Terms and Definitions

The Strokes

Butterly (fly)

Double arm and double kick with body undulation and straight arm recovery

Backstroke (back crawl)

Alternating arm and kick with pronounced roll on each pull

Breaststroke

Double arm and kick, underwater recovery, modified frog kick (whip kick)

Freestyle (crawl)

Alternating arm and kick, breathing to side, standard stroke used by all

Individual Medly (im)Ê

Other Terms

Length:

Distance from one end of the pool to the other. It could be 25 yards, 25 meters, or 50 meters depending on the length of the pool.

Lap:

Distance from one end of the pool to the other end and back. In a 25 yard pool a lap is 50 yards, in a 50 meter pool a lap is 100 meters.

SKPS

Swim Kick Pull Swim

Kick

Usually with a board stretched out in front of you

Pull

plastic foam pull buoy between legs to concentrate on the pull without kicking

Interval

start on a specific time.Ê the rest time will vary

Repeat

Rest a specified time, e.g. swim ten times 50 yards, rest 15 seconds between each swim

On

as in Go on 75, i.e., swim 5 times 200 yards, going on 5 minute intervals

DPS

distance per stroke, the number of yards one armstroke takes you

SC

stroke cycle, one sc equals two armstrokes

Fartlek or Speed play

vary speeds during a continuous swim

Set

A related group of swims, like a course in a menu

WU

Warm up, a short swim or series of swim to raise your heart rate and loosen up

WD

Warm (or cool) down, a short swim to relax and avoid soreness

Descending

For example: swim slow 50, counting strokes; swim same speed with fewer strokes; swim 2 seconds faster with the fewer strokes, rest and do the 3x50 five times, each slow, slow with fewer strokes and faster with same stroke count.Ê any distance can be used for several repeats and then start from the top

Ladder

Increase or decrease the yardage, either straight like 400, 300, 200, 100 or 4x100, 4x75, 4x50, 4x25, or 4x100, 3x100, 2x100, 100, or mix them or reverse the order

Pyramid

As above, but up and down, such as 8x50, 4x100, 2x200, 1x400, and back down

PACE CLOCK PRIMER:

The Basics

In any pool, be aware of the location of the pace clocks. If you cannot see the clock ask your coach to reposition it so that you can.

Basic math skills, are required for using the pace clock. Learning pace clock skills may be likened to moving through various levels of difficulty, much as we did in our formative years of education. As we complete the basics of one level, we move to the next for yet another challenge.

Level I

The first level requires the simplest of math skills and usually can be mastered by the beginner in his or her first workout.
Straight Sets
Example: 10 x 50 yards on 1:00
Explanation:
10 - number of repetitions (repeats)
50 yards - distance of each repetition
1:00 - interval for each repetition (swim + rest)

The most basic type of interval training is the straight set. During a straight set, the distance per repetition and the interval per repetition remain constant.

In this example, the swimmer completes a 50-yard swim 10 times, leaving on an interval of 1:00. This means that if a 50-yard swim is completed in :45, a 15-second rest period will follow.

In pace clock lingo, each 50-yard swim will begin "on the top" in this set. This slogan is derived from the second hand pointing upwards to the "0" or "60" on the clock.
 
Fixed Rest Sets
Example: 4 x 200 yards with :30 rest

In a fixed rest set, the amount of rest following each repetition will be the same, regardless of swimming speed. In the above example, the swimmer completes four repetitions of 200 yards, resting :30 after each. This interval structure may be less demanding as it avoids the "deadline" of a straight-set rest interval.
 
Timed Swims
Example: T-20

While most swimmers chart progress through a workout by measuring distance, an alternative way is to measure with time. Choose a specific time period and swim continuously for that duration. A "T-20" would mean swimming continuously for 20 minutes.
 

Level II

Once the basics of elementary school are mastered, the swimmer moves to slightly more complex pace clock skills involving memory work, and, occasionally, some tricky addition and subtraction.
Advanced straight sets
Example: 12 x 50 on :55

Like the straight set in Level I, the swimmer leaves each 50 on a fixed interval. But unlike the previous example of an interval of 1:00, the swimmer leaves on a different send-off time each repeat. For this set, the swimmer leaves "on the top" for the first 50, on the 55 for the next, then the 50 and so on. The swimmer can simply subtract five seconds from the previous send off time to determine the current send-off time. Particularly tricky on this type of set is determining the swim time, since the swimmer is leaving on a different number with each repeat.
 
Variable rest sets
Example: 4 x 150, rest :30, :20 and :10

In a set of 4 x 150, there are three rest periods within the set. In a variable rest set, the amount of rest between repeats varies. In the above example, the rest decreases through the set. Attempting to swim the same time on each 150 while the rest decreases can be a challenging set. An alternate way to devise a variable rest set would be to increase the amount of rest through the set.
 
Broken Swims
Example: Broken 200 as 50-25-50-25-50, resting :15 per break

Broken swims are often race distances divided into smaller increments with rest periods after each segment. In the above example, a 200 is divided into a series of 50s and 25s. With four rest breaks at :15 apiece, the total rest within the swim is 1:00. To obtain the actual 200 time, subtract 1:00 from the total swim + rest time.
 

Level III

Level III sets are more demanding than those practiced in "high school," and most require keeping track of swim and varying interval times simultaneously.
Descending Interval
Example: 6 x 100, starting on 2:00 and descending the interval :05 per repeat

In this example, the first 100 is swum on a 2:00 interval, the second is on 1:55, the third on 1:50, and so on. Swimming at an even pace through the set will result in decreasing rest by :05 per 100. Here is the breakdown of send-off times:
< 
Rep # = repetition number
Send-Off = repetition starting time, cumulative time of set
SHP = second-hand position
Int = interval, swim + rest duration of repetition

Rep	S-O	SHP	Int
1	0:00	0	2:00
2	2:00	0	1:55
3	3:55	55	1:50
4	5:45	45	1:45
5	7:30	30	1:40
6	9:10	10	1:35

Ascending Intervals
Example: 8 x 25, starting on :30 interval, ascending by :05

An ascending interval set is the opposite of a descending interval set. The first 25 is on :30, the second on :35, then :40, etc.
 
Pyramid intervals

Pyramid intervals are sets that combine descending and ascending intervals. For example, a pyramid set might consist of 7 x 150 on intervals of 2:20, 2:30, 2:40, 2:50, 2:40, 2:30 and 2:20.

Level IV