BuildMySwim Guide

Everything you need to know to get the most out of your swim training

Getting Started

Welcome to BuildMySwim! Here's how to create your first workout in minutes.

1
Sign Up

Create your free account to access the Session Builder and other features.

2
Build Your Workout

Use the Session Builder to describe your ideal swim session in plain English.

3
Sync & Swim

Your workout automatically syncs to your connected Garmin device. Just head to the pool and start swimming!

Pro Tip: Complete your profile in Settings to get more personalized workout recommendations.

Session Builder

Create custom swim workouts using AI-powered natural language processing.

How It Works

Simply describe your workout in plain English, and our intelligence will generate a structured swim session with proper intervals, rest periods, and distances.

Example Prompts
  • "Create a 2000m endurance workout with a warmup and cooldown"
  • "I want to work on speed. Give me 8x50m sprints with 30 seconds rest"
  • "Build a technique-focused session with drills for freestyle"
  • "3000m workout mixing aerobic and threshold sets"

Tips for Better Results

  • Be specific: Include distances, intervals, and rest periods when you know them
  • Mention your goal: Speed, endurance, technique, or recovery
  • Include pool length: Specify 25m, 50m, or 25 yards if relevant
  • Set total distance: Give a target total distance for the session

Video Tutorial Coming Soon

Training Plans Premium

Multi-week structured training programs tailored to your goals and schedule.

What Are Training Plans?

Training Plans are comprehensive, multi-week programs designed to help you achieve specific swimming goals. Whether you're training for a 5K open water swim, improving your technique, or building endurance, our intelligence creates a personalized plan that adapts to your experience level and availability.

How to Request a Plan

  1. Navigate to the Training Plans agent in your dashboard
  2. Describe your goal (e.g., "Train for a 5K open water swim in 12 weeks")
  3. Specify your current fitness level and weekly availability
  4. Review and confirm your personalized plan
  5. Follow the weekly schedule and track your progress
Premium Features
  • Custom multi-week training plans
  • Progressive difficulty and periodization
  • Automatic scheduling and reminders
  • Plan adjustments based on your feedback
  • Integration with Garmin Connect

Video Tutorial Coming Soon

Send to Garmin

Quickly send any workout to your Garmin device by pasting text or uploading an image.

Two Ways to Send Workouts

Paste Workout Text

Copy and paste workout text from any source (email, website, coach's notes) and our intelligence will parse it into a structured Garmin workout.

Example:
Warmup: 400m easy
Main Set: 8x100m @ 1:45
Cooldown: 200m easy
Upload Workout Image

Take a photo of a workout written on a whiteboard, paper, or screen. Our OCR technology extracts the text and creates your workout.

Works with photos from your phone or uploaded images

How It Syncs

Once you send a workout, it's automatically uploaded to your Garmin Connect account and will appear in your workout library. From there, you can:

  • View it on your Garmin watch
  • Schedule it for a specific day
  • Edit it in Garmin Connect if needed
  • Start the workout directly from your watch

Video Tutorial Coming Soon

Swim Clock

A mobile-optimized interval timer for running workouts poolside.

What Is the Swim Clock?

The Swim Clock is a digital pace clock that helps you time your intervals during swim workouts. Perfect for when you don't have a smartwatch or want to follow along with a group workout.

Key Features

Interval Timing: Set custom intervals and rest periods
Mobile Optimized: Works great on phones and tablets
Audio Alerts: Beeps to signal interval starts/ends
Large Display: Easy to read from the pool deck

How to Use

  1. Open the Swim Clock from your dashboard
  2. Load a workout or set custom intervals
  3. Rotate your phone to landscape mode for the best view
  4. Place your phone poolside (in a waterproof case if needed)
  5. Start the timer and follow along with your workout
Tip: Keep your phone in a waterproof case or bag when using poolside.

Install Mobile App (PWA)

Add BuildMySwim to your home screen for a native app experience.

What is a PWA?

BuildMySwim is a Progressive Web App (PWA), which means you can install it on your phone like a native app. Once installed, it works offline, loads faster, and gives you a full-screen experience without browser controls.

