Splash! Start your swim practice with Johan.

Most professional swimmers train from six to eight hours a day, but that much is not required for the guy who wants to basically look better and feel better but doesn't necessarily want to bulk up.

Swimming is perfect for having a toned, fit, and strong body, Kenkhuis says. And the athlete knows all about those benefits: "Since swimming has always been my daily 'profession,' I have always been fit. I swim to improve myself, do well at competition, and see the world. For me, looking fit and toned is just something that comes with that."

Now that is a beneficial side effect!

Training Like a Pro

The swimming workouts that Kenkhuis uses are diverse. If he's not in preparation for competition, he concentrates on endurance, strength, and technique. At season's start he'll focus on endurance and technique for five to six weeks. Then he uses power workouts for three to four weeks and finishes with three weeks of speed training. Throughout the training, though, he never stops concentrating on endurance and technique so that he can maintain the skill level and concentration he's developed. The three weeks before a competition are the easiest, he says, as he tapers down workouts and gives his muscles a chance to relax in preparation to race.

Time: Each workout is two hours long, twice a day, six days a week.

Design: Mostly freestyle but also other strokes like medley and butterfly, since they are the hardest.

Plan: Five sets of 800 meters each with 30 seconds of rest in between, or 15 sets of 200 meters each with 15 seconds in between. "The rest between each set is short because you don't want your heart rate to drop much," Kenkhuis says. "These kinds of workouts are great to burn your fat. It is like any other cardio but in the water."

The Lighter Workout

This is for you guys who aren't full-time athletes. Essentially, it is important to do the same type of workout, Kenkhuis stresses, but it's all about making it shorter.

Time: Instead of swimming for two-plus hours, swim about 30 to 45 minutes two or three times a week. "If you swim less than 30 minutes," he points out, "you don't have enough time to start burning body fat."

Design: Freestyle strokes are completely fine for toning and strengthening, but just like with the pro workout, using medley and butterfly can add variety as well as make the workout harder. These strokes are something to work up to, though, and to supplement freestyle.

Plan: Kenkhuis suggests five sets of 200 meters each with 30 seconds of rest in between. Don't stop after each lap, he stresses. Just make a quick turn and go on. He alternatively suggests 10 sets of 100 meters each with only 15 seconds of rest for some diversity. It is important, though, to swim at a comfortable pace. Start out slowly if you need to; you can always increase your speed halfway through the set.

Technique: Breathe on both sides at every third stroke. You can increase heart-rate intensity if you're up to it by swimming faster, swimming longer distances (five sets of 300 meters or two sets of 600 meters), or by breathing less often (every fifth stroke).

Booster: To raise the intensity level even more (but only if you feel comfortable with it; don't overstress your body), Kenkhuis suggests different strokes: "Swim 10 laps of butterfly with just 10 seconds' rest after each lap. You'll find out it's pretty tough. You can also do breaststroke if you can't do freestyle, but keep that at a high pace. At the end of the set you want to feel your stomach burning a bit. Then you know you've burned some calories!"

Strength Training

To create a well-rounded routine Kenkhuis's coach has him partner resistance exercises in the pool and weight training along with his swims. "I love," he says, "to do a little circuit: swim two laps, get out of the water and do 20 push-ups, again swim two laps, climb out and squat 20 times, swim another two laps, etc." A variety of exercises can be done near the pool: pushups, clips on the edge of the pool deck with legs in water, squats, and ab crunches.

He warns not to take too much time to stop and rest: "It's better to do three short circuits at a high pace with little rest than one long circuit with too much rest." He likes circuit training because it's easy to do alone and excellent for toning and strengthening overall.

For strengthening in the water, Kenkhuis suggests swimming with paddles or short fins. This allows for focus on certain body parts because of the increase in resistance in the water. "I also put a small buoy between my knees and put on some paddles (start with little ones, then use a bigger size). You can do sprint work for strength (short distances on high speed), but it's also great to swim longer distances at a comfortable pace. In both cases you work on your upper body: arms, upper back, and chest."

For legs, he says, get a kickboard and put on some small swim fins. It's possible to do it without fins, but he says for people who do not swim regularly, it will be hard to move forward.

Finally, one of the most important things is to focus on breathing. "People forget to breathe consistently and sometimes hold their breath," he says, "but that's just what makes you tired. For all your workouts in the pool, learn to breathe!"