Endurance
4 x 200 m Aerobic Freestyle for Beginners
4 × (200 m freestyle, 30 s rest), 4 × (50 m choice of stroke, 20 s rest)
Aerobic Endurance Swim Workouts
Aerobic swim sessions from about 1500 m to 5000 m with steady repeats, broken swims, swim and pull mixes and long continuous swims.
Workouts
16 workouts
Endurance
First Continuous 1000 m Swim
1000 m freestyle
Endurance
10 x 100 m Steady Aerobic Swim
10 × (100 m freestyle, 20 s rest), 4 × (50 m choice of stroke, 15 s rest)
Endurance
Continuous 2000 m Aerobic Swim
2000 m freestyle
Endurance
5 x 400 m Steady Aerobic Freestyle
5 × (400 m at tempo, 30 s rest)
Endurance
Broken 2000 m as 4 x 500 m on Short Rest
4 × (500 m freestyle, 15 s rest)
Endurance
6 x 300 m Descending Aerobic Set
2 × (300 m freestyle, 20 s rest, 300 m freestyle, 20 s rest, 300 m at tempo, 40 s rest), 4 × (100 m pull buoy, 15 s rest)
Endurance
10 x 400 m Aerobic Volume Set
10 × (400 m freestyle, 20 s rest)
Endurance
Continuous 3000 m Long Swim
2 × 1500 m freestyle
Endurance
16 x 200 m Aerobic Swim and Pull Mix
4 × (200 m freestyle swim, 20 s rest, 200 m pull buoy, 20 s rest, 200 m at tempo, 20 s rest, 200 m at tempo, 30 s rest)
Endurance
3 x 300 m Steady Swim with Kick for Beginners
3 × (300 m freestyle, 45 s rest), 4 × (50 m kick with board, 20 s rest)
Endurance
2 x 400 m Steady Freestyle for Beginners
2 × (400 m freestyle, 1 min rest), 4 × (100 m freestyle, 20 s rest)
Endurance
20 x 100 m Aerobic Set on 10 Seconds Rest
20 × (100 m freestyle, 10 s rest)
Endurance
Freestyle and Backstroke Aerobic Mix
4 × (200 m freestyle, 20 s rest, 100 m backstroke, 20 s rest), 4 × (100 m at tempo, 15 s rest)
Endurance
3 x 800 m Steady Aerobic Set
800 m first 800, 40 s rest, 800 m second 800, 40 s rest, 800 m at tempo, 1 min rest, 4 × (100 m easy backstroke, 15 s rest)
Endurance
Aerobic 400s with Tempo 100s in Four Rounds
4 × (400 m freestyle, 20 s rest, 100 m at tempo, 15 s rest, 100 m at tempo, 15 s rest, 100 m at tempo, 30 s rest)
Endurance Workouts
Endurance sessions build the aerobic base that every other kind of swim training sits on. They train your body to deliver oxygen to the working muscles, to use fat as fuel and to hold a good stroke for a long time. For triathletes and open water swimmers, who race continuously for 20 minutes to well over an hour, this is a large part of their swim fitness, and pool swimmers need it to recover between hard sets.
The sessions here range from about 1500 m for beginners to almost 5000 m for experienced swimmers. You will find steady repeats from 100 m to 500 m on short rest, descending sets that teach pace control, broken swims that split a long distance into parts, a mix of swimming and pulling, and continuous swims of 1000 m, 2000 m and 3000 m. Most of the work sits about 8 to 15 seconds per 100 m slower than your CSS, with some steady parts a little closer to it.
Endurance swimming belongs in every phase of the season and makes up much of the training in the base phase. Two or three aerobic sessions a week is a common pattern for triathletes. Choose by the time you have and the distance you are preparing for. Newer swimmers should start with repeats on short rest, then move to continuous swims once 1000 m feels comfortable.
Questions about Endurance Workouts
How fast should I swim in an endurance session?
Most aerobic work in these sessions sits about 8 to 15 seconds per 100 m slower than your CSS, a pace at which you can breathe calmly and could keep going for much longer. Steady sets such as 400s just below threshold sit closer, about 5 to 8 seconds slower. If you have no CSS yet, swim at an effort where you could say a short sentence at the wall.
Are intervals or continuous swims better for endurance?
Both have a place. Repeats with short rest let you hold good form and an even pace, and they make it easier to stay focused. Continuous swims train concentration, rhythm and the ability to keep going without a wall to rest on, which matters for open water and triathlon. A good week often includes one of each, or a broken swim that sits in between.
Can I use a pull buoy in endurance sessions?
Yes, pulling is a useful way to add aerobic volume while the legs rest, and it lets you focus on the catch and on rotation. Keep it to part of the session, since swimming with a buoy all the time weakens the link between kick and rotation. Paddles add load on the shoulders, so use them for short blocks and leave them out at the first sign of pain.