THE SWIMMER'S
WARM UP DECK
A visual warm-up system for competitive swimmers
The Swimmer’s Warm Up Deck combines visual learning with practical coaching to support pre-pool warm-ups before training and competition.
"This is one of those ideas where you immediately think,
‘Why hasn’t someone done this before?'"
Created for competitive Age Group swimmers
Each deck includes 44 guided warm-up cards and an online Exercise Companion Guide.
The system can also be adapted for younger swimmers learning the fundamentals and older swimmers who benefit from a clear, structured approach.
It can support coach-led warm-ups as well as familiar routines at home, before competitions and while travelling.
Why?
Pre-pool warm-ups are an established part of competitive swimming.
As swimmers progress, warm-ups evolve from simple coach-led activities into routines that gradually become part of everyday training. Along the way, swimmers begin learning exercises, becoming familiar with different movements and developing habits that stay with them throughout the sport.
The Swimmer’s Warm Up Deck was created to help make that journey clearer, more visual and easier to follow.
“The Warm Up Deck is a key tool in helping establish those habits early, giving young swimmers a consistent approach before they reach our Performance squads. It creates a foundation that coaches can build on as swimmers progress through the club.”
Graeme Thomas
Head of Performance, Basingstoke Bluefins SC
Physical Literacy
Learning to move well is an important part of every young swimmer’s development.
The warm-up provides opportunities to explore balance, coordination, stability, mobility and body control while gradually building a better understanding of how their bodies move.
The Warm Up Deck introduces these ideas through simple, age-appropriate activities that encourage curiosity and develop body awareness beyond the pool.
Child-Friendly Design
Every card has been written with young swimmers in mind.
Familiar words replace unnecessary technical terminology, making exercises quicker to recognise and easier to recall on poolside. Instructions are deliberately concise and PERFORM targets use simple repetition or time-based goals that swimmers can understand at a glance.
The aim is not to remove coaching language. It is to introduce new ideas in a way that matches a swimmer’s stage of development, while the Companion Guide provides additional coaching context for those who want to explore the thinking behind the system.
Visual Learning
Young swimmers are naturally drawn to things that are visual, interactive and tactile.
The Warm Up Deck uses those qualities to encourage engagement, while coaches provide the guidance, context and learning.
“The use of gamification makes warm-up enjoyable without losing sight of why it matters. When children are engaged, learning and habit-building happen much more naturally.”
Dr Emily Budzynski-Seymour
Development Coach | PhD in Sports Science
"One of the biggest strengths has been the consistency it has brought across our club’s development pathway.”
THE FIVE STAGES
The deck is organised into five colour-coded, sequentially numbered stages that guide swimmers through a logical warm-up sequence.
1 RAISE
Increase body temperature and begin moving.
2 MOBILISE
Prepare joints through controlled movement.
3 ACTIVATE
Wake up the muscles that support efficient swimming.
4 PRIME
Introduce faster, more dynamic swimming-specific movements.
5 EXPLODE
Dynamic power movements.
The first four stages form the foundation of most warm-ups.
EXPLODE is an optional final stage, giving coaches the flexibility to introduce more dynamic movements when appropriate for the swimmers, session or environment.
Movement Scores
Every exercise includes Movement Scores across five key physical qualities:
COORDINATION
FLEXIBILITY
IMPACT
STRENGTH
INTENSITY
These scores are not designed to measure performance. They help swimmers recognise the different demands of each movement and make more informed comparisons between exercises.
Behind the Movement Scores
POGO JUMPS
WALL SLIDES
LOCKED STREAMLINE
BAND SWIM PULSES
Movement Scores provide a consistent educational framework for comparing the relative demands of each exercise across Coordination, Flexibility, Impact, Strength and Intensity.
The scores were developed through structured comparative review across the full Warm Up Deck, with AI-assisted analysis used to support consistency between exercises. They are not a clinical assessment, scientific measurement or rating of swimmer ability.
Top Score Challenge uses those relative differences to encourage observation, discussion and learning through play.
Using The Deck
The Warm Up Deck has been designed to fit naturally into existing coaching environments.
Some coaches lead the warm-up by selecting and displaying the cards for the group. Others encourage swimmers to build their own warm-up by choosing movements from each stage.
