Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast with Strength Coach Jack Brown - How to lift more and swim faster

Ready to rethink how strength work fits into your swim life? We welcome strength coach Jack Brown of Aqua Strength Performance to Torpedo Swimtalk Podcast and unpack a smarter approach to dryland that actually shows up on the clock. Jack blends a swimmer’s background with strength and conditioning chops to build programs that scale across youth, college, and masters athletes—without trashing shoulders, legs, or motivation.

We walk through his full-body training model built around movement patterns rather than body parts, and why that matters for swimmers. Jack explains how he doses sessions across the week, why two to three lifts is a strong baseline, and how five-day training can work when volume and intensity are managed. He breaks down meet-week adjustments—cut reps, keep intensity, boost power—so you feel primed instead of flat. We also dive into isometrics as a low-fatigue lever for tendon health, range of motion, and recovery, and how to weave one to two ISO movements into any session to feel better fast.

Chasing that first pull-up? Jack lays out a step-by-step path from lat pulldowns to band-assisted reps to slow eccentrics and finally a clean neutral or chin-up. For masters swimmers, he shares a measured blueprint: purposeful warmups, four primary lifts, simple accessories, and a seven-out-of-ten effort that respects real life while moving strength and mobility forward. Throughout, Jack’s mantra holds steady—keep the goal the goal—so the weight room builds speed, power, and durability where it counts most: in the water.

If this conversation fired you up, tap follow, share it with a lane mate, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more swimmers find training that feels good, works with busy schedules, and pays off on race day.

Connect with Jack:   Instagram  YouTube  Website

Chapters

• 0:09 New Season, New Energy
• 0:41 Meet Strength Coach Jack Brown
• 1:45 Jack’s Path From Pool To Coaching
• 5:08 Building A Business Through COVID
• 6:13 Training With His Brother
• 7:10 Group Models And Programming
• 11:20 How Often Should Swimmers Lift
• 13:32 Coordinating With Swim Coaches
• 15:29 Youth Strength: Safe And Essential
• 19:28 Coaching Masters: Dose And Design
• 22:58 Full Body Over Split Routines
• 25:01 Lift Before Or After Practice
• 28:13 Keep The Goal The Goal
• 31:06 Where Isometrics Fit And Why
• 38:10 Heavier Lifting, Fewer Reps
• 41:13 Strength During Race Weeks
• 47:14 Not Every Meet Is The Meet
• 52:25 First Pull-Up Progressions
• 52:39 Support The Show & Community
• 52:48 Outro And How To Subscribe