Different Strokes For Folks If Swimming Has Become A Bore, Try Developing New Pool Workouts That Maximize Both Fun And Fitness

Ah, a swimming workout. Up and back, back and up, lap after lap, for half an hour or more.

The water massages your stiff neck, drowns out fax machines and phones, gets your heart pumping and muscles working. Sure, it’s good for you. And after you’re finished, you feel great.

But let’s face it, swimming laps can be a big bore. Down and back, again and again, with nothing to look at but the walls and the funny-looking guy in goggles in the next lane.

It doesn’t have to be that way. What your workout needs is a little jazzing up called interval training, a method used by competitive swimmers to improve endurance and speed.

Interval training essentially means alternating periods of swimming with periods of rest. By varying the amount of rest time and the intensity of your swimming, recreational and fitness swimmers can develop workouts that not only improve swimming ability but make workouts more fun.

To begin interval training, you need to understand the function of a pace clock, the giant white timekeeper that hangs on the wall or sits on the deck at most pools. This clock won’t let you know when your lunch hour is over because there’s no hour hand, but it is invaluable to swimmers.

Instead of marking hours, it keeps time in minutes and seconds.

You also need to know a bit about pool distance. One length in a standard pool is about 25 yards. In an Olympic-size pool, one length is 50 meters, or about 55 yards. Since most city, high school, YMCA and college pools are 25 yards long, that’s the distance we’ll use here.

Start off with a warm-up routine, anywhere from 300 yards (12 lengths) to 500 yards (20 lengths).

Now you can try these variations, as suggested by two-time national masters champion Chip Zempel:

Straight sets

A straight set means swimming a series of equal distances, with rests of equal durations in between.

To break up a 1,000-yard (40 lengths) swim, for example, do 10 sets of 100 yards (four lengths). In swimmer’s terminology, this is referred to as “10 times 100.”

A 15-second rest between 100s is a good place to start. You also can try five sets of 200 yards (eight lengths) with longer rests, say 30 seconds, between sets. For a more challenging workout, simply shorten the rest to 10 seconds, or even 5 seconds.

Ladders

A swimming ladder means varying the length of successive swims.

For instance, to go up a ladder, swim 100 yards, then rest 10 seconds, swim 200 yards, then rest 10 seconds, swim 300 yards, then rest 10 seconds. If you really want a workout, also go down the ladder. Swim 300 yards, 200 yards and then 100 yards. Now try other variations. Do an inverted ladder by swimming 300 yards down to 100 yards, and then go back up.

Sprints

These sets can be the most grueling. The swims are fast and very short and the rests long enough to allow your heart rate to return to near-normal. You can start off doing 25- or 50-yard sprints and resting for 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

Descending sets

Simply put, descending means swimming faster on successive sets.

Set out to swim five 100s, and check your time after the first 100. On the second 100, try to shave off a few seconds, and so on.

Pay attention to your pace. Try swimming the first 100 moderately and go all-out on the final 100.

Negative splits

Similar to a descending set, a negative split is for longer swims, with the second portion of the swim quicker than the first.

To swim a 200-yard negative split, check your time midway, then swim the second 100 yards faster than the first. Negative splits can help swimmers learn to pace themselves, Zempel said.

During long swims, many people think they are holding a steady pace when, in fact, they have slowed significantly toward the end. A descending set can help by reminding swimmers to push themselves in the second half.

Pool notes

Keep in mind that with any workout program, it’s safest to ease into it. You don’t need to do every type of set every workout.

If you don’t want to do a 1,000-yard ladder, try a 500-yard ladder. If you’ve never tried a sprint, start off short, with one or two 25-yard sprints, and build.

On the other hand, if you’re an accomplished swimmer, push yourself. Do 100-yard sprints.

This is your workout, so experiment. Vary the periods of rest and the lengths of the swim. Try backstroke, butterfly or breast stroke.

If you keep at it, in time you’ll find your speed and endurance will improve, Zempel said, even if initially it takes longer to complete your usual distance because of the rests.

Besides, “it’s better for social reasons,” said Brad Burnham, assistant coach of UCLA’s women’s swim team. “You can talk on the rests. You can encourage someone in your lane.”