Writing a Swimming Training Plan

Last Updated on April 22, 2024 by admin

In this article, we will provide advice, hacks, reps, sets and tips on writing a swimming training plan, to help you achieve your swimming goals quicker.

The benefits of writing a swimming training plan

For swimmers at all levels, there are many benefits to writing a swimming training plan, these include,

Providing Focus

Whatever your swimming goals, whether it’s to improve your speed, develop your swimming technique, build endurance or improve your overall fitness

Writing a swimming training plan can help you focus on achieving these goals during your training session.

Efficient use of your time

Training with a swimming training plan can help you make the most efficient use of your time in the water, helping you to achieve your swimming goals more quickly.

Identifying areas to work on

Making notes of how you performed during your session, on your swimming training plan either during or straight after your session can help you to more easily identify areas of your swimming that you need to improve and work on.

This can help you plan for future training sessions.

Allowing you to check your progress

Once you get into the habit of writing swimming training plans, it can be useful to save and store them to help you review your progress.

This can also enable you to plan for your continued progressive improvement.

There are many things to consider before you begin writing an swimming training plan

Things to consider before you begin writing a swimming training plan

Before beginning to write your swimming training plan, the following points should be considered.

Make it appropriate

Ensure that you make it suitable for your skill and fitness levels.

Attempting to undertake a too strenuous training session, can be extremely demotivating, could lead to you dropping out of swimming training altogether and could also lead to possible injury.

Swim regularly

You should swim regularly for better results, at least 2-3 times a week.

Improve progressively

Seek to improve progressively, by gradually increasing the distance and/or the intensity of your training sets.

Especially if you have been away from the water for a while.

Include recovery swims

It’s important to include short (50m-200m) easy-paced recovery swims

Especially between reps or sets of a high-intensity
Recovery swims not only help you recover during your training sessions, but they also speed recovery between each training session.

Keep writing

Like many new skills, writing a swimming training plan can for some, feel difficult and time-consuming.

Let me assure you the effort is more than worthwhile.
If you continue to write swimming training plans regularly, you will improve quickly and make your training sessions even more enjoyable and rewarding.

Related publication: Swimming Plus: FREESTYLE

Swimming Plus FREESTYLE is a publication designed for those swimmers who want to improve their freestyle swimming technique.

Swimming Plus FREESTYLE provides you with a series of structured and progressive session training plans, plus detailed drill descriptions and expert coaching tips.
With Swimming Plus FREESTYLE, you can progress at your own pace when it’s convenient for you.

For further details and ordering information please use the following link: Swimming Plus: Freestyle

What to include in your swimming training plan

The following is a guide of suggestions on what to include when writing a swimming training plan.

Top Tip: Estimate time

One of the secrets to an effective swimming training plan is that top swimming coaches estimate the amount of time each set will take.

For example, in this set of 4 x 100m front crawl (freestyle).

The coach may estimate that it will take their inexperienced junior swimmers to have a training pace of approximately 2 minutes per 100m.
This set of 400m in total will take approximately 8 minutes to complete.
Therefore, we advise you to swim a timed set of either 4 x 100m or 4 x 50m depending on your fitness, to get some idea of your training pace.

Warm-Up – Approximately 10-20% of the training session.

Before you start your training session you should warm up correctly.

The benefits of a proper warm-up

There are many benefits to undertaking a proper warm-up before you perform any intense swimming, these include,

Preparing you for your training session

A proper warm-up helps you prepare both physically and mentally for your training session

Warming your muscles

To swim fast, your muscles need to be warmed.

This helps to increase their flexibility and enhances their range of movement, making them more efficient whilst swimming.
Swimming with warm and supple muscles reduces the chance of injury.

Mobilising the joints

A proper warm-up helps to mobilise your joints which helps to increase their flexibility and enhance their range of movement.

Increasing your blood flow

An effective warm-up also prepares your heart to pump larger amounts of oxygen-rich blood throughout your body whilst swimming.

Types of warm-up

There are two types of warm-up, the pre-pool and the pool warm-up

The pre-pool warm-up

The pre-pool warm-up as the name suggests is performed before you enter the pool.

To help ensure your muscles are warm and supple before swimming.
A pre-pool warm-up usually consists of some blood-flow stretching and is usually performed in two parts, first some warming-up exercises, followed by dynamic stretching.
Warming-up exercises: These help you to raise your body temperature gradually, by performing warm-up exercises like skipping or jogging on the spot (run in place).
Dynamic stretching exercises: The warming-up exercises should be followed by a series of dynamic stretching exercises to gently stretch the muscles and prepare them for the rigours of swimming.
These should be rotational and swinging type exercises, for example, arms circles and lunges.

The pool warm-up

What to include in your pool warm-up

About 10-20% of the total training session should be spent on the warm-up.

Easy ‘free’ swimming

You should start the pool warm-up with some easy-paced freestyle/front crawl or backstroke swimming.
This should be followed by freestyle/front crawl drills
Followed by some shorter distance easy-pace backstroke and/or breaststroke swimming
Then introduce an easy-paced kick set – to isolate the legs
This can be followed by an easy-paced freestyle/front crawl or backstroke pull set (with a pull buoy) – to isolate the arms
The final part of the pool warm-up is an ideal time to introduce some specific high-intensity skills and drills into the training session.
For example, stroke technique, breath control (see bilateral breathing drill detailed below) or stroke counting drills.

Bilateral breathing drill

The key components of an effective bilateral breathing technique are:

The swimmer’s body should be in a horizontal prone (on their front) position.

