Cardinal Performance Swimming

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Cardinal Performance Swimming

Cardinal Performance Swimming offers low barrier to entry sports science, swim programming and gym training for Swimmers, Teams and Organisations.

27/10/2026

📊 DATA SHOULD DO MORE THAN TELL YOU HOW FAST YOU SWAM.

It should tell you WHY you swam that time. 🏊‍♂️

Too often, post-race feedback is generic:
❌ “Improve your front end.”
❌ “Work on your back end.”
❌ “You need to hold your technique.”

But what does that actually mean? And what should you change in training?

We need meaningful, specific and actionable feedback that helps athletes and coaches understand exactly where performance is being lost.

📉 Your speed drops, but your stroke rate stays the same?
You might be losing propulsion or becoming less effective with each stroke.

🔄 Your stroke count increases while your stroke rate drops?
You may be struggling to maintain your rhythm and efficiency under fatigue.

⚡ Your stroke rate and stroke count are both high, but you're still swimming slowly?
You could be slipping through the water and failing to turn each stroke into forward speed. It may be time to investigate your distance per stroke (DPS) and propulsion.

These patterns aren't automatic diagnoses. They're clues. The real value comes from combining the data with video, race context and what the athlete actually feels in the water.

🎯 The goal isn't to collect more data.

It's to turn data into a clear training focus, so every athlete knows what they're working on, why it matters and how it can help them swim faster.

That's how we move beyond generic feedback and start unlocking meaningful performance improvements.

💬 Coaches — how are you using data to shape your post-race feedback?

📩 DM to find out more about our swimming performance programmes.

🌍 Trusted by international swimmers around the world.

26/10/2026

👏 Well done to _sarah_hunt_uk_ for a fantastic weekend of racing! 🏊‍♀️🔥

A new PB in the 50 Free (26.53) and a flying 100 Free split in the Basingstoke Bluefins relays that would have been a huge PB too! 🚀

Sarah quietly cracks on with her training, puts in the work and keeps delivering when it matters.

Always improving. Always performing. 💪

Well done, Sarah!! 👏💛

21/10/2026

🤝 NEW PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT 🤝

We’re really excited to announce that Cardinal Performance Swimming will be supporting Staines Swimming Club with dryland and Strength & Conditioning programming for the coming season! 🏊‍♂️💪

Our aim is to help Staines athletes develop the strength, power and physical foundations needed to perform at their best in the pool.

We’re looking forward to working with the coaches and swimmers, supporting their development and helping the club continue to move forward. 🚀

A big thank you to Staines Swimming Club for partnering with Cardinal Performance Swimming. We can’t wait to get started!

🌍 Trusted by international swimmers around the world.

📩 Interested in dryland and S&C support for your club?
DM Cardinal Performance Swimming or email [email protected]

20/10/2026

More PB's from this weekend!

Congratulations Zoë Cawsey who trains in our senior group. Some great results for this time in the season.

19/10/2026

Could county bodies help 18yr+ swimmers in the UK? 👀🇬🇧🏊‍♂️

What if every county created an opportunity for its 18+ swimmers to come together and train once a week?

📍 One local club hosts the session.
🏊‍♂️ Swimmers from across the county train together.
📅 Saturday morning, an evening session, or whatever works best locally.

Imagine bringing together senior, university and Masters swimmers who might otherwise be training in small groups or feeling isolated within their own clubs.

The benefits could be huge:

🤝 COMMUNITY — Building connections between swimmers, clubs and coaches across the county.

⚡ PERFORMANCE — Training alongside others can raise standards, create competition and push swimmers to improve.

🙌 SOCIAL — Keeping swimmers connected to the sport and giving them a reason to stay involved for longer.

Community. Performance. Social connection.

Three key ingredients that can help create an environment where swimmers want to keep training, competing and improving.

This isn't about replacing clubs or taking swimmers away from their programmes. It's about bringing the swimming community together and creating more opportunities for those aged 18+.

Could county bodies help make this happen? Or could clubs work together to lead the way?

💬 Would you attend a weekly county-wide 18+ training session? And what would stop this idea from working?

Follow

17/10/2026

UK swimming needs to do better for 18yrs+ swimmers. 🇬🇧🏊‍♂️

Limited opportunities. Limited training locations. Clubs stretched to accommodate older athletes.

The UK swimming system is getting younger and younger — but what happens to the swimmers who want to keep progressing beyond 18 or 21?

Are we doing enough to support them?

How do we elevate the standard of UK swimming while retaining talented athletes in the sport for longer?

This isn't about blaming clubs or coaches. Because clubs and coaches work hard to keep swimmers swimming. It's about asking what we can do better as a community.

