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07 May 2015, 09:00am
5 Swim Sets You Have Try Before You Die

Swim sets are like burgers. There’s a lot of them in the world: some are great, some are awful and some are just plain ordinary burgers. Here are 5 Swim Sets You Have Try Before You Die

A great swim set has to include three things:

It must be challenging – and demand more of you physically, mentally, technically and tactically than previous training sets;
It must be able to be progressed – i.e. you can make the set more challenging and more demanding over time by changing variables such as speed, breathing frequency, rest periods and the number of repeats in the set;
It has to make you swim faster in competition – the set has to actually make a difference to your swimming performances.
Here are 5 Swim Sets which are challenging, can be progressed and most importantly – will make a big difference to your racing.

5 Swim Sets You Have Try Before You Die

1. 50 / 100 / 50 set
This set is a killer but it really sorts out the men (and women) from the mice. It is a great set for learning to sustain high-speed swimming with limited rest.

It goes like this:

Dive and swim 50 metres on a 1:00 minute time cycle at 100 metre pace;
Swim 100 metres with a push start on a 2:00 minute time cycle at 200 metre pace;
Dive and swim 50 metres on a 1:00 minute time cycle at 100 metre pace.
Repeat the above 50 / 100 / 50 sequence 4 times through. Then add another 50 / 100 / 50 each week until you can complete 6-10 of them in a single swim set.



2. Mini Max Swim Set with Double Ups
Mini-Max (i.e. minimum stroke count at maximum speed) swim sets are great for developing both speed and M.D.S. – maximum distance per stroke.

Start with a single timed 50 metre maximum speed swim. Count your strokes.

Add the time and the stroke count together for a total lap “score”.

For example if you swam the 50 metres with 46 strokes and your time was 42 seconds, that’s a total score of 88.

Now swim another 50 at maximum speed – also counting your strokes but aiming to reduce your score of 88 by at least 1, i.e. by swimming faster, taking fewer strokes or both.

So – say you swam 40 seconds and took 44 strokes, your new lap score is 84.

Next – the “double-up”.

Multiply your lap score of 84 by 2 and that becomes your goal score for a 100 metre swim, i.e. 168.

Swim 100 metres at maximum speed, count your strokes and add your time and stroke count together striving to score better than 168.

Then….yes – you guessed it. Double up again and see how you go for a 200!

And then…..yep – believe it or not – try doubling up again for a Mini-Max 400.

3. Magic Medley Mayhem
This swim set has been a favourite of medley coaches for a long, long time.

4 x 25 Medley order (i.e. that’s 25 fly, 25 back, 25 breast, 25 free) on 30 seconds
100 IM on 2:00 minutes
4 x 50 Medley order on 1:00 minute
200 IM on 4:00 minutes
4 x 100 Medley order on 2:00 minutes
400 IM on 8:00 minutes.
Rest 5 minutes.
Timed 200 IM within 5 seconds of your PR time.
Rest 5 minutes
Timed 400 IM within 10 seconds of your PR time.
Add this “golden-oldie” to your training program and watch your medley times plummet.

4. Horrible Hundreds
It doesn’t sound like much but this swim set is another that can make or break most swimmers. It’s very simple in design yet – done correctly and with total commitment – it is as tough as it gets.

8 x 100 metres on 6::00 minutes…..all at maximum speed and all within 3 seconds of your PR time.

If you don’t swim within 3 seconds of your PR time, that 100 does not count and you have to repeat it.

Ouch!

5. Endless 50s.
This swim set is another shock to the swimming system.

Swim a single 50 metre effort at maximum speed. Add five seconds to that time.

For example – if the maximum speed swim equals 38 seconds , then add 5 = 43 seconds.

Now add another 5 seconds – i.e. 48 seconds.

And now the fun part…..How many 43 second swims can you repeat on a 48 second time cycle?

Key:

Less than 5: You’re as soft as a marshmallow.

6 – 10: Good but you can do better.

11 – 15: Very good.

16 – 20: Excellent

More than 20: Move over Phelps. Look out Ledecky….you’re awesome.


Photo Courtesy: Xinhua/Yan Yan
Swim sets come in a virtually unlimited range of designs and variations.

While the design of the swim sets is important , it’s even more important to think about how you swim them.

Even the best designed of swim sets, if executed poorly, will not help you to achieve your swimming goals or to realise your personal performance potential.

However, well designed swim sets, when completed with commitment, engagement and enthusiasm can make a considerable impact on your competitive swimming capacities.

Here’s an idea.

Instead of just adding a great comment to this post – why not add your own favorite (be that fabulous or frightening) training set!!

Wayne Goldsmith