Pyramid Swim Set: Speed Endurance Session

Session Overview

The pyramid swim set is a classic interval session that develops both speed and aerobic endurance simultaneously. By swimming progressively longer distances then back down again, you build lactate clearance, pacing awareness and race-pace fitness in a single 60-minute pool session. This is an excellent workout for intermediate swimmers targeting triathlon swim performance.

What You'll Need

• 25m or 50m swimming pool
• Swim watch or poolside clock
• Pull buoy and paddles (optional, for warm-up variation)
• Kickboard (for warm-up)

Warm-Up (15 minutes)

Easy 400m mixed — 100m front crawl, 100m backstroke, 100m front crawl with pull buoy, 100m kick with kickboard. Focus on long, relaxed strokes and normal breathing. Follow with 4 x 25m as build swims, gradually increasing pace each length.

Main Set

Complete the pyramid set with the rest intervals noted. Shorter swims get shorter rest to maintain quality throughout the session.

• 100m at CSS (threshold) pace — rest 20 seconds
• 200m at CSS pace — rest 30 seconds
• 300m at 5 seconds per 100m slower than CSS — rest 45 seconds
• 400m at 5 seconds per 100m slower than CSS — rest 60 seconds
• 300m at CSS pace — rest 45 seconds
• 200m at 3-5 seconds faster than CSS — rest 30 seconds
• 100m all-out sprint — rest 60 seconds

Total pyramid distance: 1,600m. Adjust rest intervals if needed but aim to maintain consistent split times throughout.

Cool-Down (10 minutes)

Easy 400m choice of stroke. Focus on long, slow strokes and controlled breathing. If your shoulders are fatigued, use backstroke or a pull buoy for the final 100-200m.

Coaching Notes

• Know your CSS pace: calculate as (400m TT time minus 200m TT time) divided by 2 = pace per 100m at threshold
• The ascent phase of the pyramid develops aerobic capacity; the descent tests pacing and speed under fatigue
• Scale down: reduce the peak to 300m and shorten to 5 rungs total for a 45-minute session
• Scale up: complete two pyramids with 5 minutes rest between them for an elite 90-minute workout
• RPE target: 7-8/10 on main efforts, 9-10/10 on the final 100m sprint