💬 What needs to change?

Follow for Part 3 of this discussion. 👀

16/10/2026

Why are swimmers retiring at 16?! 👀🏊‍♂️

Peak performance in many swimming events can come in the late 20s and early 30s. So why are we losing so many swimmers at 16?

Are we asking too much, too soon? Is the system failing to keep athletes engaged? Or is something else going wrong?

Let's start a conversation. 👇

This is Part 1 of 3. Follow for Parts 2 and 3.

What do you think is driving young swimmers out of the sport? 💬

15/10/2026

Is swimming MORE actually making you SLOWER? 👀🏊‍♂️

No. It's not necessarily the total volume that's making you slow.

It's the QUALITY and CONTENT of that volume.

Great coaches understand that swimming faster isn't just about how much work you can complete. It's about managing fatigue and creating the right environment for athletes to perform when it matters.

Here's what that looks like:

🏊‍♂️ Aerobic training has its place.

If your event requires aerobic development, then aerobic training needs to be part of your programme. The key is understanding how much you need, when you need it and how it fits around your other training.

⚡ Speed development requires a different approach.

If you want to develop maximum speed, you need to create an environment where you can perform maximum-effort repetitions.

What does that mean?

⏱️ Plenty of rest between efforts.
📉 Lower volume when the session demands maximum speed.
💤 Good recovery before and after the session.
🎯 High-quality repetitions with maximum intent.

You can't expect swimmers to consistently hit top-end speed if they're carrying too much fatigue to produce it.

The goal isn't to remove volume from swimming.

It's to make sure the volume you're doing serves a purpose.

Great coaches understand how to manage and control fatigue, balance aerobic development with speed work, and get the best out of their athletes when it matters most.

Don't just ask how much you're swimming. Ask what your swimming is actually developing. 🔥

Save this for your next training block and share it with a coach or swimmer who needs to hear it.

📩 DM
📧 [email protected]
🔗 Follow the link in our bio to join our swim and gym programmes.

🌍 Trusted by international swimmers around the world.

14/10/2026

Resisted swimming can help you develop power — but only if you get it right. ⚡🏊‍♂️

Adding resistance to your swimming increases the demand of each effort. Used appropriately, it can be a useful way to train force production, explosive intent and awareness of how you apply force to the water.

But there's a catch…

More resistance doesn't automatically mean better results.

💪 Develop force production.
🧠 Improve your awareness and connection with the water.
🎯 Identify technical weaknesses under load.
⚡ Practise producing force with explosive intent.

Here's what to remember:

❌ Too much resistance can break down your stroke.
❌ Long, slow efforts aren't automatically developing swimming speed.
❌ Poor-quality repetitions reinforce poor movement patterns.

✅ Keep efforts short.
✅ Allow plenty of recovery.
✅ Focus on high-quality, explosive swimming.
✅ Reduce the resistance if your technique deteriorates.

Think about it like a heavy or explosive pull-up in the gym.

You wouldn't keep adding weight if you could no longer perform the movement properly.

The goal is to develop a stronger, more powerful swimmer — not simply to make every length harder.

How do you use resisted swimming in your programme? 👇

📩 DM
📧 [email protected]
🔗 Follow the link in our bio to explore our swim and gym programmes.

🌍 Trusted by international swimmers around the world.

13/10/2026

You might be pulling hard — but are you actually holding the water? 👀🏊‍♂️

One of the biggest challenges in freestyle swimming is developing a strong, effective catch.

It's not just about moving your arms faster.

It's about creating an effective connection with the water and applying force in the right direction.

One drill worth trying? FIST DRILL. ✊

Why use it?

🧠 Develop proprioception and awareness of your hand position.
🏊 Improve your feel for the water.
🎯 Identify weaknesses in your catch.
💪 Focus on engaging the forearm rather than relying solely on the hand.
⚡ Transfer that feeling into normal swimming.

Try this progression:

1️⃣ Swim with closed fists and focus on your forearm.
2️⃣ Open your hands and try to maintain that same connection.
3️⃣ Build the speed while keeping the catch controlled and effective.

The drill isn't about swimming fast with your fists.

It's about developing a feeling you can transfer into your normal stroke.

Remember: a good catch looks different across swimmers and strokes. The goal is an effective, individualised position — not forcing everyone into exactly the same technique.

Save this drill for your next swim session.

Do you use fist drill in your training? Let us know below. 👇

📩 DM
📧 [email protected]
🔗 Follow the link in our bio to join our programmes.

🌍 Trusted by international swimmers around the world.

Address

Sheffield
S60 4ES

Website

http://www.cardinalperformanceswimming.com/

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