Swim Sets By Coach Deirdre Kearney

On this page you’ll find a set of 10 sessions which can be used at lunch time or anytime you fancy a swim. Keep them in your swim bag and never be stuck for a set swim when at the pool.

Session distances range from 2000m to 3200m and include a warm-up, main set and swim down. Set pack contains:

• 6 Aerobic Sets with Technical Drills included in all
• 2 Tri Specific Sets
• 2 Speed Sets

Sets will reference training classifications. The following details what is used at a high level.

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale
Use the scale to assess the intensity of training. It ranges from 6 to 20, where 6 means “no exertion at all” and 20 means “maximal exertion”

Aerobic (A1): – Aerobic Low Intensity: For base conditioning, recovery, warm ups and swim downs, 50 Beats Below Max (BBM), Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) of less than 9

Aerobic (A2): – Aerobic Maintenance and Development: For improving the cardiovascular and respiratory system, endurance and reduction in blood lactate concentrations (40-50 BBM, RPE of 10-12)

Anaerobic Threshold (AT): The optimum intensity for developing the aerobic capacity through the production and removal of blood lactate therefore not accumulating large amounts of lactic acid in the muscle (20–40 BBM, RPE of 14-15)

Sprinting – ATP-CP (Speed): High intensity-short duration efforts coupled with long/quality recoveries. This form of training is designed to improve high power efforts of under 12 seconds duration. Sprint training is beneficial for neuromuscular coordination and recruitment of fast-twitch (large/white/anaerobic) muscle fibres (HR and RPE N/A – All Out)