Intermediate Swimming Training Plan

Who This Plan Is For

This plan is designed for:

• Swimmers with 6-24 months consistent training
• Can swim 1000m+ continuous
• Solid technique fundamentals in freestyle and backstroke
• Ready to focus on speed and race preparation
• Training 4-5 times per week

Prerequisites:

• Completed beginner training plan or equivalent
• Stroke count under 22 per 25m (freestyle)
• Can maintain technique at moderate pace
• Know your CSS pace (use CSS calculator)

Training Philosophy: Structured Intensity

Intermediate training introduces zone-based training and periodization. The goal is building speed while maintaining endurance base.

The 70/20/10 split:

• 70% aerobic training (Zone 1-2)
• 20% threshold work (Zone 3)
• 10% high intensity (Zone 4-5)

Calculate your zones with our training zones calculator.

12-Week Training Goals

Phase 1: Base Building (Weeks 1-4)

• Increase aerobic capacity to 2500m+ per session
• Establish CSS baseline
• Perfect technique at threshold pace
• Build 4-5 session per week consistency

Phase 2: Build (Weeks 5-8)

• Introduce VO2 max intervals (Zone 4)
• Increase threshold volume
• Race-specific pace work
• Total volume peaks (12,000m+ per week)

Phase 3: Taper & Test (Weeks 9-12)

• Reduce volume, maintain intensity
• Speed sharpening (Zone 5)
• Race simulation sets
• Peak performance test

Weekly Training Structure

4-5 Sessions per Week

Monday: Aerobic endurance (Zone 2) - 2500-3000m

Tuesday: Threshold intervals (Zone 3) - 2000-2500m

Wednesday: Recovery or OFF - 1500m easy or rest

Thursday: VO2 max intervals (Zone 4) - 2000-2500m

Friday: Technique & speed (mixed) - 2000-2500m

Saturday: Long aerobic swim (Zone 2) - 3000-4000m

Sunday: REST or active recovery

Sample Week 1 Workouts

Monday: Aerobic Endurance (2800m)

Warm-up (400m):

• 400m easy mix (freestyle/backstroke)

Main Set (2000m):

• 10 x 200m freestyle at Zone 2 pace (20sec rest)

Cool-down (400m):

• 4 x 100m easy mixed strokes

Tuesday: Threshold (2400m)

Warm-up (600m):

• 400m easy, 200m build

Main Set (1500m):

• 5 x 300m at CSS pace (30sec rest)

Cool-down (300m):

• 300m easy

Thursday: VO2 Max (2500m)

Warm-up (800m):

• 600m easy, 4 x 50m build

Main Set (1400m):

• 2 rounds: 4 x 100m fast (15sec rest), 200m easy
• 4 x 100m Zone 4 pace, 2 x 200m recovery between rounds

Cool-down (300m):

• 300m easy

Saturday: Long Aerobic (3500m)

Warm-up (500m):

• 500m easy progressive

Main Set (2600m):

• 2600m continuous at Zone 2 pace (or 13 x 200m, 15sec rest)

Cool-down (400m):

• 400m easy mixed

Progressive Overload

Volume Progression

Weeks 1-3: 10,000-11,000m per week

Weeks 4: 8,000m (recovery week)

Weeks 5-7: 11,000-13,000m per week

Week 8: 9,000m (recovery week)

Weeks 9-11: Reduce volume 20-30%, increase intensity

Week 12: 6,000m (taper week)

Intensity Progression

Weeks 1-4 (Base):

• 80% Zone 1-2
• 15% Zone 3
• 5% Zone 4+

Weeks 5-8 (Build):

• 70% Zone 1-2
• 20% Zone 3
• 10% Zone 4-5

Weeks 9-12 (Peak):

• 60% Zone 1-2
• 20% Zone 3
• 20% Zone 4-5

Stroke-Specific Training

Freestyle Focus

Primary training stroke. Use for all aerobic and threshold work.

• Technique focus: Maintaining efficiency at higher speeds
• Key metric: Stroke count at threshold pace
• Goal: Sub-20 strokes per 25m at CSS

Backstroke Development

Secondary stroke, 20-30% of training volume.

• Use for: Recovery between hard freestyle sets
• Technique focus: Swimming straight at speed
• Goal: Backstroke pace within 10% of freestyle

Breaststroke & Butterfly

Introduction and development phase.

