Swimming Training To Be A Lifeguard

I would like some help with swimming training to be a lifeguard. I’m a 24 year old male height 1.77 m and weight of 71 kg.
I recently had a swimming tryout for a lifeguard position I’m hoping to get for the summer.
I failed this try-out because I was out of shape , the speed crawl was ok :100 meters (2x50 m) under 3.5 minutes (50 meters fast crawl and 50 meters pulling another person while crawling with one hand) ... but after this i had to swim 50 X 6 (300 meters) continuously and under 8 minutes , I failed and ended up doing it in 18 minutes(terrible) , so my question is : What do I need to do , what kind of training must I do(preferably on land because I cant afford going to a swimming pool on a regular basis) to succeed this tryout , please reply I’m in desperate need of advice .

Many thanks for your question. This sounds like a challenging test for a lifeguard position and it is clear that your stamina and overall fitness level is holding you back.

As for training on land, it must be cardiovascular based. In other words jogging or cycling at least three times per week. But it must be structured in a similar way to your swimming test. Looking at the information you have given, it looks like a shorter distance swim first followed by a longer, more endurance based swim. It is the longer swim that is the hardest and putting it after the shorter initial swim makes it even harder.


Your land training must follow this pattern. A shorter distance jog, run or cycle followed by a longer distance run or cycle, so that your body is trained to deal with longer distance endurance exercises whilst being slightly fatigued. The actual distances and times that you cover will depend on your current fitness level and should be increased as your stamina improves.

I should make it clear at this point that if jogging, running or cycling is something that you do not regularly do then you should start slowly and gradually, and maybe even consult a physician before you begin this type of training.

It goes without saying that there is no substitute for sport specific training and swimming is by far the best way to improve your swimming stamina. Any type of cardiovascular training will help boost your stamina but the demands of front crawl cannot be transposed accurately onto land. Maybe consider a trip to the swimming pool once a week along with your other two runs or cycles?

Front crawl technique tends to go wrong and get out of shape when tiredness and fatigue kick in, making it slower and less efficient. One of our best-selling books 'The Complete Guide to Swimming Front Crawl' contains loads of exercises to help keep your technique precise and tidy. You can try them as part of your training and along with your cardiovascular training you will be well on the way to passing your lifeguard try-out. Click the link below for more information.

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