a set of swim paddles, use the swim workouts above as inspiration, and paddle your way to faster swimming.

More Swim Workouts Like This

Pull-a-geddon: Try This Swim Workout to Develop a Stronger and More Powerful Pull. Ready to level up your pulling game in the water? Give this nasty workout that I did recently a go and send your pull to new heights.

6 Freestyle Swim Sets and Workouts. Get your freestyle on with this collection of my favorite freestyle sets and practices.