The Easiest Test Set to Track Improvement in the Water
The swimmer’s ultimate test set for measuring improvement can help you achieve your swim goals. Here’s how it works.
Set a goal. That’s going to be the number of repeats you want to swim.
Decide on a distance. That’s how far you will swim each repeat.
Decide on how many times you are going to repeat the set.
Create a list of drills and take note of how many of those repeats are going to be drill based.
Finally, write down the order in which you will swim the drills.
This is the combination you will swim for each repeat.
Remember, you don’t want to do the same exact combination of drills every time you do this test as it will get boring. Instead, try a new set of drills each time you do the test. The goal is to measure your progress, not to do the same thing over and over again. Have fun.
Remember to turn the test up as you get better. You need to challenge yourself to see how well you can go.
Tips for Making the Most Of This Set
The 4000 m test set was used for years by the world’s best swim coaches as the ultimate test set for measuring swimmers’ improvement. The set consists of four separate workouts. You don’t have to do all four workouts, but if you add this workout set to your regular swim sessions, you’ll give your swimming muscles ample strength training.
To perform this set, simply choose any times you’re willing to swim and swim at those speeds. Keep an eye on your pace (or heart rate) and maintain this pace for the entire workout. Before starting your first workout, take a warm-up swim of 400m at a comfortable pace.
Once you’re ready, get started with your first workouts. You’ll start at the highest intensity possible. Once you’ve completed the first workout, take a short warm-up swim, 400m at a comfortable pace, before starting the second workout. Repeat the process until you complete the fourth workout.
Workout 1: 4 x 200m
What Makes This Workout Noteworthy?
Workout 1 teaches you that things can get harder as you go. You can’t ease in. You have to start strong and maintain.
Why Doing Test Sets Is Important
Build and assess your fitness level over time with the swimmer’s ultimate test set. This set includes the most important fitness components of your swimming stroke, all performed in the same manner. You’ll know what areas need improvement. Plus, many of these test sets can be performed at home, so you can log your progress whenever you want.
What Makes Up the Swimmer’s Ultimate Test Set?
Freestyle:
- 1 x 500 yards
- 1 x 400 yards
- 1 x 300 yards
- 1 x 200 yards
- 1 x 100 yards
- 1 x 50 yards
- 2 x 25 yards
Backstroke:
- 1 x 500 yards
- 1 x 400 yards
- 1 x 300 yards
- 1 x 200 yards
- 1 x 100 yards
- 1 x 50 yards
- 2 x 25 yards
Breaststroke:
- 1 x 500 yards
- 1 x 400 yards
- 1 x 300 yards
- 1 x 200 yards
- 1 x 100 yards
- 1 x 50 yards
- 2 x 25 yards
Butterfly:
- 1 x 500 yards
- 1 x 400 yards
- 1 x 300 yards
- 1 x 200 yards
- 1 x 100 yards
- 1 x 50 yards
- 2 x 25 yards
Up Next:
Now let’s get to the good stuff.
Here’s a quick “sales pitch” about the workout routine I’m going to recommend for this challenge:
The only equipment you need are dumbbells, a pull-up bar or a cable machine with lat attachment, a bench, and a single broom stick. If you don’t have access to any of this equipment, don’t worry. You can still finish the 20-minute workout, but it will be different than the one I’ll show you. (Check this article for all workout alternatives.)
Combining Time Under Tension with high intensity strength training (which alternates between low and high reps) will help increase muscle endurance.
This is an amazing fitness challenge. You can easily fit it into a busy lifestyle. You can do it at home. You don’t have to commit hours a day to train for it. And you can do it by yourself.
Ready? Let’s go!