Their head should be in a horizontal and prone position, in line with their body and legs, looking at the bottom of the pool, whilst swimming.
A low head position, with one goggle lens in the water, and the other looking across the surface of the pool, whilst breathing.
A smooth and controlled rotation of the body, initiated from the shoulders, trunk and hips.
A strong and steady freestyle leg kick.

Purpose: Bilateral breathing is breathing to both sides while swimming freestyle.

Bilateral breathing establishes a regular breathing pattern, which is more effective at supplying oxygen to the muscles and organs.
It also balances the stroke, enabling the swimmer to take a longer stroke on their non-breathing side.

How to perform this drill: Starting from a push & glide, from the end of the pool, the swimmer should perform an easy and smooth freestyle stroke.

They should commence breathing bilaterally.
Breathing every three strokes on one side then breathing every three strokes on the other side.
When breathing, they should have one goggle lens completely in the water and with the other goggle lens, they should look across the surface of the pool.
The swimmer should ensure that they are performing ‘trickle breathing’ while they are performing this drill.
They should complete this drill for one length/lap of the pool (25m).
Younger and inexperienced swimmers may find it useful to use fins when first learning this drill.
Drill from Freestyle Competitive Swimming Drills by EatSleepSwimCoach is available from Amazon.

The Pre-Set – Approximately 5-20% of the training session

For more experienced swimmers and those who have time for a longer training session, a pre-set can be introduced.

The pre-set should be used to slowly increase the intensity of the training session to a pace closer to your normal training pace.
To help you prepare for the rigours of the training session ahead.
Introduce some more intense/faster-paced or complimentary swims, kick or pull sets to help prepare the swimmers for the rigours of the main set ahead.
For example, if the main set is an endurance set, focusing on developing a swimmer’s aerobic capacity, the pre-set could be some varied pace swimming such as builds, descending or sprint sets.

The Main Set – Approximately 40-70% of the training session.

The main set should be the focal point of the training session, working on your main training goal/s

Most coaches have one main set, whereas some coaches sometimes have two complimentary main sets
For example, if the main set focuses on the butterfly technique, the second main set may focus on underwater dolphin kicking.
Some age group coaches have found a benefit of introducing a second aerobic set with the main set to help further develop their swimmer’s endurance.

The Post Set – Approximately 5-20% of the training session.

For those who have time for a longer training session, the introduction of a post-set can help to further develop the skills learned earlier in the training session.

For example, if you have worked on your arm stroke for a particular stroke during your main set, you may work on a kick set for a particular stroke during your post set.
It can also be used to further enhance or complement the type of training carried out in the main set.
For example, if you worked on a sprint set during your main set, you may work on less intense speed work during your post set.

Swim/cool down – Approximately 10-20% of the training session.

The last part of any training session should be a proper swim/cool-down.

The benefits of a proper swim/cool-down

Performing a proper swim/cool-down has many benefits, these include,

Resetting your body

An effective swimming swim/cool-down can help to gradually lower your body temperature, helping it to relax and help to return to a state of rest.

Removing waste by-products

During the rigours of training, metabolic waste by-products can accumulate in your muscles.
These can often make your muscles stiff and sore.
An effective swimming swim/cool-down can help remove these waste by-products.

Muscle repair

Intense swimming can often lead to your muscle tissues breaking down.
These should recover with the correct rest and nutrition.
An effective swimming cool-down can help in the muscle tissue repair process.

What to include in your swim/cool-down

During the swim/cool-down, I usually introduce swims and drills of a less intense nature.

Ideally include some simple drill sets with slightly longer recoveries.
Finishing off the swim/cool down with some easy ‘free’ swimming

Sample Swimming Training Plan

Emphasis: Front Crawl – Thursday 09/06/xx – 16.00 – 17.00

Warm-up (600m 16 mins)

4 x 100m FC (Front Crawl) E-Z (Easy) Swim @65% of maximum effort

(10 Sec RI) (400m 10mins)

Odds) (reps 1+3) 25m swim 25m drill (catch-up)

Evens) (reps 2+4) 25m swim 25m drill (finger drag)

4 x 50m either BK (Backstroke) or BS (Breaststroke)

E-Z Swim @65% of maximum effort

(10 Sec RI) (200m 6mins)

Post Set (200m 6 mins)

4 x 50m FC Kick

(10 Sec RI) (200m 6mins)

Start each rep off slowly and increase speed (build) to 80% of your maximum.

Main Set (600m 15 mins)

6 x 100 FC Pull – with a pull buoy

(10 Sec RI) (600m 15mins)

1+4) Pull with a pull buoy

2+5) Pull with fists (closed hands)

3+6) Pull with 5 strokes with open hands (normal swimming stroke) 5 strokes with fists

Post Set (400m 12 mins)

4 x 50m FC Stroke Count

(10 Sec RI) (200m 6mins)

Counting the number of arm strokes it takes to complete 50m
Establish your stroke count

2-4) Trying to maintain or reduce your stroke count

Please note the number of strokes is particular to each swimmer

4 x 50m BK or BS Stroke Count

(10 Sec RI) (200m 6mins)

Swim Down (400m 10)

400m E-Z Swim @ 65% of maximum effort, as

100m BS, 100m BK, 200m FC

Total Distance 2200m

Take your swimming training plan with you

Many swimmers upload their swimming training plans onto their mobile/cell phones.

However, if you are old school (like me) and don’t want to risk taking your phone to the pool, some swimmers laminate their training plan and take that to the pool instead.