Weekend Swim Workout: The Perfect 10

For access to all of our training, gear, and race coverage, plus exclusive training plans, FinisherPix photos, event discounts, and GPS apps, >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>sign up for Outside+.

Want to get the most bang for your buck? You’ll want to do a kitchen-sink swim workout, where you hit a little bit of everything – kicks, pull, non-freestyle, and descending sets. But such workouts can get really complicated, really fast, which is why coach Sara McLarty came up with the concept of “The Perfect 10” – ten sets in one workout. To keep things simple, the distance remains the same for all ten sets. Choose a set based on your ability level or how much yardage you need to get in at the pool. The A set is 4000 yards/meters, the B set totals 3000, and the C set is 2000.

A:
10×400 with 30 sec rest
#1 Easy, warm up
#2 50 kick/50 non-free/repeat
#3–5 Pull, descend time 1–3
#6 50 non-free/50 drill/repeat
#7–9 Swim, descend 1–3
#10 Easy, cool down

RELATED: 5 Most Epic Triathlon Swim Courses

B:
10×300 with 30 sec rest
#1 Easy, warm up
#2 50 kick/50 non-free/repeat
#3–5 Pull, descend time 1–3
#6 50 non-free/50 drill/repeat
#7–9 Swim, descend 1–3
#10 Easy, cool down

RELATED: Video: 9 Stretch Cord Exercises to Improve Swim Strength and Technique

C:
10×200 with 30 sec rest
#1 Easy, warm up
#2 50 kick/50 non-free/repeat
#3–5 Pull, descend time 1–3
#6 50 non-free/50 drill/repeat
#7–9 Swim, descend 1–3
#10 Easy, cool down

Shake up your swim routine with more weekend swim workouts from Coach Sara McLarty.