As swimmers become more familiar with the system, they begin taking a more active role. Some clubs introduce a Warm-up Builder, where swimmers take turns selecting movements for the group. Others encourage the first swimmers on poolside to prepare the warm-up before the rest of the squad arrives.
These simple responsibilities encourage swimmers to contribute, communicate and gradually take greater ownership of their warm-up, while providing opportunities to develop confidence and leadership skills.
Every warm-up remains coach-led and can be adapted to suit the swimmers, the session and the available poolside space.
Built For Poolside
The Swimmer’s Warm Up Deck has been designed for regular poolside use.
The Classic Deck features laminated, splash-resistant cards that are well suited to everyday home use and light poolside environments.
The Pro Coach Deck and Performance Deck are produced using waterproof, tear-resistant material, offering increased durability for frequent use in demanding poolside conditions.
Safety
The Warm Up Deck has been designed for typical poolside environments where space, supervision and swimmer numbers can vary between sessions.
Exercises should always be selected and supervised by the coach, taking into account the age, ability, available space and individual needs of the swimmers.
Warning triangle symbols highlight movements that require additional consideration, helping coaches identify exercises that may need greater supervision or adaptation depending on the swimmers and poolside environment.
A Coaching Quick Reference card is also included, providing practical poolside reminders covering warm-up setup, delivery, observation points, coaching adjustments and environmental considerations to help coaches organise and deliver warm-ups consistently.
Some exercises include an optional stretch band, allowing coaches to introduce light resistance where appropriate.
WHO IT’S FOR
The Warm Up Deck can support:
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Competitive Age Group swimmers.
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Swim clubs introducing a shared approach to pre-pool warm-ups.
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Younger swimmers learning fundamental movement skills.
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Older swimmers who benefit from a structured visual system.
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Parents supporting warm-up routines at home, before competitions and while travelling.
Top Score Challenge
The Top Score Challenge adds another dimension to the deck through a simple movement-based game.
Using the Movement Scores, swimmers compare the scores on their cards and challenge their teammates to achieve the highest score within a selected movement category. The highest score wins.
The challenge encourages observation and comparison while reinforcing the concepts introduced throughout the deck.
It can be played head-to-head or in small groups, adding an enjoyable, interactive activity before training, between activities or while waiting to swim.
Top Score
Challenge
The Exercise Companion Guide
The Exercise Companion Guide provides a deeper understanding of every exercise within the deck.
It explains what each movement is designed to develop, why it has been included and how it relates to swimming. It also includes guidance on good technique, common faults to avoid, progressions, regressions and practical coaching points to help swimmers perform each exercise correctly.
Designed for parents, coaches and swimmers, the Companion Guide provides the additional detail behind the cards while allowing the deck itself to remain simple, visual and child-friendly.
The best way to understand the system, however, is to see it in use within a real coaching environment.
TAKE THE DECK HOME
The same visual system can support swimmers beyond the pool, helping them become more familiar with their warm-up routine at home, before competitions and while travelling.
For parents, it provides a clearer understanding of the movements their swimmer is learning and why they matter.
Tried & Tested: Real-World Perspectives
Swim Coaches
“I’ve been involved in swimming for a long time and it’s rare to come across something that genuinely feels different. This is one of those ideas where you immediately think, ‘Why hasn’t someone done this before?’ It’s practical, easy to use and most importantly, young swimmers actually enjoy it. That’s where I think its real strength lies.”
Steve Greenfield
Swim England Tutor | Senior Coach | Mentor
“As Head of Performance, I see the end of the pathway and the habits swimmers bring with them. The Warm Up Deck is a key tool in helping establish those habits early, giving young swimmers a consistent approach before they reach our Performance squads. It creates a foundation that coaches can build on as swimmers progress through the club.”
Graeme Thomas
Head of National & Regional Performance,
Basingstoke Bluefins SC
“What I like most is how easy the system is to implement across different squads. The structure is simple, swimmers quickly understand it and the consistency it brings to warm-ups has been really noticeable. Instead of coaches constantly directing every movement, swimmers become more engaged and start taking ownership of their own warm-up. That’s a real win for both coaches and swimmers.”
Darren Buchan
Head Coach, Eastleigh SC
Hampshire County Lead Coach
Swim Parents
“Watching my 8-year-old use the Warm Up Deck has brought back a lot of memories from my own club swimming days. We never had anything like this. Warm-ups were often something you just copied without really understanding why. I love seeing young swimmers so engaged and taking an active role in getting ready to swim. I only wish we’d had something like it when I was that age.”
