Swim.com USMS Fitness Series

The Swim.com U.S. Masters Swimming Fitness Series contains three challenges: 30-minute, 2K, and 1-mile swims. You can complete these fun challenges with your local USMS club or swim on your own.

USMS recognizes not everyone has access to swim safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. We still welcome all swimmers to join in the fun! A dryland workout can be substituted for each Fitness Series event.

We've created a resource page for swimmers (and coaches) with information, articles, and dryland workouts that can be done from home to help keep USMS members active during this difficult time.

Net proceeds from the Swim.com USMS Fitness Series benefit USMS Adult Learn-to-Swim grants supported by the USA Swimming Foundation.

Event dates: Feb. 1-15
Entries open: Oct. 16
Entries close: Feb. 15

Event Info

Event dates: June 1-15
Entries open: Feb. 16
Entries close: June 15

Event Info

Event dates: Oct. 1-15
Entries open: June 16
Entries close: Oct. 15

Event Info

Register

Fitness and Fun for a Great Cause

If your local USMS club is hosting a Fitness Challenge, you’ll have fun training for and completing the Challenge together, getting motivation from each other and your coach. If you swim on your own, you can still join a group for the Challenge! Invite your family, friends, and coworkers to join you—keep each other on task and have fun while getting fit.

Swimmers will receive exclusive discounts from our partners, a cool latex event swim cap, a USMS sticker, and they get to feel great that they support USMS Adult Learn-to-Swim grants supported by the USA Swimming Foundation.

2021 Updates: Bundle Registration, Gold Caps, and Swim.com integration

USMS members who register using the bundle option during the Winter Fitness Challenge receive caps for each 2021 event along with a special gold Fitness Series cap. Swimmers who register for the Winter Fitness Challenge can still receive the gold cap if they also register for the Summer Fitness Challenge and Fall Fitness Challenge.

We partnered with Swim.com so you can input your results on their app to benchmark your time for the future, compare against other swimmers, and join in on the social fun. Swimmers can upload swims or workouts using a compatible device (Garmin, Apple Watch, etc.), or they can be manually uploaded, so don’t worry if you don’t have a smartwatch!

This is how it will work:

Link your My USMS account and Swim.com account
Accept the challenge on the Swim.com app (here's how)
Complete your swim or workout
Log it on the Swim.com app
Bask in the glory of your accomplishment, receive your badge on Swim.com, and maybe see where you rank against others :)

Training Plans

We provide six-week training plans—written by USMS-certified coaches—for all abilities. USMS members can view the full training plans after logging in to My USMS.

Beginner

No prior training

Intermediate

Some swimming experience

Advanced

Swimming Regularly

Swimmer FAQs

Ask local Masters coaches through our Club Finder tool.

Yes, you can swim the event on your own. Or, you can convince a friend or two to swim with you and you'll all have a better day.

Yes! For any of the Fitness Series swims, you can wear gear—you can wear every piece of swim gear in your net bag if you’d like. You can swim it all one stroke or—because more friends mean more fun—swim it as a relay with other swimmers.

Structure the relay anyway you like— by time, distance, stroke, skill level, etc. The only requirement is that all swimmers must be registered for the Challenge.

The training plans contain six-week swim-workout programs to prepare you for the Fitness Challenge. The workouts are written by USMS-certified coaches and cater to three different skill levels. You’ll receive a link to your training plan in the email receipt when you register. If you’re having trouble seeing or downloading the training plan, contact events@usmastersswimming.org.

The Fitness Series emphasis is on fun and fitness. How fast you swim or how many lengths you swim isn’t as important as the accomplishment. However, we have partnered with Swim.com so you can input your swim on the Swim.com app to gauge your fitness levels from year to year, see where you rank against others in the challenge, and receive a cool badge when you are done! Make sure to link your My USMS and Swim.com account first.

Net proceeds benefit USMS Adult Learn-to-Swim grants supported by the USA Swimming Foundation. Clubs and individuals are also welcome to set up fundraisers for the cause of their choice but would need to use a separate fundraising platform.

Yes, we sanction nearly 500 pool and open water events annually including National Championships in a range of distances. And if you're looking for longer distance challenge or competitive event check out our pool National Championship, ePostal, and Open Water National Championship events.

We're glad you asked! Swimming is a low-impact exercise that increases circulation, increases flexibility, and lowers blood pressure. Swimming also has mood-boosting benefits and improves sleep. Learn more about the many health benefits of swimming.

Coach FAQs

Sign up your club clicking on the “Host at your pool” button above or on the Winter, Summer, or Fall challenge pages. USMS has also created a folder of resources including social posts, sample text, and marketing materials that can be utilized by all coaches.

Yes, they can wear any equipment they want during the Fitness Series swims. The goal is to get people motivated to train for and complete the challenge with their teammates. Coaches are encouraged to get creative for their swimmers who might be intimidated by the challenge. Focus on individual and group achievement, rather than competition for the best time or most distance—there are no competitive rules.

The Fitness Series events provide great team-building opportunities for coaches, even while following current social distancing protocols. Although swimmers may need to complete the swim (or dryland workout) at separate times, use the event as a way to motivate your swimmers. Consider hosting a virtual social to celebrate the accomplishments of your program and the individual swimmers with recognition or awards.

We will have a roster of all swimmers signed up for each Fitness Challenge when entries open up. Check each event information page for the roster: WFC, SFC, and FFC.

The Fitness Challenges and the ePostal National Championships aren’t mutually exclusive. Since these events overlap, coaches can run them simultaneously. Let your swimmers decide which event best suits them. Swimmers who are just getting started with Masters Swimming or have never participated in a USMS event might choose the fitness-oriented event. Experienced and competitive swimmers might prefer the ePostal National Championship. Some swimmers might decide to swim both. Schedule these events to suit your club’s needs and goals.

Registration net proceeds from the Fitness Series support USMS Adult Learn-to-Swim grants. If your club would like to set up an additional fundraiser for a local charity, you can do so through a separate fundraising platform.

If you have questions related to the USMS Fitness Series, please contact us at events@usmastersswimming.org or 941-256-8767.