• Breaststroke: 10% of volume, focus on timing
• Butterfly: 5% of volume, drills and short reps
• Goal: Swim 200m of each with legal technique

Advanced Drills

Speed Development Drills

• Descending sets: 4 x 100m (each one faster)
• Broken swims: 4 x 100m with 10sec rest = 400m race pace
• Negative split: Second half faster than first

Threshold Drills

• CSS test sets: 400m + 200m time trials
• Tempo sets: Long intervals at CSS minus 2-3 seconds
• Pace sets: Hold exact target pace for multiple reps

Race Preparation

Race-Specific Training (Weeks 9-12)

For 200m races:

• 8 x 50m at race pace (30sec rest)
• 4 x 100m at race pace (45sec rest)
• 2 x 200m at race pace (3min rest)

For 400m races:

• 16 x 25m at race pace (15sec rest)
• 8 x 100m at race pace (20sec rest)
• 2 x 400m at race pace (5min rest)

For 800m+ races:

• 10 x 100m at race pace (15sec rest)
• 4 x 200m at race pace (30sec rest)
• 1-2 x 800m at race pace

Common Intermediate Mistakes

1. Too Much Moderate Pace

Problem: Training at 70-80% effort (grey zone) - too hard for aerobic, too easy for threshold.

Fix: Strict zone adherence. Easy days truly easy, hard days truly hard.

2. Insufficient Recovery

Problem: No recovery weeks, constant high volume.

Fix: Every 4th week reduce volume 20-30%.

3. Ignoring Technique at Speed

Problem: Technique breaks down during hard intervals.

Fix: If stroke count increases 3+ strokes, slow down and rebuild.

4. No Periodization

Problem: Same workouts every week, no progression.

Fix: Follow base-build-peak cycle.

Strength & Conditioning

Dryland Training (2x per week)

• Core strength: Planks, Russian twists, leg raises
• Pull strength: Pull-ups, rows, lat pulldowns
• Flexibility: Shoulder stretches, ankle flexibility
• Duration: 20-30 minutes per session

Recommended Exercises

• Planks: 3 x 60 seconds
• Pull-ups: 3 x max reps
• Squats: 3 x 15 reps
• Band pull-aparts: 3 x 20 reps

Nutrition for Performance

Training Day Nutrition

• Pre-workout (1-2 hours): Carbs + small protein (oatmeal, banana)
• During (60+ min sessions): Sports drink or gel
• Post-workout (30 min): Protein shake or meal (3:1 carb:protein)

Daily Nutrition

• Protein: 1.6-2.0g per kg bodyweight
• Carbs: 5-7g per kg bodyweight (training days)
• Hydration: 3-4L water per day minimum

Measuring Progress

Monthly Testing

CSS Test: 400m + 200m time trials

• Track CSS pace improvements
• Use CSS calculator
• Retest every 4 weeks

Stroke Count: 25m and 100m counts

• At easy pace and threshold pace
• Goal: Minimal increase at threshold

SWOLF Tracking:

• Calculate with SWOLF calculator
• Track improvements over time

Performance Indicators

• Aerobic improvement: Faster pace at same heart rate
• Threshold improvement: CSS pace increases
• Efficiency: SWOLF score decreases
• Consistency: Can hit target paces repeatedly

Equipment for Intermediate

Training Tools

• Tempo trainer: Maintain stroke rate
• Paddles: Build pull strength
• Fins: Speed work and kick development
• Pull buoy: Arm strength and technique
• Snorkel: Focus on stroke without breathing disruption

Product Recommendations

• Finis Tempo Trainer Pro
• Speedo Power Paddles
• Finis Swimmer's Snorkel

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Next Steps

After completing this plan, progress to:

• Advanced Training Plan - Competitive race preparation
• Masters swimming competition
• Open water swimming events
• Triathlon swimming training

Track Your Training with SwimAnalytics

SwimAnalytics provides advanced tracking for intermediate swimmers:

• Automatic CSS calculation from your swims
• Training zone adherence tracking
• Periodization planning tools
• Race pace simulations
• Performance predictions

Start Free Trial →

Related Resources

• Beginner Training Plan
• Training Zones Calculator
• CSS Calculator
• Freestyle Technique
• All Training Plans