In the market to improve your underwater dolphin kick? Well then, this set has your name on it.
This set has two ambitious goals:
- Improve your kicking technique by making it more symmetrical
- Increase dolphin kick velocity via potentiation
A true 1-2 punch.
The set starts off with some vertical dolphin kicking to balance out the upkick and downkick. Moves on to some resisted kicking—ideally with that same symmetrical kick. And then packaging it all together to unleash some faster kicking.
Simple and effective—here’s the full set.
Round 1 – Vertical Kicking
3x [:20 vertical dolphin kick + :40 rest]
Rep 1: Hands sculling or arms crossed across chest
Rep 2: Hands out of the water
Rep 3: Streamline (or as close to it)
The benefits of vertical dolphin kicking are that it promotes—well, more like forces—a more symmetrical kick pattern.
You have to kick fast in both directions and reduce time spent in phase transitions to keep your head above water.
Round 2 – Resisted power
3x [15m or 8-10 seconds of resisted dolphin kick – 2:00 rest per rep]
Grab your drag chute, DragSox, resistance tubing, power tower, waterlogged sweater–whatever resistance tool you like using in the water.
Maintain the rhythm from the vertical kicking, feel the increased force output through the whole kick.
Resisted kicking is great for keeping the kick cycle balanced out (decelerations are way more noticeable when you add load) and also potentiating the muscles responsible for fast dolphin kicking.
Round 3 – Speed transfer
4-6x [15-20m max underwater dolphin kick – 2:00 rest]
Finally, we put it all together. The symmetry from vertical kicking, the potentiation from the resisted kicking—stacking and stuffing them into your fast kick. Focus on a clean bodyline, explosive kicks, and slicing through the water.
Why This Set Rocks
The combo is not an accident. It was inspired by a study done by Thompson et al. (2026) who tested the effects of vertical and resisted work on dolphin kick speed.
Swimmers shortened the upkick phase after vertical kicking—important because it means you are spending more time in the propulsive downkick phase. The kick became more symmetrical.
And the resisted kicking led to some decent increases in speed. Average underwater velocity increased from 1.67m/s to 1.71m/s, a solid post-activation potentiation enhancement.
The Bottom Line
Fast dolphin kicking is hard to do–lots goes into it, from technique to breath control to having the anaerobic power to kick hard and kick consistently throughout a race.
But this set gives you a double-dose of what goes into fast kicking. A more balanced kick cycle, a faster upkick, and transferring a bunch of force into your regular kicking.
Happy kicking!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national-level swimmer, 2x Olympic Trials qualifier, and author of several books for swimmers, including The Dolphin Kick Manual: The Swimmer’s Ultimate Guide to a Fast Underwater Dolphin Kick.
The book is a beastly 240+ pages of actionable insights and research into elite dolphin kicking technique and performance. It details everything from mastering undulation to vortex recapturing to structuring a dryland program for dolphin kicking success.
The Dolphin Kick Manual combines evidence-based insights with a collection of 20 ready-to-go sets and a 6-week Action Plan to help swimmers set a course for dolphin kicking success.
Train smarter and kick faster.
👉👉👉 Learn more about The Dolphin Kick Manual
this set sound rly fun I’m trying it