Introduction:
The non-stop main set is a relic of 1980s thinking — and it’s producing mediocre swimming disguised as hard work.
Three Critical Learning Points:
Pushing straight through a 20 x 100 set often means technique collapses, bad habits are reinforced and swimmers just swim to survive.
Splitting the main set into two parts — with a purposeful break in the middle — restores quality skills execution and protects technique.
We should be chasing consistency of great technique under fatigue, not just pushing kids to mediocrity in the interest of hitting goal times and heart rates.
Why Do We Accept Mediocre Skills and Technique Just to Hit Times and Heart Rates?
Here’s the old school approach.
20 x 100 on 1:30. Straight through. No breaks. Push through the pain. Physiology first.
Sounds tough. Sounds like proper training.
But watch what actually happens.
First 8 reps — technique is good. Splits are consistent. Swimmers are engaged.
Reps 9 to 14 — technique starts to slip. Stroke count goes up. Efficiency goes down. Swimmers are just getting through.
Reps 15 to 20 — technique has collapsed. Bad habits are being reinforced with every stroke. Swimmers are breathing on their first stroke off the wall, not kicking efficiently underwater, “circling” the lanes and breathing inside the flags on their finishes. Swimmers are surviving, not training.
And we call this a great main set?
We’re not building fitness. We’re building mediocrity.
Here’s what I’m seeing from smart coaches around the world.
They’re splitting their main sets.
Example: 12 x 100 — then a 10-minute break — then 8 x 100.
During that 10-minute break:
Snack to refuel — keep the fuel tank topped up
Drink to hydrate — don’t let dehydration compromise the second half
Pressure point or acupressure work — reduce injury risk, release tension
Mental refocus — reset the technical cues, clear the mind
Reconnect with the coach!!!
Then return for part two with quality restored.
The total volume is the same. But the quality is transformed.
We’re not just chasing physiological adaptation. We’re chasing consistency of great technique under fatigue.
Physiology matters — but not at the expense of everything else.
The swimmers who win aren’t the ones who can survive a 20 x 100. They don’t win races because they can hold their heart rates at 185 bpm for 40 minutes. They’re the ones who can hold their technique together when it matters.
Isn’t it time we looked at main sets differently?
Final Thoughts:
The non-stop main set was designed in an era when we thought more suffering meant more adaptation. We know better now. Quality matters. Technique matters. It’s about accuracy and precision under pressure and fatigue.
And a strategic break in the middle of your main set might be the smartest thing you do all week.
Two Practical Application Tips:
Split your next main set in two. Whatever you were planning to do straight through — break it at the 60% mark. Give swimmers 8-10 minutes. Fuel, hydrate, refocus. Then complete the set. Compare the quality of the second half to what you usually see.
Use the break for mental reset, not just physical recovery. Have swimmers identify ONE technical focus for part two. Write it on the whiteboard. Make the break purposeful — not just rest, but preparation.
Thanks - let me know how it goes.
Wayne
