The sessions can be adapted to any pool size from 25 to 50 meters or yards, wherever you are in the world.
Sets that include 25’s, 75’s or 125’s would require modification for a 50 m/yd pool. In a 50 m/yd pool, these distances take the swimmer to the middle of the pool. In this case, you can either push off the bottom of the pool to start the next repeat or do a “dead start” from the middle of the pool. If you prefer, you can also do 50s instead of 25s and adapt the intervals accordingly.
Warm-up
The warm-up is important. Even if you have less time to train, avoid shrinking them. A good warm-up is also endurance work which will prepare your body for the increased intensities in the main swim set.
Often, warm-ups include drills. You are free to choose the drill(s) you want, if you have a specific area of your stroke that you wish to focus on or improve.
Main set
The main set is the goal of your workout and can be focused on different areas. In the yearly training plan, the three weekly sessions are usually as follows:
- Session 1 is usually a C.S.S focus (solid pace) with varied intensities
- Session 2 is more endurance orientated with longer distances and sets
- Session 3 offers more diversity including kicks and mixed strokes
If you are unable to do one of the strokes, feel free to do Freestyle or another stroke instead. Please refer to the following terminology for more details about strokes.
Pull / Paddles set
In this upper body workout section, you have the choice to use a pull buoy only, just paddles or both together.
Be careful with paddles as they can sometimes put too much stress on your shoulders. Even if you train with paddles at the end of your training, stay focused on maintaining the best technique possible.
If you are not used to swimming equipment, I would recommend starting by using a pull buoy only and then in the longer term, using hand paddles only. Eventually, using both pull buoy and paddles together will give you a stronger workout. Varying equipment reduces the likelihood of repetitive strain injuries and adds interest.
If you are unable to use swimming equipment, feel free to change the pull set in a swim set or add more lengths in your main set instead.
Warm down
Warm downs are usually not included in the workouts. However, they are important and will help you to recover faster before your next training. Depending on how much time you have left, try to swim at least 100m in a warm down.
Workout example explained:
