And it seems like everyone wants to have a body like Michael Phelps or Caleb Dressel.

The unmistakable, long torso, big shoulders, drool-worthy abs, the swimmer body.

So why do swimmers develop this unique body shape and what does it really take to look this shredded?

Swimmers take thousands of strokes every day, so their lats and back muscles are super strong.

Their arms and legs are toned and muscular too, and that's because swimming uses every single muscle to work against the water's resistance to propel the body forward.

From their fingertips to their toes, they're putting their bodies to the test.

Then there's the six-pack, washboard abs.

Swimmers use their cores to maintain perfect, streamlined body positions for hours at a time.

It's not easy, and over time, they build rock-solid abs.

And since swimming is an intense cardio workout that burns a lot of calories, pro swimmers often have low body fat percentages.

When you have less body fat, your abs are gonna show.

Many elite swimmers are also very tall, which can be advantageous for a variety of reasons.

Taller people usually have longer arms and legs and bigger hands and feet.

All of these things help them move through the water and swim faster with less effort than a shorter person.

Olympic swimmer Nathan Adrian is 6 feet tall, 6 inches, and Michael Phelps is 6 foot 4.

Caleb Dressel is 6 foot 3, and Katie Ledecky is 6 feet tall.

You see the pattern in these Olympic legends?

So in a nutshell, the ideal swimmer's body is one that's tall, lean, strong, and muscular from head to toe.

And this doesn't only apply to men.

Female swimmers are just as jacked.

Just look at Katinka Hosu or Sarah Hoistrom or Katie Ledecky.

There's a reason Katinka Hosu is called the Iron Lady.

They've all got exceptional physiques in their own right.

But is the swimmer body really the perfect body?

The question is, can you get a swimmer physique just by swimming?

And I wish I could tell you it's that easy.

But the answer is it's pretty complicated.

Genetics play a role in why some athletes develop a swimmer body faster than others.

There's a reason why so many professional swimmers seem to have the stereotypical swimmer body.

It's because people born with specific characteristics tend to be pretty good at swimming.

They might also be predisposed to gaining muscle in just the right places to achieve that V-shaped look that everyone is after.

Many elite swimmers have been swimming since they were 5 or 6 years old, which adds another layer to how the physiques turned out as they got older.

But swimming only does so much to change how the body is destined to look at a genetic level.

Nathan Adrian is not 6 foot 6 because he swims a lot.

Over decades of competition, the swimmers with this body type have risen to the top of the food chain and the top of the podium.

And as a result, their physiques have become the face of the entire sport.

But if you go to a regular pool, you'll see a majority of the swimmers don't have that swimmer body aesthetic.

Most of these swimmers are doing it casually for fitness, and they're not dedicating hours and hours to training both in and out of the water.

Also people of all shapes and sizes can swim, and you can swim pretty fast without having this stereotypically cut swimmer's body.

It's not a requirement to have a certain body type to be good at swimming.

The second way swimmers get ripped is by training.

A lot.

Elite swimmers train for over 20 hours per week, and in some cases, training is a full-time job.

They're swimming every day, sometimes multiple times per day, with personalized programs designed to get them to the top of the podium.

But you might be surprised to learn that swimming alone is not what gets professional swimmers so shredded.

Most pros are putting in 5 to 10 hours per week just in the weight room.

Lifting weights, strength training out of the water, is what transforms the body the most.

Lifting builds more muscle than swimming by a long shot.

The water only provides so much resistance, and after a while, swimmers need to challenge their bodies with heavier weights, and you can only do that on land.

Regular gym sessions build strength for a faster, more powerful stroke, and also helps fix muscle imbalances to prevent injuries.

If you compare the physiques of Olympic swimmers 50 years ago to the Olympians of today, you'll notice that modern day swimmers are way more muscular, and that's because of all of that strength training that they're doing.

Swimmers half a century ago still had fit physiques, but they were way thinner.

Michael Phelps trained 5 to 6 hours every day, 6 or 7 days a week.

He often swam 80,000 meters in a single week, that's almost 50 miles.

But he was also in the gym at least 3 times a week as well.

When you train like that, you burn thousands of calories every workout, which keeps your body fat percentage lower, and that's what helps you maintain a slim physique.

Plus, most pros follow strict nutrition plans designed for maximum gains and muscle recovery.

The reality is, most swimmers don't have a cut swimmer's body, and quite frankly, they never will, because it's hard to see a dramatic transformation that's going to happen to your body if you only swim a few times per week.

For most professional swimmers, swimming is life.

For most people, swimming is just one aspect of life.

Most of us don't have 20 to 30 hours per week to spend training.

We have jobs, families, hobbies, and other things that take up time.

So we have to be more strategic about the time that we spend working out.

I mean, you tell me, is it worth having the perfect swimming body if you have to skip social events or spend hours away from your loved ones to train all the time?

Probably not, but that depends on your goals.

And while yes, you can definitely get fit and change your body composition with just a few hours of training per week, it's unrealistic to think that you're going to look as shredded as an elite swimmer when you don't train like one.

When it comes down to it, the swimmer body ideal just isn't as important as people make it seem.

Anyone can swim, regardless of age, body type, background, and ability.

But the truth is, getting a swimmer body is easy.

Step one, have a body.

Step two, swim.

That's it.

It really is that simple.

Swimming isn't all about aesthetics.

In fact, for a majority of swimmers, how they look isn't the focus at all.

There are a ton of other reasons to get in the pool and swim every day.

First of all, swimming is amazing for your brain health.

Being in the water increases blood flow to the brain and can help you stay more focused during the day.

Also helps you sleep better and reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.

Check out my video how the brain benefits from swimming for a full breakdown on the science behind all of this.

Plus, regular swim workouts can improve your heart health, reduce joint pain, and build full body strength.

And of course, it's super motivating to work towards a performance goal, whether that's a race or just beating your swim buddy during practice.

Swimming is truly a lifelong sport that can keep you healthy for decades, and it's a great way to connect with others and build community.

And to me, those things are as important or more important than just having a shredded body.

Now I want to mention that if you do want to lose weight or change your body composition, swimming can be a great way to do that, as long as your nutrition is on point as well.

So if that's something you want to do, I recommend following a progressive training program that uses interval training to vary your distance, strokes, and intensity.

I created the MySwimPro app to give you personalized workouts and guidance for your goals from losing weight to swimming 10k open water races, so check it out if you need some extra guidance.

And if you hit the gym 2 or 3 dryland sessions per week as well, you'll boost muscle growth and reduce your risk of injury.

Do that and eat in a moderate caloric deficit and you'll lose weight.

Check out my video The Truth About Swimming For Weight Loss for a full breakdown on how that works.

But all of that said, even if you follow a weight loss program and train hard, there's no guarantee that you'll end up looking like Caleb Dressel.

Here's why.

You're not him.

Everyone is different.

There are a ton of other ways to get the most out of swimming.

It can also be helpful to notice how swimming makes you feel, not just how it makes you look.

Do you notice that you're more relaxed and focused when you swim regularly?

What does it feel like to move through the water?

Do you notice a big difference in your mood before or after you swim?

Those things are arguably more important than burning a ton of calories or getting cut.

Don't compare your physique, swimming experience, or speed to other people.

Your only competition and benchmark is yourself.

The swimmer body is just a snapshot of what swimming is all about.

There's so much more to the sport than abs, muscles, and being cut.