post your favorite swim workouts - 1600 yd main set (Page 2)

That sounds like 3000m instead of 1600

Never thought of 40x50 at :40 sec.  I'm gonna try this one on Saturday!!!  I'll be a big man for the first 10 or so......after that it'll be a meat grinder!

Four 4s

1x400, 2x200, 4x100, 8x50

We did 30x100 on 1:50 last week. That was fun for about the first 10x100....

So is that 9 x 500 in the aggregate?  Just kidding.  I agree with the others who said that just swimming the 500's without any variation might not help that much; however, I've done these with a few different variations that I felt set up some really good interval work in my next workout. 

For example, 3 x 500 with negative splits or 3 x 500 building starting easy and building up a little speed with each 100 (which, I suppose, also leads to a neg split, but it's still a slightly different approach).  I can't claim to know the science, but I've gone on to do 10 x 100 intervals in the next workout after each of these variations and felt like I was able to steadily hold a faster pace.

Yeah but the main set is 1500m which is close to 1600yds

Haven't seen one quite like this yet. Push it the whole time.

1 x 250, 2 x 200, 3 x 150, 4 x 100, 5 x 50

Every time the length drops I'm both relieved and instinctively try to push harder because it's shorter. It's only slightly shorter, but it seems huge at the time.

Will have to try this. I do that volume with 100's every now and then. I don't know time, but substitute "drop dead" for "all fast" and it fits.

LOL! I just finished doing one of those:

300 WU

4x200 pull

15x100 T-pace

200 CD

I know the 15x100 are a good set training for an OLY, but boy is it boring!

So the question is - Why is the wisdom to go longer in running and biking but it seems to be the opposite in swimming?

I don't think that is what everyone is saying.  The examples are all shorter workouts because the OP inquired about 1600yd main sets.  Most of the fish here probably do much longer w/o during race reason.

I will be doing a bunch of 3000-3500yd mainsets in prep for an IM.  Had my best swim results in Olys when doing 2000yd main sets.

My favorite go to set lately has been my 5,4,3,2,1 set. 

500s

400pull

300kick

200pull

100s

Rest is the amount of time it takes to prepare the implements for the next task.

As I'm still new to this this thread is awesome!  I'm going to have to add some of these to my own workouts. 

I need some clairification though... For those who listed "drill" in your workouts, what kind of drills are you doing?

The ones I typically do are one-arm drills (with the other arm by my side instead of streamline and breathing to the side of that arm), catch-up (as well as almost catch-up) and fingertip drill. 

Oof.

wow! 40x50.  I'd lose count

I like to mix up the workouts to try to push different intevals, some short some long, also mix in different strokes.  Improving your other strokes does help your freestyle, esp using backstroke.

this was my workout monday

 w/u with 200 s, 200 sw/fins, 200 k, 200 p, 200 s

30x100         5x100s, 5x100sw/fins, 5x100pull.  repeat

200 cool down

+1 - the clock is your friend

Thanks for the suggestions. Some of 'em are a little fast for me but I can modify them!

I asked for 1600 because I'm following Fink's IM plan (loosely) for the swim and swim for an hour at a time at this point. I can do a 10 minute w/u and c/d with a 1600 main set in about that time, but I usually swim in the mornings before work, so I don't have more than an hour.

OH MY GOD THIS IS SO OBVIOUS NOW!!!!

I was getting super frustrated with losing count of lengths - to the point where I was considering taking a pen to the pool. Everything seems so clear now.

Also, awesome thread!

John

It's ~1600 for the main set. That doesn't include warm-up or cool-down. The main set of your workout is only 1,000 (10x100).

All the more reason for the pool to get a bigger clock. Mine only has a basic office clock at the far end. It's hard enough to see the exact minute. I don't think it even has a seconds hand. Anyone have to try and reason with the gym for this?

As a coach, this is one of my favorite workouts to give:

WU:

200 Fr Swim

100 Fr Pull

Main Set:

4x100 IM/Free on base time + 0:10

Low interval pyramid IM or Fr (swim at 80%)

25 Fly or Fr rest 0:05

50 Back or Fr rest 0:05

75 Breast or Fr rest 0:05

100 Fr rest 0:10

100 IM or Fr rest 0:20

75 Breast of Fr rest 0:10

50 Back or Fr rest 0:10

25 Fly or Fr

4x75 Rolling IM or Fr on base time + 0:05

CD:

150 Choice EZ

Sometimes I will take that a step farther...

If the interval is one that's a little hard to keep track of, say 15 x 75 on 1:25, I write down my send-off times in a list on my workout plan that I keep in a ziplok bag at the end of the lane.  For this example, I'd write "0:00, 1:25, 2:50, 4:15... ...19:50, 21:15"  I use a $15 waterproof watch with a stopwatch function, and start it at 0 when I start the first one.

9x100 FS
1-3 @ 1:40
4-6 @ 1:35
7-9 @ 1:30
20 push-ups
50 Easy

REPEAT ONCE MORE!