Andy Cackett
Swim Parent, child aged 8
Former Club Swimmer
“Having competed at national level, I’ve always believed that technique matters. A pre-pool warm-up should not simply be completed. It should be done correctly and with purpose. As both a parent and a Masters swimmer, that is what stands out to me about the Warm Up Deck. It helps young swimmers understand what they are doing and build stronger foundations as they progress.”
Brendan Giltinane
Swim Parent, child aged 10
Former National Swimmer | Masters
Elite Athletes
“The Warm-Up Deck is a very complete and professional pre-pool guide that I would highly recommend to swimmers looking to elevate their warm-ups.”
Brodie Williams | Olympian
Tokyo 2020 | Commonwealth Games 2022, 200m Backstroke Champion
“Although sport has changed enormously since I competed at the Olympic Games, one thing hasn’t. Success still comes from building good habits and doing the simple things well, day after day. That’s what I like about the Warm Up Deck. It encourages young athletes to value those foundations from the very beginning, and that’s a lesson that applies to every sport.”
Former Olympian
Munich 1972
Club Culture
“One of the biggest strengths of the Warm Up Deck has been the consistency it has brought across our club’s development pathway. It has given coaches a shared framework and helped create a more consistent approach for the swimmers coming through the pathway. From a club perspective, it’s become much more than a warm-up resource. It’s helping establish the culture and standards we want young swimmers to experience as they develop.”
Fleur Turner
Chair, Basingstoke Bluefins SC | Masters
“Our athletes train across laser shooting, running and swimming, so creating consistent routines between disciplines can be challenging. What I like about the Warm Up Deck is that it offers a simple way to introduce a shared approach to physical warm-up, particularly before swimming. It helps young athletes become more aware of how they get ready for each part of their training.”
Michelle Matson
Head Coach, Wessex Wyvern Modern Pentathlon Club
“I’ve seen the Warm Up Deck develop from the very first conversations through to the pilot cards we used with swimmers. Right from the beginning, the focus was on solving a genuine coaching problem by helping young swimmers become more interested in pre-pool warm-up and take greater ownership of it. Watching the idea evolve through testing and feedback has been one of its real strengths.”
Tom Blakeley
Youth Performance and County Development Lead Coach | Basingstoke Bluefins SC
Physical Education
“Having researched how young people engage with sport, I really like the thinking behind the Warm Up Deck. The use of gamification makes warm-up enjoyable without losing sight of why it matters. When children are engaged, learning and habit-building happen much more naturally.”
Dr Emily Budzynski-Seymour
Skills Development Coach | Masters
PhD in Sports Science
“In an increasingly digital world, a physical deck of warm-up cards is a brilliant idea. It is tactile, it belongs on the pool deck where it is needed and it is far more practical for a child than looking at a phone or tablet screen. The cards give young swimmers something they can handle, discuss and use together, helping them become more involved in their own warm-up.”
Lizzie Coaster
PE Teacher | Masters
“Working across swimming, athletics and modern pentathlon, I see how valuable it is when children recognise that movement skills are not confined to one sport. What I like about the Warm Up Deck is that it helps young swimmers build a broader movement vocabulary they can carry into other activities. The cards encourage them to explore how their bodies move, not simply repeat a set routine.”
Michelle Matson
Head of Swimming, Modern Pentathlon and Athletics, Sherfield School
“I'm a Year 5 teacher, so I couldn't resist taking the Warm Up Deck into school to see how my class would respond. The children immediately wanted to look through the cards, ask questions and have a go, despite knowing nothing about competitive swimming. That really highlighted the strength of the design. It captures children's curiosity and encourages them to get involved.”
Liberty Turner
Year 5 Teacher | Former Club Swimmer
Practitioners
“One of the biggest challenges in physiotherapy is compliance. Simply telling people to do an exercise doesn’t always mean they’ll do it. Children are no different. What I like about the Warm Up Deck is that it gives young swimmers choices and encourages them to become involved in the process. Giving children some ownership can make them far more willing to participate.”
Created by Spencer Turner
Head of Swimming | Level 3 Personal Trainer | Product Designer | Competitive Masters Swimmer
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