MIT Tri Club Home

AthletesSwimming WorkoutsTrack WorkoutsBreakwater Sports Home

CSS Workout

Objective: Calculate your CSS, so that you know your training categories (EN1, EN2, EN3). You should perform a CSS test every 4-8 weeks.

Total Distance = 2600

Set 1 - Warm-up; Dist = 600
1 X 400 Freestyle Swim - Training Cat: EN1-EN2
If you don't know your current CSS, use this 400 to find a comfortable pace that you think you will be able to maintain for 400 (8 laps while set up for short course)
1 X 200 Freestyle - Training Cat: REC (easy, recovery pace)

Set 2 - CSS Long Test; Dist=400
1 X 400 Freestyle - maximum consistent effort that you can maintain for that distance.
Note your time and have coach record it.
Swim 50-100 easy waiting for everybody to finish (keep moving - slowly)

Set 3 - 50's as Drill 25/Swim 25; Dist = 400 - Training Cat: REC (easy, recovery pace)
Just 2-3 breaths rest between each repeat. These are to be done at an easy, recovery pace.
Drills - 4 X each:

  • 4 X 50 Single-Arm Drill 25 + Freestyle Swim 25
  • 4 X 50 Catch-Up Drill 25 + Freestyle Swim 25

Set 4 - CSS Short Test; Dist=200
1 X 200 Freestyle - maximum consistent effort that you can maintain for that distance.
Note your time and have coach record it.
Swim 50-100 easy waiting for everybody to finish (keep moving - slowly)

Set 5 - Endurance Training Category Focus = 600
Coach will enter your times into CSS calculator and give you your CSS and CSS100 times.
(CSS100 = your CSS pace time for 100.)

Endurance Training Categories are:

  • EN1 = CSS100 plus 3s, but if CSS100 > 1:30 plus 5s
  • EN2 = CSS100
  • EN3 = CSS100 minus 3s

2 X 100 Freestyle + 10s - Training Cat: EN1
2 x 100 Freestyle + 15s - Training Cat: EN2
2 x 100 Freestyle + 30s - Training Cat: EN3

Set 4 - Cool-down; Dist = 400 yards
1 X 400 Freestyle Swim - Training Cat: REC
Relaxed swimming long strokes

Return to Workout Directory.

Copyright © 2011 Breakwater Sports