Hackett sets from old board?

Here is a basic set that I've seen attributed to Hackett, and a few other elite swimmers. I would typically do it backstroke, although I am sure the original set was intended to be freestyle. (I would also do it SCY and I'm confident the original was intended to be LCM. Hey, I'm not Grant Hackett!)  It's done straight through on the intervals with no additional rest.

16x50/1:00 every 4th one @ 200 pace

12/50/1:00 every 3rd one @ 200 pace

8x50/1:00 every other one @ 200 pace

1x50/2:00 active recovery

4x50/1:00 all @ 200 pace

I take "200 pace"  to imply your goal 200 pace for a target meet, so yea, fast.

I've seen various modifications of the intervals. Sometimes the intervals in each group escalate: :50 for the first 16, :55 for the next 12, 1:00 for the group of 8 and 1:05 or 1:10 for the group of 4. In other cases I've see it written with decreasing intervals, 1:05, 1:00, :55 and the last 4 on:50. Obviously that would make hitting the target pace tougher for the last group. Anyway, one can adjust the intervals to suit your speed and stroke selection, but those last 4 ought to produce a "feel" similar to an actual 200 in a meet.

I've sometimes modified the set. For example, swimming the 50s @ 200 pace breaststroke and all of the others freestyle. I've also tried swimming the four 200-paced 50s in each group IM order and all the rest freestyle. Those modifications are probably not consistent with the original intent of the set.

Overall, it is a fantastic set.

I do it like this:

16X50 on :45's, Every 4th Pace B

12X50 on :50, Every 3rd Pace B

8X50 on :55, Every other Pace B

4X50, all on Pace B

I've seen it written that baseline is 1650 pace, and pace B is 500.  I try to swim it faster.  As I've not done any meets, I don't really know what my times are, but I have a goal of a 6:00 500 (:36's).  I've done a mile holding :39.5's.  I generally hold :37's as my primary pace, creeping up to :38 towards the end, and :34-35 as my Pace B.  As much as I'd like to be able to do a 2:15 200, I don't think it is going to happen.

The variations that have been posted of that workout.  As my preferred stroke is Fly, I have to give myself some extra rest.  I've seen it where the "Pace A's" were all 25 free on :30, regardless of round, and the "Pace B" is 50 of stroke on :50, :55, 1:00, and 1:05.  I can generally do that and hold :32-33 for the fly leg (:34 at the end), it is for working the 200 of stroke, but I don't think I could swing a 200 Fly - and darn sure not at that pace!!!!!  My cardio is fine, but I am just not strong enough to last that long.  I'm trying to work my 100 Fly some.  I think that there is a variation for 25's of stroke that would be good for that.  I've been struggling with a 6X25 on :36 (goal pace + 20) four times through with an extra minute.  Can get through a couple of rounds, but them am gassed.  Also do a round of breakout, easy free to wall, full 25 (both on :40), 37.5 and easy free to wall, full 50, 50 easy free (those all on 1:20), then a 200 DPS pull set with paddles.  I'll do that 4 times through.

What I'm after is hoping to replicate the set where I do 25's, but with some other stuff in between to keep my heart rate up there, but where I'm not too gassed to be able to hold the stroke properly.  That and 600 yards of fly at 100 pace is a lot for me.  Sadly, I was able to do that more easily before COVID, where I had only been swimming a few years.  Now I've been swimming longer, have better fundamentals, but just can't do the fly as well as I used to.  I guess late 40's versus mid 40's is a big swing

> I guess late 40's versus mid 40's is a big swing

I actually got faster during that stretch, although up to then I had been swimming just for fitness for many years and only at about 44 started to train for competition for the first time in decades. Also, I had a health disruption in my early 40s so I was coming off a fitness low. Nevertheless, USMS times show that folks in their 40s decrease in competition performance very little. Stay healthy, train seriously and you'll be good to go I would expect.

> I guess late 40's versus mid 40's is a big swing

I actually got faster during that stretch, although up to then I had been swimming just for fitness for many years and only at about 44 started to train for competition for the first time in decades. Also, I had a health disruption in my early 40s so I was coming off a fitness low. Nevertheless, USMS times show that folks in their 40s decrease in competition performance very little. Stay healthy, train seriously and you'll be good to go I would expect.

There are so many confounding factors it is hard to tell.  When COVID hit, I was 3 years into swimming, and I started doing open water.  Decided I wanted to do the 10K race, so in 2021, I started training like mad for it.  Was very happy with my swim.  Still kind of stuck with more distance training.  Played around with different types of sets (most of my swimming is solo).  But a few months ago, started really trying to buckle down and get back into proper pool shape.  One big difference is that I've continued to play around with my sets.  I have no problems knocking out a few 50 Fly's at a good clip, but I just can't do the multiple rounds of fast 25's like I used to be able to.  Probably need to get back to mixing in the 400 yards of underwaters Mark had written into nearly every set.  I got away from that as I worked on distance, and most of the workouts that are listed out there don't have a good solid anaerobic set mixed in like his does.