Quick Set: The Fat-Burning Zone

You need to train with a high heart rate to make gains, improve speed, and burn fat. In fact, the “fat burning zone” is 60-70% of your max heart rate. (The easiest way to approximate your max heart rate: subtract your age from 220.). The workout below uses long sets with short rest to maintain a continuous effort in this zone.

A
• 5-minute choice warm-up
• 9×50 on :60 (25 non-free/25 free, build to fast)
• 2×300 on 5:00 (25 kick/125 swim, repeat)
• Pulse Check*
• 2×300 on 5:00 (25 kick/125 swim, repeat)
• 3×100 pull on 1:30
• Pulse Check*
• 6×100 pull on 1:30
• 2×200 swim on 3:00 (50 fast/150 steady)
• Pulse Check*
• 3×200 swim on 3:00 (50 fast/150 steady)
• 200 easy cool-down
• Total: ~3900

B
• 5-minute choice warm-up
• 6×50 on 1:20 (25 non-free/25 free, build to fast)
• 2×300 on 6:30 (25 kick/125 swim, repeat)
• Pulse Check*
• 2×300 on 6:30 (25 kick/125 swim, repeat)
• 2×200 swim on 3:00 (50 fast/150 steady)
• Pulse Check*
• 2×200 swim on 3:00 (50 fast/150 steady)
• 200 easy cool-down
• Total: ~2700

C
• 5-minute choice warm-up 6×50 with 15 sec rest (25 non- free/25 free build to fast)
• 300 with 20 sec rest (25 kick/ 125 swim, repeat)
• Pulse Check*
• 300 with 20 sec rest (25 kick/125 swim, repeat)
• 2×200 pull with 15 sec rest (50 fast/150 steady)
• Pulse Check*
• 2×200 swim with 15 sec rest (50 fast/150 steady)
• 100 easy cool-down
• Total: ~2000

* Check your pulse for 10 seconds, multiply by 6 for beats per minute. Increase interval if you’re above the fat-burning zone, decrease if you’re below.