Swim Speed and Endurance Plan
A 10-week structured plan for experienced swimmers chasing faster times and longer distances. Intervals, drills, and threshold work.
Overview
You can already swim well. Now it's time to swim faster and further. This 10-week plan is built around structured sets — intervals, threshold work, and targeted drills — to sharpen your speed and build serious endurance.
By the end, you'll be ready to race anything from a 1,500m pool event to a 3km+ open water swim with confidence.
Golden Rule: Speed comes from efficiency, not effort. The fastest swimmers in the pool are usually the smoothest, not the ones thrashing the hardest.
What You'll Need
- Pull buoy — isolates your upper body for targeted arm work
- Hand paddles — builds power in your catch and pull phase
- Fins (short blade) — improves kick technique and body position
- Tempo trainer or pace clock — essential for hitting interval targets
- Training log — track your sets, times, and stroke counts weekly
Understanding the Session Types
| Session Type | Abbreviation | What It Means | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endurance | EN | Long, steady-paced swimming to build aerobic base | RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion, 1–10 effort scale) 5–6 / conversational |
| Threshold | TH | Sustained hard effort — your "comfortably uncomfortable" pace | RPE 7–8 / can speak in short phrases |
| Speed | SP | Short, fast repetitions with full recovery | RPE 9–10 / maximum effort |
| Drill | DR | Technique-focused sets with specific focus points | RPE 3–4 / slow and deliberate |
| Recovery | REC | Very easy swimming to flush out fatigue | RPE 3–4 / effortless |
The rest of this plan is for supporters
You’ve read the overview. The full Advanced programme — the week-by-week schedule, the sessions, the progressions and the numbers — unlocks with an access code, from £0.67 a month. Every Beginner and Intermediate guide on the site stays free.