Benefits of Installing
  • Quick access from your home screen
  • Full-screen experience (no browser bars)
  • Faster loading with offline support
  • Push notifications (coming soon)
  • Works just like a native app

Installation Steps

iOS (iPhone/iPad)
  1. Open BuildMySwim in Safari
  2. Tap the Share button
  3. Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen"
  4. Tap "Add" in the top right
  5. The BuildMySwim icon will appear on your home screen
Must use Safari browser on iOS
Android
  1. Open BuildMySwim in Chrome
  2. Tap the menu (three dots)
  3. Tap "Add to Home screen" or "Install app"
  4. Tap "Add" or "Install"
  5. The BuildMySwim icon will appear on your home screen
Works in Chrome, Edge, or Samsung Internet

Using the Installed App

Once installed, simply tap the BuildMySwim icon on your home screen to launch the app. It will open in full-screen mode without any browser controls, giving you a seamless native app experience.

Pro Tip: After installing, you can remove the app by long-pressing the icon and selecting "Remove" or "Uninstall" just like any other app.

Video Tutorial Coming Soon

Garmin Connect Setup

Connect your Garmin account to automatically sync workouts to your watch.

Why Connect Garmin?

Connecting your Garmin account allows BuildMySwim to send workouts directly to your Garmin Connect library, where they'll automatically sync to your compatible Garmin watch.

Benefits
  • Automatic workout sync to your watch
  • No manual entry required
  • Access workouts from your wrist
  • Track completed workouts in Garmin Connect

Connection Steps

1
Open Settings

Click the settings icon in your dashboard navigation and scroll to the Garmin Connection section.

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2
Click "Connect to Garmin"

You'll be redirected to Garmin's secure login page to authorize BuildMySwim.

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3
Authorize Access

Log in to your Garmin account and grant BuildMySwim permission to upload workouts.

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4
You're Connected!

You'll be redirected back to BuildMySwim. Your Garmin status will show as "Connected" in settings.

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Compatible Devices

BuildMySwim works with Garmin watches that support structured workouts, including:

Forerunner Series

Fenix Series

Swim 2

Video Tutorial Coming Soon

Frequently Asked Questions

The free Basic plan includes 1 Intelligent session per month. You can also use the Send to Garmin feature unlimited times to upload workouts from other sources.

No! While Garmin integration is a key feature, you can still use the Session Builder to create workouts and the Swim Clock to time your intervals poolside without a smartwatch.

No, Garmin Connect doesn't allow editing of structured workouts after they're created. If you need to make changes, you'll need to create a new workout in BuildMySwim and send it again. You can then delete the old workout from Garmin Connect.

BuildMySwim supports 25m, 50m, and 25-yard pools. You can specify your preferred pool length in your profile settings or mention it when creating a workout.

Training Plans are a Premium feature that creates multi-week structured programs tailored to your goals. Our intelligent agents generate a progressive schedule with workouts that build on each other over time.

Yes! We use OAuth for secure authentication and encrypt all data in transit and at rest. We never share your personal information with third parties. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Workout not appearing on my Garmin watch

Solution:

  • Ensure your watch is connected to Garmin Connect (sync via Bluetooth or WiFi)
  • Open the Garmin Connect app and manually sync
  • Check that your watch supports structured workouts
  • Wait a few minutes - sync can take time
Garmin connection failed

Solution:

  • Try disconnecting and reconnecting in Settings
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies
  • Ensure you're using the correct Garmin account credentials
  • Check that you authorized BuildMySwim in your Garmin account settings
Agent not understanding my workout description

Solution:

  • Be more specific with distances and intervals
  • Use standard swimming terminology (warmup, main set, cooldown)
  • Break complex workouts into simpler descriptions
  • Try rephrasing your request
Image upload not working

Solution:

  • Ensure the image is clear and well-lit
  • Try a different image format (JPG, PNG)
  • Check your file size (max 10MB)
  • Make sure text in the image is legible
Still need help? Contact us at support@buildmyswim.com or visit our contact page.