Slogging through laps in the pool is no way to get a faster swim split.
A majority of triathletes swim at a steady, monotonous pace throughout their workouts. Their swim sets have no variability nor do they implement different distances and intensities. Doing slow and steady sessions in all of your workouts will only guarantee one thing: you will swim slowly in the race!
It’s important to integrate SPEED work year round — with solid technique and mechanics — and incorporate strength and mobility training to enhance these swim sessions and stay injury-free.
Trying to reach your top-end in training develops the ability to ratchet up your speed at key points during a race… especially at the start of the swim leg, during the middle to close a gap, and to ensure a strong finish!
4 guidelines on how to add speed into your swim sessions:
1. Frequency. Insert speed into a session 2-5 times a week. You can integrate speed intervals throughout the workout or insert them at the beginning or end of a session.
2. Total Duration. The total distance of the speed component within a workout should be based on the total WORK time – not distance. This is where a lot of triathletes get confused! The total time for top end intervals should be between 6’ for the beginner athlete and up to 25’ for the experienced athlete.
3. Set Length. Set length can and should be broken into 2 – 4 rounds within one workout. This allows you to recover and also to integrate lower intensity efforts between the speed segments. The set length can vary from 4’ to 10’.
4. Interval Length. The length of each repeat can vary from 15” to 2’.
These types of speed workouts stimulate the faster twitch muscle fibers and develop power & strength in your rotator cuff, shoulders, back, triceps and core. During speed sessions like this one, I also like to incorporate a variety of skills and strokes — not just freestyle — to help mix up the muscle tension.
Here’s an example of a super-fast swim workout that I like to do with my swim group in Boulder.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes. Get in touch with me on Facebook or Twitter.
Dave
Warm Up:
10’ Include 4 lengths of double arm backstroke. The double arm back stretches your lats and pecs that are quite often tight and impede the length of the front end reach of your stroke and shoulder flexion.
1st Set:
6 x 75
Rest Interval (RI) 50 yards or meters easy stretch swim and then add 15” while at the wall. These are progressively faster over all 6 repeats, ending with a 90 percent effort on the last interval.
2nd Set:
Swim these descending intervals hard! Notice you’ll get some easy swimming and rest after each interval.
100 m with first length heads up breast pull with fast arms and flutter kick + 75 free.
RI= Stretch an easy 25 plus RI 30”.
75 with first length backstroke and then 50 free.
RI= Stretch an easy 25 plus RI 30”.
4 x 25 fly with fins (I like the FINIS Edge Fins).
RI= 30”
After the last repeat, drop your fins and swim 6’ holding an aerobic pace. Distance will vary depending upon your ability. RI 1’ and repeat the set with the 6’ on the end.
3rd Set:
4 x 35 + 15 meters easy (swim 50 meters total for each interval).
Swim each 35 hard with a fast turn off the wall and then cruise the last 15 easy.
Repeat 4x.
Round 1 and 4 are freestyle.
Round 2 is freestyle with paddles.
Round 3 is 15m fly then 20m free… you can use fins if desired.
Cool Down.
Total Time: 65 Minutes
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