CSS 10 x 100 m on 15 Seconds Rest
A 2400 m CSS session with ten 100 m freestyle repeats at critical swim speed on 15 seconds rest, a classic threshold set for pool swimmers.
- Duration
- 52 minestimated
- Distance
- 2,400 m
- Effort
- 65
- Level
- Intermediate
- Focus zone
- Threshold
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
100% is your threshold pace. Higher values are faster, lower values are slower.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upEndurance Easy freestyle | 400 m | 85-92% CSS pace |
| 2 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 3.1 | Warm-upRecovery Drill of choice | 50 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 3.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 4.1 | Warm-upTempo Build to CSS pace | 50 m | 92-96% CSS pace |
| 4.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 5 | Rest | 45 s | |
| 10 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 6.1 | IntervalThreshold Freestyle at CSS pace | 100 m | 99-102% CSS pace |
| 6.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 7.1 | IntervalEndurance Pull buoy, steady | 100 m | 85-92% CSS pace |
| 7.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 8 | Cool-downRecovery Easy choice of stroke | 200 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
About this workout
Ten 100s at CSS with short rest is a classic way to train threshold in the pool. CSS, your critical swim speed, is roughly the pace you could hold for about 1500 m. Swimming at that pace in short pieces lets you accumulate 1000 m of work right at threshold while the stroke stays sharp.
Hold every 100 at your CSS pace, with 15 seconds rest at the wall. The first few should feel comfortably hard, the last few properly hard but still under control. If you finish the set clearly faster than CSS, retest, because your CSS has probably improved. If you cannot hold the pace past the sixth repeat, check your CSS or take 20 seconds rest for now.
The set fits intermediate swimmers and triathletes in the build phase, once or twice a week. Progress to 12 or 15 repeats, or keep 10 and cut the rest to 10 seconds.
Tips
- Set a lap timer or beeper to CSS pace so you get feedback on every length.
- Swim the first 100 at CSS, not faster, the set gets harder on its own.
- Push off every repeat in a tight streamline, the walls are part of the pace.
Good forPoolMasters swimmingStandard-distance triathlonHalf-distance triathlon
Season phaseBuildPeak