Swim Sessions: VO2 Max & Speed Endurance 50s
This session is one we did in a recent Monday evening Swim Squad session.
The first half of the session is helping us find our speed – whilst swimming with good technique – whilst the second half of the session is all about pushing hard.
Warm Up
2 x 200m (30s)
1st one easy and relaxed, 2nd one building pace gradually.
Pre-Main Set
The aim of this set is to feel fast, holding great form. It also helps to prepare us for the main set.
4 x 25m building pace.
We start each length smooth and relaxed, and increase force & power through the length. We want to be moving really well (fast) on those last 5 or 6 strokes.
4 x 25m (half fast / half easy).
Exploding off the wall with a strong push off, we want to swim really strong, holding great form for that first half length. We then want to slow down and swimming relaxed and smooth for the rest of the length.
4 x 25m maximum pace.
As fast as you can swim (whilst still holding good technique) on each 25m.
4 x 25m distance per stroke
Slow the stroke rate down a little and applying great force and power on each stroke. Sometimes it helps to count your strokes on these lengths, swimming the 25m in as few strokes as possible.
4 x 25m ‘easy speed’
Swim at 8/10 effort, keeping stroke long and strong, but increasing stroke rate slightly.
On all of these 25s, we should maintain a focus on our technique. If we start to feel scrappy or we are fighting the water, we should slow down slightly and hold good form. We should also be taking about 15s rest after each 25m.
At this point in the session, we should be feeling like we can swim fast holding good form.
Main Set
We could describe this set as a VO2 Max set. We could also describe it as a speed endurance set – holding a strong pace under increasing fatigue.
This set consists of multiple blocks of 5 x 50m.
1 x 50m really strong – 9/10 effort – pushing the pace and feeling uncomfortable.
3 x 50m at a more sustainable 7/10 effort. Still a strong pace, but more sustainable
1 x 50m easy
We are keeping rest intervals quite short during each set of 5 x 50m – around 15 seconds rest. After each block of 5 x 50m take a little extra rest (additional 30s).
Repeat this set five times.
We want to put our 7/10 pace under pressure, which is why we start with the 9/10 effort 50m at the beginning.
We want to be fatigued, high heart rate, heavy arms yet still swim at a sustainable 7/10 pace, holding good form, on the three subsequent 50s.
The set is a VO2 Max set – swimming with a high heart rate for those first four 50s. Roughly four minutes of strong effort and heavy breathing, followed by 1.30-2 minutes of recovery (easy 50m + some additional rest).
Scaling
We can reduce (or increase) the number of sets from 5 to 4 or 3.
We can also change the set slightly.
1 x 50m @ 9/10
2 x 50m @ 7/10
1 x 50m very easy
Swim Session PDF
If you would like to take this swim to the pool, here is the PDF of the session.
“Quite happy with my times tonight. My Garmin said I got 18 secs for a 25m (equalled a PB), and 39 secs for a 50m (also equalled a PB). So I’m happy with my swimming at the moment.”
“Second half of the session I started to tire but then I started extending my arms out making myself longer and tucked in more, I really felt it, faster swimming with less effort! Magic.”
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Swim Sessions: VO2 Max & Speed Endurance 50s
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