Progressive Swim Ladder: 100-200-300-400m Descending Pace

Session Overview

A pace-control session that builds from a relaxed 100m up to a sustained 400m, getting faster — not slower — as the distances grow. It’s a good mid-week test of your ability to hold form and pace under accumulating fatigue, a skill that matters far more on race day than pure sprint speed.

What You’ll Need

  • Pool access with clearly marked 25m or 50m lengths
  • A pace clock or watch with lap timing
  • Pull buoy (optional, for the warm-up only)

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

400m easy freestyle, building effort every 100m. Finish with 4 x 25m at a brisk but controlled pace to open up your stroke rate before the main set.

Main Set

Swim each rep at a pace slightly faster than the one before, despite the distance increasing — that’s the whole point of the ladder. Use your best-guess 400m time trial pace as the benchmark for the final rep, and work backwards from there.

  • 100m at moderate effort (roughly 400m TT pace + 8-10 seconds/100m), 20 seconds rest
  • 200m at 400m TT pace + 5-6 seconds/100m, 25 seconds rest
  • 300m at 400m TT pace + 2-3 seconds/100m, 30 seconds rest
  • 400m at your best sustainable 400m TT pace, 45 seconds rest

If you have the legs for it, repeat the full ladder once more for an advanced version — total main set volume then rises from 1,000m to 2,000m.

Cool-Down (8 minutes)

200m easy mixed stroke, followed by 100m backstroke focusing on long, relaxed strokes to flush the shoulders.

Coaching Notes

  • The 100m is the rep most swimmers get wrong — going out too hard on the shortest distance is the most common way to blow up the ladder before the 400m even starts.
  • Track your splits every 100m within the 300m and 400m reps; a positive split (second half slower than the first) on the 400m means you started too fast.
  • Beginners: extend rest to 30-40 seconds between reps and treat the pace targets as a rough guide rather than a hard target.
  • Advanced swimmers: tighten rest intervals to 15-20 seconds, or add the optional second ladder for CSS-building volume.

Training at your own risk. The information provided is for general guidance only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a doctor before starting any new exercise programme, especially if you have any pre-existing health conditions.