How Critical Swim Speed can improve your swim times.

What is Critical Swim Speed (CSS)?

CSS is the fastest pace you can maintain continuously without being exhausted, called your aerobic swimming threshold.

What are the Benefits of CSS Training

1. Because the pace you swim at when doing CSS swimming is at your maximum aerobic threshold, you will build on your aerobic capacity  This allows you to swim and still have some reserve for other activities such as running and cycling.
2. This type of training will build your ability to maintain a strong pace over longer distance swims.
3. Because you are training at a regular pace you will be able to use this to ensure you don't go off too fast in the race.

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What do I need to do to find my CSS time.

To find your CSS time you will need to record your times for a 400m and 200m swims in the same swim session. . Enter these times into our CSS calculator on this page. Then use the calculated time in your training to improve your swim times.

Session to measure your CSS time,
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• Warm up
  • 1 x 300m relaxed front crawl swim.
  • 4 x 50m front crawl swim with 10s rest after each 50m
  • 4 x 25m sprint swim with 10s rest after each 25m
  • 1 x 100m relaxed front crawl swim
• 400m time trial
• Rest for 4 - 5 minutes making sure you have fully recovered.
• 200 time trial

• Warm Down 
  • 1 x 100 relaxed choice swim

Once you have your times, work with your coach to define suitable training sessions where you can use your CSS times to then improve that swim endurance. Remember to check your CSS times every now and then so that you can adjust sessions as you improve. Again talk with your coach to determine how regular you check the times.

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