The Fartlek Method of Training
Below is an excerpt from James E Cousilman’s book, ('Doc' Counsilman) -‘The Science of Swimming’ (1969), still considered to this day to be the ‘Bible’ of swimming.
There are various techniques of varying one’s speed when training. This ‘fartlek’ method of training taken from track/runner’s speed training. Later this type of workout evolved into Interval Training and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
An example of Interval training would be where you swim a set of, say, 10 x 50 metre swims hard with a rest in-between each 50 metre swim.
Excerpt from Counsilman’s book:
“It was at this time that a few coaches and swimmers became discontented with merely swimming long distance at slow or moderate speeds and began to add some fast swimming, usually at the end of their daily workouts. This frequently took the form of four to eight 50 yard sprints. In the 1930s a technique of training, variously referred to as pyramids or locomotives, became popular; such great swimmers as Adolph Kiefer, the Spence brothers and others used this improved technique of training with resulting great improvement in times.
In this type of training a swimmer might swim a long distance continuously, but he would vary the speed with which he swam the lengths. An example of this type of workout as used by Adolph Kiefer (mid-1930s) in a 25 yard pool follows: swim four lengths very hard, four lengths slowly, three lengths hard, three slow, two hard, two slow, one hard and one slow; then back up the ladder, one hard, one slow, two hard, two slow, and so on.
A variation of this type of workout, as given the writer in 1938 by his coach, Ernst Vornbrock of the St. Louis YMCA, was as follows: swim two lengths fast, two lengths slow, one length fast, and one length slow; repeat ten times. This workout demonstrates how close to interval training many coaches of three decades ago [This book was written in 1968] came and illustrates the ability of such coaches as Kiefer’s coach Stan Braunigher, Vornbrok, and others.
This type of workout, is still sometimes used and, is in fact, closely compares with the fartlek (speed play) system of training used by trackmen.”
-James E ('Doc') Counsilman, ‘The Science of Swimming’
I started swimming again in the early 80s after a ten-twelve plus year break from my high school years. I was quite out of shape. Instead of the 4/4, 3/3, 2/2, 1/1 sequence that Counsilman outlines above, I started 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, etc. It was easier. Whether you start with 4 or 1, running the cycle gives you 32 lengths, which is roughly half a mile.
Now, at 74 years old, I do a 2500 metre workout three times a week. The middle of my workout is 10x100 metres hard with a 1:15 rest between each 100 metre swim.
If you are trying to get in shape, vary your speed. Try this ‘fartlek’ method of training to start.