Designing training sets that keep swimmers of different abilities engaged and getting better is one of my favourite — and trickiest — parts of coaching. At Bishopsworth Swimming Club I see wide ranges of speed, technique and training history in every session. If you’re running a mixed-age or mixed-ability session, you don’t want anyone standing around bored or, worse, being pushed so hard they lose confidence. Below I share the practical approach I use: planning principles, concrete set examples, scaling options, lane management and cues that help everyone leave the pool challenged and satisfied.
Start with clear outcomes
Before I write a set I ask myself two questions: what am I trying to develop? and how will I measure progress in a single session? Typical outcomes for a mixed-ability set might be:
- Technique focus: maintain catch position down the length.
- Speed work: build race-specific threshold tolerance.
- Endurance with quality: holding stroke count and rhythm under fatigue.
- Starts/turns: sharpen a technical skill for all levels.
When the outcome is explicit I can design options so everyone works toward the same goal in ways that match their current fitness and skill.
Use a tiered structure, not separate sets
I prefer one coherent set that contains tiered options rather than multiple separate sets. That keeps the group swimming together, facilitates peer support, and makes it easier for me to coach. A typical structure:
- Warm-up: common warm-up with a tech emphasis and a clear progress to swim speed.
- Main set: broken into blocks (e.g., Skill block, Intensity block, Sprint block) with scalable repeats.
- Cool-down/Challenge: an optional extra for those who want more.
Give each repeat a "task" and three scales
For every repeat I provide a simple task and three scales: Control (tech emphasis), Target (main training load for most), and Max (race-pace or tempo for stronger swimmers). Example for a 50m repeat:
- Task: "Maintain catch on every stroke."
- Control: easy pace, focus on drills or reduced stroke count.
- Target: sustainable training pace with the task intact.
- Max: full effort, maintain catch on at least the first 15m.
This creates flexible intensity without forcing everyone to choose a different set. It also makes coaching cues simple: "control, target, or max?"
Practical set example (ready to paste into your session plan)
Here’s a complete 45–60 minute pool session I use with mixed squads. Adjust distances and intervals for your pool length and group.
| Phase | Content | Options / Scaling |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | 400 mixed (100 swim / 50 drill / 50 kick / 200 pull) | Pull with paddles for stronger swimmers; pullbuoy (FINIS or Speedo) for those needing core focus. |
| Skill block | 6 x 50m on 1:00: 25 drill / 25 swim — focus catch | Control: 25 drill + easy 25. Target: drill to swim. Max: drill + 25 strong finish. |
| Main set A | 4 x (4 x 50m on :60) with 30s rest between 50s — descend 1–4 in each 4 | Control: target ~60–70% effort. Target: 75–85%. Max: sprint descends and take extra rest if needed. |
| Main set B | 8 x 100m on 1:45 — odd fast, even easy | Control: odd = target tempo, even = recovery swim. Target: odd = race pace, even = steady. Max: odd = all-out for stronger swimmers with extended rest if on same lane. |
| Challenge / Extras | 6 x 25m starts/turns — focus explosive breakout | Anyone who wants more does 4 x 100 pull at an easy tempo. |
| Cooldown | 200 easy + 100 IM choice | Keep it relaxed. |
Lane organisation and pacing aids
How you arrange lanes matters. I favour mixed lanes with even distribution of ability: put your faster swimmers split across lanes rather than all in one. That reduces local congestion and creates mentoring opportunities.
- Assign lane captains — a reliable swimmer who helps keep the pace and offers quick feedback.
- Use tempo trainers (e.g., FINIS Tempo Trainer) or simple beep intervals on a phone for consistent pacing cues.
- Mark rests visually — use different-coloured paddles or kickboards at the deep end to indicate which rest bracket swimmers take.
Interval management and forgiveness
A common problem is the slower swimmer getting lapped or the faster swimmer wasting time waiting. Two simple rules I use:
- Individual intervals: set intervals per swimmer band, not per lane. For example, slower swimmers do 50 on :75 while faster swimmers do :60. Everyone starts and finishes on the same clock but works to their interval.
- Buddy system: pair swimmers of similar pace for repeats; stronger athletes can be asked to lead the first 25 and practise an easy second 25 as technique enforcement.
Drills and equipment that scale well
Certain drills transfer across ability levels because they can be dosed easily:
- Single-arm drill: allows focus on catch mechanics with lower cardiovascular load.
- Fist swim: improves feel for the water and is manageable for all speeds.
- Paddles + pullbuoy: increase load for stronger swimmers. I always offer a no-equipment equivalent for those who don’t want gear.
Feedback loops and visible progress
I try to give every swimmer one specific, actionable cue each session. For mixed groups I use visual progress: count strokes per 25 as a measurable goal, or require a specific split time band. Example phrases I use poolside:
- "This set — keep stroke count at 18–20 on the target efforts."
- "Fast swimmers: use 10s extra rest if you can’t hold the catch. Others: finish strong for the last 10m."
- "Today’s extra: try to reduce your 100 time by 2 seconds compared with last week — or keep stroke count the same at a slightly faster pace."
Mindset cues that keep everyone motivated
Mixed-ability training isn’t just physical — it’s social. I prompt swimmers to cheer each other’s efforts, celebrate small wins (a cleaner turn, a tighter streamline), and reflect on one specific improvement at the end of the session. That way progress is visible even if times aren’t yet PB-level.
If you’d like, I can share printable session templates or a lane-management chart I use at Bishopsworth that you can adapt to your pool size and squad mix. Send me the details of your lane count and swimmer numbers and I’ll tailor one for you.
