28 sets you can swim today, each with a warm-up, a main set and a cool-down. Find one that fits your level and the time you have, then load it, tweak it if you want, and take it to the pool.
Looking for something specific? 30-minute swim workouts · 1500m swim workouts · Beginner swim workouts · Triathlon swim workouts.
4 × 100 free @ 2:00 means swim four 100s, leaving every two minutes; whatever time is left is your rest. 20s rest means rest 20 seconds after each one. Send-offs are set for the pace on each card, so add five seconds if they feel tight. All sets are in metres for a 25m pool. Load this set opens it in the builder, where you can change anything, print it or send it to your Garmin.
Short sets with plenty of rest. Breaststroke is fine anywhere it says free.
For: New or returning swimmers who can manage a length but not much more.
Take all the rest you need. Finishing every length matters more than the clock.
For: Swimmers who can do 50m at a time and want to string more together.
If a 100 is too far, swim it as 2 × 50 with a short breather at the wall.
For: Beginners who can swim 100m without stopping and want to reach a kilometre.
The 300 is the hard bit. Start it slower than feels necessary.
For: Beginners whose legs sink or who run out of breath after a length.
Short floppy fins are best. Long fins make it too easy to skip the work.
For: Breaststroke swimmers learning front crawl one length at a time.
Breathe out under water all the way. Most crawl panic is holding your breath.
Sets that fit a lunch break, timed with rest included.
For: Regular lap swimmers who can swim 400m comfortably.
If 2:55 is tight, go on 3:05. Same for every send-off on this page.
For: Fitter swimmers who want a hard half hour.
Note your time on the first 100. The aim is to hold it, not beat it.
For: Newer swimmers who can do 100m at a time.
Swim the 100s as 50 free and 50 breaststroke if you need to.
For: Lap swimmers who get bored of straight sets.
Way up is steady, way down gets faster.
Longer aerobic sets for building a base.
For: Swimmers working towards a non-stop 1500m.
Each week, try cutting 5 seconds off the 200 send-off.
For: Anyone who wants a feel for their 1500m without doing a time trial.
Add up the five swim times and you have a fair guess at your 1500m.
For: Regular swimmers with an hour and a decent base.
The 200s should feel like you could do a sixth.
For: Fitter swimmers training for longer events.
Drop the paddles if your shoulders complain. The buoy alone is fine.
For: Experienced swimmers, masters and long-course triathletes.
Negative split means the second 200 of each 400 is quicker than the first.
Fast efforts with proper rest. Quality over quantity.
For: Anyone who wants more speed and hasn't sprinted properly in a while.
If a rep is slower than your first, stop the set. Tired sprints teach you to swim slow.
For: Club and masters swimmers sharpening up for a race.
Race pace for 200m: divide your best 200 time by four and hold that per 50.
For: Fitter swimmers who want to hold speed for longer.
Long rest is on purpose. These are meant to hurt for 90 seconds, then you recover.
Backstroke, breaststroke, fly and the full medley.
For: Swimmers with all four strokes who want to work the medley.
Fly falling apart? Swim it as one-arm fly and keep the rhythm.
For: Swimmers who want a stronger backstroke, or a break for their neck.
Count the strokes from the flags to the wall so you never hit your head.
For: Breaststroke swimmers who glide too little or too long.
Arms go first, kick finishes the stroke. If they happen together, you stall.
For: Swimmers who can do a length of fly and want more.
Keep the fins on until the 100s. Short good fly beats long ugly fly.
Equipment sets and drills to fix the stroke you have.
For: Anyone whose legs drag or fade halfway through a swim.
Kick from the hips with soft ankles. Bending at the knee just goes nowhere.
For: Swimmers building upper-body strength and a better catch.
Skip the paddles if your shoulders ache. Pulling with just the buoy still does the job.
For: Self-taught swimmers who want a cleaner front crawl.
Fist swim feels awful. When you open your hands again the water feels thick.
Freestyle, sighting and race pace for sprint and Olympic distance.
For: Sprint-distance triathletes getting ready for a 750m swim.
The 50s plus the 550 make 750m. Treat the short rest as the moment after the start chaos.
For: Triathletes targeting an Olympic-distance swim.
As it gets easier, cut the send-off by 5 seconds rather than adding more 300s.
For: Triathletes who lean on the wetsuit to keep their legs up.
With only a band on, your legs sink unless your core holds them up. Hard at first.
For: Triathletes before their first open-water race.
No push-offs: turn without kicking off the wall. Open water has no walls to rest on.