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Two of the most common features of training pro­grams of swimmers competitive are the periodiza­tion of training volume and intensity and  the transition from training to racing.
A periodized train­ing and tapering program is based on the principle of overload—recovery—peaking.

This principle forms the basis of preparing swimming training programs with the aim of increasing the level of competitive performance.

A fundamental principle of preparing athletes is that periodization and tapering applies equally to all the different aspects of fitness, such as endurance, speed, strength, flexibility, and power. The training program must provide an overload (stimu­lus) to force the body to adapt to a previously un­encountered level of stress. After sufficient application of the stimulus (in terms of magnitude and fre­quency), a period of recovery and regeneration will allow residual fatigue to dissipate. If the processes of overload and recovery are managed correctly a pe­riod of super compensation will occur so that per­formance is elevated to a higher level for important competitions.

Preseason training commences from the low base of fitness maintained during the off-season. Swimmers typically start the preseason phase with a single ses­sion per day and gradually increase the number of ses­sions over the first few weeks. A graded increase sees the frequency of training increasing from one session per day, to three sessions over 2 days, and eventually to the traditional two sessions per day format followed by the majority of high-level swimmers.

The main features of the early-season phase are a mod­est training volume to start, small 5-10 km increases in volume per week, low initial training intensity, and dry-land conditioning including flexibility, circuits, weight training, and other games and activities, to im­prove the overall sport abilities of the swimmer. Af­ter several weeks there are further increases in train­ing volume, a graduai introduction of higher intensity aerobic work to the level of the lactate threshold, and emphasis on skill and technique development before moving to the faster training speeds.

In simple terms, training volume elicits improvements in general en­durance fitness while training intensity develops the specific fitness required for racing and competitive suc­cess. The later weeks of the early-season phase focus on continuing development of the lactate threshold (endurance fitness), maximal oxygen uptake (maxi­mal aerobic) and race pace training capacities, ongo­ing manipulation of training volume and intensity to maintain improvement, an individualized approach to volume, intensity and recovery, and refinement of skills particularly at race speeds.