Saturday Swim Sessions: Arena’s Great Beginner Set

Building your ability to sustain your threshold pace in a swim is an important capability for triathletes and open-water swimmers. These sessions further develop that ability by progressing your fitness by completing reps at a fast pace that you can sustain. This session will benefit triathletes of all distances, as well as other open-water swimmers.

Each Saturday I will post a Swim Session, and most weeks I will load three options up for you to do. Option A is for swimmers who are after a workout between 1,000 & 2,000 metres. Option B is for swimmers who are after a workout between 2,000 & 3,000m and Option C will be greater than 3,000m.

Read this article here for an explanation of Swim Intensity.

The inspiration for these workouts comes from an article on the Arena Swim Blog. You can read the article here.

Option A

  • 200 WU;
  • 8x 25 Tech 10RI;
  • 4x 50 5RI;
  • 50 5RI;
  • 100 10RI;
  • 150 15RI;
  • 150 15RI;
  • 100 10RI;
  • 50 5RI;
  • 100 Easy;
  • 8x 25 Tech 10RI;
  • 100 Easy;
  • 4x 50 10RI;
  • 200 CD; (2,000)

Option B

  • 300 WU;
  • 12x 25 Tech 10RI;
  • 8x 50 5RI;
  • 50 5RI;
  • 100 10RI;
  • 150 15RI;
  • 200 20RI;
  • 150 15RI;
  • 100 10RI;
  • 50 5RI;
  • 200 Easy;
  • 8x 25 Tech 10RI;
  • 100 Easy;
  • 8x 50 10RI;
  • 200 CD; (2,900)

Option C

  • 300 WU;
  • 12x 25 Tech 10RI;
  • 8x 50 5RI;
  • 2x
    • 50 5RI;
    • 100 10RI;
    • 150 15RI;
    • 200 20RI;
    • 150 15RI;
    • 100 10RI;
    • 50 5RI;
  • 200 Easy;
  • 8x 25 Tech 10RI;
  • 100 Easy;
  • 8x 50 10RI;
  • 200 CD; (3,700)

For the Warm Up (WU) start with a 200m swim (Option A), a 300m (Options B & C). During the warm-up feel free to stop and stretch as needed.  It doesn’t need to be a continuous swim.

The first set is a technique session. Swim eight (Option A) or twelve (Options B & C) reps of 25m focussing on your technique. Take a ten second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.

The next set is a step up intensity wise but isn’t a hard effort by any stretch of the imagination. Swim four (Option A) or eight (Options B & C) reps of 50m, taking only five seconds Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.

The main set is made up of a pyramid where the reps increase in distance (and the following Rest Interval (RI)) up to a peak and then decrease down the other side.

Option A swims six reps – 50m with a five second Rest Interval (RI); 100m with a ten second Rest Interval (RI); 150m with a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI); a second rep of 150m with a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI); 100m with a ten second Rest Interval (RI); finishing with a 50m rep.

Option B swims seven reps – 50m with a five second Rest Interval (RI); 100m with a ten second Rest Interval (RI); 150m with a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI); 200m with a twenty second Rest Interval (RI); 150m with a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI); 100m with a ten second Rest Interval (RI); finishing with a 50m rep.

Option C swims two sets with seven reps each set – 50m with a five second Rest Interval (RI); 100m with a ten second Rest Interval (RI); 150m with a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI); 200m with a twenty second Rest Interval (RI); 150m with a fifteen second Rest Interval (RI); 100m with a ten second Rest Interval (RI); finishing the set with a 50m rep and a five second Rest Interval (RI). After completing this once, repeat a second time.

Next up is 100m (Option A) or 200m (Options B & C) nice and easy.

All Options swim a second technique set of eight, 25m reps focusing on your technique whilst fatigued. Take a ten second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.

Next up is 100m nice and easy.

The final set is a set of four (Option A) or eight (Options B & C) 50m sprints. Take a ten second Rest Interval (RI) after each rep.

For the Cool Down (CD) swim 200m. Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the Cool Down (CD) (like the Warm Up (WU)) can be any stroke you wish to swim.  You can also stop and rest after any length.  I encourage you to stop and stretch during the cool-down.

If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.

I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi Coaching.

I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.

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