Last Updated on July 7, 2023 by admin
In this article, we’ll provide advice, drills, examples, hacks and tips as an introduction to swimming training zones.
What are the swimming training zones?
Swimming training zones categorise different types of swimming training.
- These are divided by the level of intensity of the training.
- Coaches use them to indicate the intensity required for a particular training set.
- Usually monitored and evaluated by recording the swimmer’s heart rate.
- Swimmers should acquire an understanding of the swimming training zones.
- This will help them attain optimum swimming performance.
Monitoring Your Swimming Heart Rate
We have produced a related article on monitoring your swimming heart rate. You can view it by clicking this link: monitoring your swimming heart rate
Swimming training zone variations
- There are several variations of swimming training zones.
- These variations are often instigated by a regional or national swimming association.
- All swimming training zones variation basically have the same purpose.
- Some of these variations have four main swimming training zones.
- While some variations may have as many as seven.
- These variations sometimes subdivide the main training zones, into smaller parts.
- Sometimes these variations use different terminology.
- We have attempted to list the most common terms in this article.
- Some variations have slightly different levels of intensity.
- We have provided the most common levels of intensity.
Swimming training zones: an overview
Whatever swimming training zone variation you use, they all have the same purpose.
- Namely to categorise the different types of swimming training.
- Which helps a swim coach to convey the intensity required for a particular training set.
- Listed below is an overview of the main types of swimming training zones
- These are found in most swimming training zone variations.
Training Zone 1: Aerobic
- Easy or recovery swimming
Training Zone 2: Anaerobic Threshold
- Development of a swimmer’s aerobic capacity (fitness base)
Training Zone 3: Aerobic Endurance
- Critical Speed/High-Performance Endurance
- Development of a swimmer’s conditioning and cardiovascular fitness
Training Zone 4: Anaerobic Lactate
- Race Pace Training
- Development of a swimmer’s body to tolerate lactic acid and to delay its production.
Training Zone 5: Vo2 Max
- Sprinting
- Development of a swimmer’s speed
Swimming training zones: in detail
Please note,
- That as the intensity of the training zones increases
- So will the rate of the swimmer’s heartbeat.
- It’s important to remember that as the heart-rate increases
- So should the length of the rest intervals.
Training Zone 1: Aerobic
- Conducted at 50% to 60% of maximum heart rate.
- Training at a level where the swimmer can continue training with the available oxygen.
- Only low levels of lactic acid will be produced.
- This should not affect a swimmer’s technique.
- These sets should be of a long distance with short rest intervals.
- Training Zone 1 is often subdivided into two parts.
- Namely, aerobic low-intensity and aerobic maintenance and development.
Aerobic low intensity
- Aerobic low intensity is the lowest level of training intensity.
- It is often used as a recovery swim after intense training sets
- It is also often used as a part of a warm-up or cooldown.
- Some coaches use different strokes during this type of training.
- This uses different muscle groups and can aid an effective recovery.
- This type of training can include kicking.
Set Example: Aerobic low-intensity
- 4 x 600m
- as 400m freestyle, 200m backstroke
- with a 15 seconds rest interval
- 4 x 300m
- as 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke
- with a 15 seconds rest interval
Aerobic maintenance and development
- Aerobic maintenance and development is the base aerobic training intensity.
- Sometimes aerobic maintenance and development are subdivided into two parts.
- This type of training improves a swimmer’s cardio-respiratory system.
- It also aids in the burning of fat.
- Coaches often use sets of reducing target times during this type of training.
Set Example: Training Zone 1
- 9 x 100m freestyle
- as 3 sets of 3 x 100m
Target times,
- 1st set 1.50, 1.45, 1.40
- 2nd set 1.45, 1.40, 1.35
- 3rd set 1.40, 1.35, 1.30
Training Zone 2: Anaerobic Threshold
- Conducted at 60% to 70% of the swimmer’s maximum heart rate
- Often used for the development and maintenance of a swimmer’s aerobic capacity.
- There is a gradual accumulation of lactic acid in the swimmer’s body.
- Some fat is used for energy in this zone.
- These sets should be shorter in distance than in training zone 1, with shorter rest intervals.
- This type of training is regularly conducted during the early part of the season.
Set Example: Training Zone 2:
- 4 x 300m as 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke with a 10 seconds rest interval
- 4 x 200m as 150m freestyle, 50m backstroke with a 10 seconds rest interval
Training Zone 3: Aerobic Endurance
- Aerobic Overload/Critical Speed/High-Performance Endurance
- This type of training is conducted at a high intensity
- Conducted at 70% to 80% of maximum heart rate
- Swimmers require sufficient rest during this type of training.
- Which should enable them to perform repeats of between 50m to 200m.
- Often used to increase the swimmer’s conditioning and cardiovascular fitness.
Training Zone 4: Anaerobic Lactate
- Race Pace Training
- Conducted at 80% to 90% of maximum heart rate
- Often used to develop the swimmer’s body to tolerate lactic acid.
- Also used to delay its production.
- Often conducted by the swimmers aiming for a goal time.
- Coaches often include additional split times, stroke rate and stroke count goals.
- Swimmers require sufficient rest during this type of training.
- Training zone 4 is often subdivided into two parts, lactate production and lactate tolerance.
Lactate production
- This type of training helps develop the swimmer’s ATP (glycogen) production
- ATP (glycogen) is the energy used for this type of training.
Set Example: Lactate production
- 150m freestyle as 50m @ maximum effort 100m recovery swim x 2
- 200m freestyle as 72m @ maximum effort 125m recovery swim x 2
- 8 x 25m as alternate maximum effort and recovery swims
- 400m recovery swim
Lactate tolerance
- This type of training helps a swimmer tolerate lactate in the muscles
- This type of training is conducted sparingly during the early part of the season.
- As the season progresses of this type of training can increase significantly.
Set Example: Lactate tolerance
- 4 x 50m freestyle from a dive on 90 secs
- 120 secs rest
- 2 x 50m freestyle from a dive on 75 secs
- 120 secs rest
- 1 x 50m freestyle from a dive @ maximum effort
- 120 secs rest
Related article on swimming lactate acid: an introduction
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Training Zone 5: Vo2 Max
- Sprinting
- Conducted at 90%+ of maximum heart rate
- Often used to develop the swimmer’s speed.
- Sprinting uses a substance called creatine.
- This is stored in the swimmer’s muscles as energy.
- This is a short-lived energy source that lasts for less than 10 seconds
- Swimmers require sufficient rest during this type of training.
- This type of training should only be performed over very short distances.
- It should include long rests to stop lactic acid build-up.
- This type of training is conducted sparingly during the early part of the season.
- During a taper for a major competition.
- This type of training can significantly increase.
Vo2 max/sprinting set example
- 4 x 200m freestyle
- as 25m @ max speed 175m as recovery swim.
- 8 x 100 freestyle
- as 25m @ max speed 75m as recovery swim.
Related article a guide to swimming tapering
We have produced a related article as a guide to swimming tapering. Which you can view by clicking this link: a guide to swimming tapering
Takeaways
Swimming training zones categorise different types of swimming training
- These are divided by the different intensities of the training.
- Usually monitored via the recording of the swimmer’s heart rate.
- Used by swim coaches to demonstrate the intensity required for a particular training set.
- Swimmers should acquire an understanding of the swimming training zones.
- This will help them attain optimum swimming performance.
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