The Importance Of Including Swim Sprints In Your Swim Training

Endurance athletes often neglect the higher intensity energy systems in their training. Sprinting in all three of the primary triathlon sports is a great way to elicit a training response and improve your overall game.

Sprinting sets, when done properly, require significant amounts of recovery between intervals. In order to do them properly you must be able to exert the appropriate amount of effort. Many endurance athletes struggle with this part of the equation. On a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale you need to be up at 95%+ if you want the appropriate training response.

This swim set is 2400m and will take you 60-75min. You will notice that the warm up is long and the main set is relatively short. It is important that your body is significantly warmed up when you are doing higher intensity loading- important both from a performance and injury prevention standpoint.

Warm up (1200m)
200m choice
200m kick
200m freestyle
8*50 on 1min (or 15sec rest) as 25m building to fast, 25m easy
200m choice

Main Set- TWO ROUNDS (800m)
100m as (25m sprint, 75m easy) on 3min or 1min rest
100m as (50m sprint, 50m easy) on 3min or 1min rest
100m as (75m sprint, 25m easy) on 3min or 1min rest
100m as (100m sprint) on 3min or 1min rest

Cool down (400m)
100 easy choice
100 freestyle
100 kick
100 choice

This workout contains only 500m of high end work but if you are sprinting with the appropriate amount of effort this will be enough. High intensity work requires adequate rest when you are doing it properly.