Duncan Scott is one of the UK’s biggest swim talents, with two Olympic silvers and multiple World Championship medals to his name. Duncan was the most decorated swimmer in Commonwealth Games history at the 2018 games, walking away with six medals.
Duncan is a world-class talent and has trained hard to get there. Here’s a taste of his weekly training schedule to give you some inspiration in and out of the pool.
SCOTT Duncan W GBR Great Britain200m Freestyle Men FinalSwimmingBudapest - Hungary 21/5/2021Duna ArenaXXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships
In the Pool
Duncan trains at the University of Stirling and is in the pool 10 times a week. He does a variety of different training sessions throughout the week and his sessions often include a number of drills and the use of training aids.
Although Duncan using a number of different training aids, he really recommends fins as a starting point (link to product page).
“Fins make swimming nice and easy, and more often than not I start my warm-ups wearing them. They are great for slowing the stroke down when doing drills and body position kick.”When it comes to drills, Duncan’s favourite is 8 kicks to 1 pull.
"I like this drill because it allows me to focus on each stroke and my timing. I use a snorkel, paddles and fins for this drill, and they all help massively. The snorkel especially allows me to keep a neutral head position, which allows me to just focus on my stroke.”If you’ve never used training aids before, or want some tips on using them, check out our videos on them here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzn96LLwta8&list=PLN1uwpFCUEh1uXMKYm28-bfnFZc_Up9tP
Out of the Pool
Duncan does 2 or 3 gym sessions a week, and these help with strength, power and stability. A typical gym session for Duncan looks like this:
Weighted exercises: squats, push-ups, pull-ups
Core: lateral hold off the end of a bench, pallof press, handstands against the wall
Everything Duncan does in the gym is done to improve his performance in the pool. Squats help with driving off the blocks and walls, and core stability helps with his body positioning while he’s swimming. Why not try adding some of Duncan’s exercises to your next gym session?
Aside from his swim and gym sessions, Duncan also likes to play golf (when he has the time!)
Find out more about Duncan here.