A Dash Set That Builds Stroke Length at Excessive Stroke Rates

Higher stroke rates are one of many defining options of sprint freestyle swimming.

At the Paris Olympics, the lads’s finalists within the 50m free averaged over 60 stroke cycles per minute.

Compare that to:

• 100m freestyle – 51.43
• 200m freestyle – 42.31
• 400m freestyle – 41.9

But simply spinning your arms out like a set of bald tires on moist pavement isn’t a assure for pace both.

A research (Staunton et al., 2025) with sprinters on the European Championships discovered that everybody had excessive RPM stroke charges—however the winners separated themselves by combining elevated stroke size with that top turnover.

And that’s the place this dash set is available in.

It’s all about taking part in with constraints—difficult swimmers to remain quick below totally different stroke charges. This provides the physique a chance to be taught and self-organize in a technique to enhance stroke size with out sacrificing turnover.

The outcome—sooner swimming.

Here’s a take a look at the set and the right way to do it.

The Stroke Rate Ladder

After you’ve gotten your self correctly warmed-up:

2 rounds:

• 6×25 freestyle all out
• 60 seconds relaxation
• Rep 1: Preferred stroke fee
• Rep 2: Slightly decrease stroke fee
• Rep 3: Much decrease stroke fee
• Rep 4: Preferred stroke fee
• Rep 5: Slightly increased stroke fee
• Rep 6: Much increased stroke fee
• 3:00 relaxation between rounds

A research (Silva et al., 2022) had swimmers do that set for eight weeks, twice per week. At the top of the intervention, pace, stroke size and stroke index all improved.

Swimmers obtained sooner and elevated the quantity of pool they coated with every stroke by roughly 6% (1.81 > 1.92m per stroke cycle). The management group, in the meantime, truly obtained a bit slower.

Where Stroke Rate Meets Stroke Length

I completely love this type of sprint set as a result of it challenges swimmers inside the context of their stroke.

Often swimmers will lean on drills to extend distance per stroke (lengthy canine drill) or to try to enhance stroke tempo (head-up freestyle, freestyle arms with dolphin kick).

But drills change the duty. You find yourself coaching a special kind of stroke that doesn’t at all times switch to your race-specific stroke. With constraints, you merely change the calls for and naturally encourage your physique to seek out smarter options.

• The decrease stroke fee reps will power you to get as clear as potential along with your physique line, actually maximize each stroke, maintain the trunk stiff and horizontal, and seek for each final ounce of thrust you possibly can muster.
• The increased stroke fee reps will problem your coordination and timing. The arms must get into place sooner, the hips must stabilize faster, and your muscle mass must be Johnny-on-the-Spot to remain atop of the rapid-fire stroke fee.

For swimmers eager on doing this type of set and who don’t need to use a tempo coach, you may also sub in stroke counts.

For instance:

• Rep 1: Preferred stroke rely
• Rep 2: Preferred stroke rely minus one
• Rep 3: Preferred stroke rely minus two
• Rep 4: Preferred stroke rely
• Rep 5: Preferred stroke rely plus one
• Rep 6: Preferred stroke rely plus two

The Next Step

Sprinting appears to be like like an entire bunch of chlorinated chaos, however beneath all that flying white water is a shocking quantity of precision.

Elite sprinters perceive the trade-offs between stroke fee and stroke size and work diligently and deliberately to seek out that candy spot the place blinding pace lives and breathes.

Do this set persistently and also you’ll discover ways to maintain extra water at increased tempos, coordinate your stroke below stress, and carry a six-pack of pace below your arm on race day.

Because the quickest performances on race day aren’t the results of one snazzy set or exercise. They are constructed methodically by stacking a whole bunch of sharp repetitions that, collectively, create that golden race you’ve been dreaming about.

Happy sprinting!

ABOUT OLIVIER POIRIER-LEROY

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former nationwide degree swimmer, 2x Olympic Trials qualifier, and creator of a number of books for swimmers, together with YourSwimBook, Conquer the Pool, The Dolphin Kick Manual, and most not too long ago, The 50 Freestyle Blueprint.

The e-book is a beastly 220+ pages of evidence-based insights and sensible ideas for bettering freestyle dash pace.

It particulars every part from the right way to grasp stroke fee, method, construct a thundering freestyle kick, enhance your begin and underwaters, and way more.

The 50 Freestyle Blueprint additionally consists of 20 dash units to get you began and a bonus information on the right way to grasp the 100 freestyle to finish your dash preparation.

👉 Learn more about The 50 Freestyle Blueprint here.