A swimmer's build is a particular type of physical build that incorporates a high level of muscle tone with a lack of bulk. It is one of the most sought-after physical builds, and is used to describe a style of physique that is not necessarily related to swimming itself.

Swimming is a wonderful form of exercise. It acts as both a strong cardiovascular workout, and also works nearly every muscle group in the body. At the same time, the buoyancy of the water means that the joints and bones are stressed minimally, making it less damaging in the long run than most other forms of exercise. Because of the long periods of time most people swim when they exercise, and the relatively slow speeds at which they swim, it is generally a form of aerobic activity.

A swimmer's build tends to include a few different features. First and foremost is the idea of a "cut" or "ripped" body. This means that the muscle tone is visible over the entire body. Abdominal muscles are visible, triceps and biceps are clearly visible, and the calves are usually extremely prominent. At the same time, the muscle mass built up on a swimmer's build is not particularly large. Unlike body-builders, football players, or many other athletes, those with a swimmer's build have fairly svelte bodies.

Actual swimmers may have a small layer of fat that their body keeps to protect them from the cold of swimming in water below their core temperature consistently. In general, however, this is not considered a part of the swimmer's build as used in everyday conversation.

The swimmer's build is often referenced as being the most sought after builds for men. A number of exercise regimens have built up around trying to help men achieve a swimmer's build. Although there are some tricks to do outside of a pool environment, the simplest way to achieve a swimmer's build is, obviously enough, to swim regularly.

This can be done by utilizing the four main swimming strokes: the free style, the breaststroke, the butterfly, and the backstroke. Using these four strokes ensures that most of the muscle groups in the body are worked out fairly intensely, helping to balance muscle development and tone. Strokes such as the inverted butterfly, flutter back finning, corkscrew swimming, and the side stroke can all help work other muscles as well, and can help give a more intense workout to muscle groups worked by the main four strokes.

Even swimming a couple of hours a day can help a person get closer to having a swimmer's build, but most swimmers spend at least five hours a day in the water. A strong workout regimen will include a number of different strokes at different paces for about 3000 to 4000 yards.