About this episode
Wayne Goldsmith discusses the drawbacks of traditional main set training in swimming and advocates for splitting sets to enhance technique and performance.
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…
People in this episode
Host: Wayne Goldsmith
Topics covered
- swimming technique
- training methods
- performance improvement
- coaching strategies
- athlete development
Keywords
- main set
- swimming
- technique
- training
- performance
- coaching
- athletes
More episodes of SWIMMING GOLD
- The Car Ride Home! · May 21, 2026 · 6 min
- The Power of Coaching Through Questioning! · May 18, 2026 · 5 min
- Whoever Wins the Start Wins the Race · May 13, 2026 · 4 min
- The 5 Hs: Biomechanics Made Simple · April 13, 2026 · 8 min
- The PACE Model: Training Zones Made Simple · April 9, 2026 · 9 min
- Skills IN the Set, Not Before It · April 7, 2026 · 7 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the SWIMMING GOLD podcast page.