Main Sets of Six World Championship Medalists

Over the past few months we have spoken to several 2015 World Championship medalists and their coaches. Several  were kind enough to share some of their favourite sets.

Find training sets behind the success of Mitch Larkin, Emily Seebohm, James Guy, Ning Zetao, Cameron van der Burgh and Kevin Cordes.

Mitch Larkin – World Champion 100 & 200 backstroke

(courtesy of Tim Binning, theswimpictures.com)

Two of the sets that Bohl has Larkin perform on a semi-regular basis are as follows:

a) 2 x (4 x 25 on 1.30 fast / 4 x 50 on 1.30 fast / 100 fast + 200 easy)

b) 8 x 100 on 1.45 (holding 61) + 100 easy + 8 x 50 on 60 feet on wall (holding 28) + 200 easy + 4 x 25 from a backstroke regulation start

Emily Seebohm – World Champion 100 & 200 backstroke

(courtesy of Paul Younan)

4 x 35 m at max speed hitting the level of lactate that would match the first 50 meters of her 100.

1 x 100 freestyle hitting the same heart rate that she would have in the first 50 or 100 in her 200 backstroke.

If the set is focused on the 200 they will then do a 100 at the speed of the second half of her race and if they are aiming at the 100 she will swim 50 at the speed of the second half of her race. 

James Guy – World Champion 200 freestyle & silver medalist 400 freestyle

(courtesy of Peter Sukenik/www.petersukenik.com)

42 x 50s off a minute, first 16 every 4th at 200 pace, then 12 every 3rd, 8 every 2nd, then 4 all at pace

Ning Zetao – World Champion 100 freestyle

(courtesy of Tim Binning, theswimpictures.com)

a) 3 x ( 3 x 100 kick (LCM) – 1 @ 1:35 – 1 @ 1:25 – 1 @ 1:15)

In this set Ning has gotten down to 1:06 on the final 100 repeat

b) 75s (25 underwater fly kick with a board/25 sit scull/25 fast free kick) – goal is to be under 1 minute

Cameron van der Burgh – silver medalist 50 & 100 breaststroke

(courtesy of Peter Sukenik/www.petersukenik.com)

3 x (5×100,50,50) on 1’50/1’10/1’30

• The 100 on a high lactate threshold
• The next 50 swimming easy with the lactate still in your main stroke
• Then last 50 decending from 200 pace to max in the set

Kevin Cordes – silver medalist 200 breaststroke & bronze medalist 50 breaststroke

(Courtesy of Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com)

Carnival

• 8 x 50 on 1’
• 100 easy choice
• 4 x 75 (25 kick-25 Pull-25 swim) on 1’15 + 30-45” rest
• 4 x 100 (25 kick-25 Pull-50 swim) on 1’45 + 30-45” rest
• 4 x 150 (50 kick-50 Pull-50 swim) on 2’15 + 30-45” rest
• 4 x 300 (100 kick-100 Pull-100 swim) on 4’30 + 30-45” rest
• 4 x 150 (50 kick-50 Pull-50 swim) on 2’15 + 30-45” rest
• 4 x 100 (25 kick-25 Pull-50 swim) on 1’45 + 30-45” rest
• 4x 75 (25 kick-25 Pull-25 swim) on 1’15
• 100 easy
• 8 x 50 on 1’

Carnival Festival

• 100 easy
• 2 x 75
• 2 x 100
• 1 x 150
• 1 x 300
• 1 x 150
• 2 x 100
• 2 x 75
• 100 easy
• 8 x 50 FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• 100 easy

*This set is all breaststroke