40×50m High-Volume Speed Pool Session

Session Overview

This high-volume sprint set targets neuromuscular speed and swim efficiency through 40 short, sharp 50m efforts. Borrowed from masters swimming programmes, it’s ideal for intermediate pool swimmers who want to build raw speed, improve stroke rate, and develop the ability to hold technique under accumulated fatigue. Total distance including warm-up and cool-down: approximately 2,600m.

What You’ll Need

• 50m or 25m pool (in a 25m pool each 50m effort is two lengths)
• Pace clock or GPS watch
• Swim fins (optional — warm-up only)
• Pull buoy (optional — cool-down only)

Warm-Up (15 minutes)

400m easy continuous swim at Zone 1 effort. Then 4×50m build (slow–medium–fast–all-out) with 20 seconds rest each. Focus on long, smooth strokes — the main set will push pace significantly, so don’t waste energy here. Finish with 2×25m drill: one fingertip drag, one catch-up.

Main Set

40×50m with 15 seconds rest between each effort. Divide mentally into four blocks of ten for pacing. Aim for consistent fast effort throughout — approximately RPE 8/10, or 85–90% maximum effort. If pace drops significantly in the final ten reps, extend rest to 20 seconds.

• Reps 1–10: Settle into your target pace at 85% effort — 15 sec rest
• Reps 11–20: Maintain the same pace; this is where discipline separates athletes — 15 sec rest
• Reps 21–30: Focus on technique over speed to stay efficient as fatigue builds — 15 sec rest
• Reps 31–40: Give everything on the final block — 90% effort, 15 sec rest between each

Cool-Down (10 minutes)

300m easy, alternating freestyle and backstroke to flush lactic acid and allow relaxed breathing. Optional 100m pull buoy to keep shoulders moving while resting your legs.

Coaching Notes

• Count your strokes per length — aim to stay within two strokes of your rested count all the way to rep 40
• Common mistake: going too fast on reps 1–10 then dying in the final block; start conservatively
• To make it easier: reduce to 30×50m, or take 20 seconds rest throughout
• To make it harder: reduce rest to 10 seconds for the final ten reps
• Target heart rate: Zone 4 (approx 85–92% max HR) during each effort