🌿 The Porch Project

The Backyard Pool Workout

A 45-minute, low-impact session · five blocks, warm-up to core

Block 1 — Warm-Up

~8 min · wake up the shoulders and hips

Exercise	Work	How
Water jog, easy	3 min	Chest-deep, drive the knees, pump the arms. Build gradually.
Leg swings + arm circles	2 min	Hold the edge. Front-to-back and side-to-side swings, big arm circles.
Easy freestyle or breaststroke	3 min	Smooth laps to warm up and loosen the shoulders.

Block 2 — Cardio Intervals

~12 min · your highest-burn block

Exercise	Work	How
Pool sprint (swim)	~4 min	4 lengths freestyle, then 4 breaststroke, alternating. Push the pace the whole way.
Tuck jumps (shallow end)	~3.5 min	Sets of 15 — explode up, knees to chest, soft landing — with 20s rest between. Don't underestimate this one.
Tread-water surges	4 × 30s	Tread hard with your arms up out of the water 10s, easy 20s. The sleeper of the whole workout — genuinely brutal.

Block 3 — Water Dumbbell Resistance

~12 min · push the drag both ways, minimal rest

Exercise	Work	How
DB chest press / fly	3 × 15	Submerged. Press together in front, open wide. Push the drag both ways.
DB lat push-down	3 × 15	Push dumbbells from surface down to your hips. Slow on the way up — that's the work.
DB front raise / push-back	3 × 15	Raise to the surface, push back down and behind. Constant tension.
Cross-country ski + DB swing	3 × 30s	Scissor legs front/back, swing dumbbells opposite. Big range, fast.
Standing row (drag)	3 × 15	Hinge slightly, pull the dumbbells back like a row, slow return.

Block 4 — Lower Body Power

~8 min · explosive work, zero joint cost

Exercise	Work	How
Squat jumps	3 × 12	Full squat underwater, explode up. The water cushions the landing — go hard.
Scissor / split jumps	3 × 10/leg	Lunge-jump switching legs. Power, zero impact.
Lateral bounds	3 × 10/side	Push off one leg, bound sideways, stick the landing. Glutes and outer hips.
Wall tuck-ups	3 × 12	Back to the wall, arms on the edge, tuck both knees to chest and extend.

Block 5 — Core

~5 min · in the water or poolside on a mat

Exercise	Work	How
Plank (poolside)	3 × 30–45s	On a mat, forearms down, body in one line. Squeeze everything.
Treading Russian twist	3 × 30s	In water: tread with legs only, hold a DB at your chest, rotate side to side.
Flutter kicks on wall	3 × 30s	In water: hold the edge, body horizontal, fast little kicks.
Pike / knee tuck	3 × 12	Suspended in deep water, or on the mat poolside. Tuck the knees up, extend.

Cooldown

3–5 minutes of easy freestyle or backstroke, then float and stretch your shoulders, hips, and hamstrings while the water keeps you loose.

The Porch Project · porchproject.co | General fitness guidance, not medical advice. Never swim alone for hard intervals, and stop if you feel lightheaded.