Rio 2016: Ben Proud following 'gym trend' set by Mark Foster

Ben Proud trains alongside Lithuanian Olympic breaststroke champion Ruta Meilutyte

Ben Proud says he is following the "trend" set by former world champion Mark Foster by spending more time in the gym ahead of the 2016 Olympics.

The Plymouth Leander swimmer, 21, is hoping to compete in the 50m and 100m freestyle events in Rio this summer.

"This year we've definitely upped the ante in the gym and tried to get a lot stronger," Proud told BBC South West.

"Obviously for the 50m you have to be strong, you have to be big and you have to be good in the water."

Proud, who won two Commonwealth gold medals at Glasgow in 2014, broke Foster's 14-year-old short-course 50m freestyle British record by clocking 20.74 secs in December.

He also improved his own long-course record in the same event with a time of 21.73 at the British Universities and Colleges Championships in Sheffield on Saturday, where he won two golds.

"I think Mark Foster definitely set the trend that you don't have to do a huge amount (of training) in the water, especially for a sprint event which lasts 21 seconds," added Proud.

"At the same time I'm still focusing on the 100m, which means I have to spend a lot more time in the water - so I'm mixing them both up a bit.

"I'm just looking to better my performances and hopefully see that record get faster and faster."