Tempo Trainer Workout Reference Card
These charts are helpful in providing swimmers and coaches instant guidelines for stroke rates of every event. For additional information, pick up a copy of "Swimming Fast" by Ernie Maglischo.
"One job of the coach is to help athletes find the optimum combination of stroke rate and stroke length that will allow them to swim at some desired speed with the least energy expenditure. Nevertheless, the range of difference is small enough to allow us to make generalizations concerning the best rates for each event."
- Ernie Maglischo & Spot
Author of "Swimming Fast"
Chart 1 - The Range of Stroke Rates for Male and Female World Class Swimmer in Each Competitive Event
(Olympic Games, Atlanta '96 and World Championships, Perth '98)
|
Stroke Rates
Cycles / Min |
Tempo Trainer Setting
Seconds / Stroke |
Women |
|
|
50 Free |
60 - 65 |
.46 - .50 |
100 Free |
53 - 56 |
.54 - .57 |
200 Free |
48 - 54 |
.56 - .63 |
400/500 Free |
42 - 55 |
.55 - .71 |
800/1000 Free |
44 - 54 |
.56 - .68 |
100 Back |
50 - 56 |
.54 - .60 |
200 Back |
40 - 42 |
.71 - .75 |
100 Breast |
47 - 53 |
1.13 - 1.28 |
200 Breast |
34 - 45 |
1.33 - 1.76 |
100 Fly |
52 - 56 |
1.07 - 1.15 |
200 Fly |
45 - 54 |
1.11 - 1.33 |
Men |
|
|
50 Free |
56 - 67 |
.45 - .54 |
100 Free |
50 - 56 |
.60 - .54 |
200 Free |
43 - 51 |
.59 - .70 |
400/500 Free |
38 - 46 |
.65 - .79 |
1500/1650 Free |
39 - 43 |
.70 - .77 |
100 Back |
48 - 53 |
.63 - .57 |
200 Back |
42 - 44 |
.68 - .71 |
100 Breast |
52 - 55 |
1.08 - 1.15 |
200 Breast |
38 - 42 |
1.43 - 1.58 |
100 Fly |
52 - 56 |
1.07 - 1.15 |
Chart 2 - Standard Stroke Rates
Stroke Rate
Cycle / Minute |
Tempo Trainer Setting
Seconds / Cycle |
Tempo Trainer Setting
Seconds / Stroke |
20 |
3.00 |
1.50 |
21 |
2.86 |
1.43 |
22 |
2.73 |
1.36 |
23 |
2.61 |
1.30 |
24 |
2.50 |
1.25 |
25 |
2.40 |
1.20 |
26 |
2.31 |
1.15 |
27 |
2.22 |
1.11 |
28 |
2.14 |
1.07 |
29 |
2.07 |
1.03 |
30 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
31 |
1.94 |
0.97 |
32 |
1.88 |
0.94 |
33 |
1.82 |
0.91 |
34 |
1.76 |
0.88 |
35 |
1.71 |
0.86 |
36 |
1.67 |
0.83 |
37 |
1.62 |
0.81 |
38 |
1.58 |
0.79 |
39 |
1.54 |
0.77 |
40 |
1.50 |
0.75 |
41 |
1.46 |
0.73 |
42 |
1.43 |
0.71 |
43 |
1.40 |
0.70 |
44 |
1.36 |
0.68 |
45 |
1.33 |
0.67 |
46 |
1.30 |
0.65 |
47 |
1.28 |
0.64 |
48 |
1.25 |
0.63 |
49 |
1.22 |
0.61 |
50 |
1.20 |
0.60 |
51 |
1.18 |
0.59 |
52 |
1.15 |
0.58 |
53 |
1.13 |
0.57 |
54 |
1.11 |
0.56 |
55 |
1.09 |
0.55 |
56 |
1.07 |
0.54 |
57 |
1.05 |
0.53 |
58 |
1.03 |
0.52 |
59 |
1.02 |
0.51 |
60 |
1.00 |
0.50 |
61 |
0.98 |
0.49 |
62 |
0.97 |
0.48 |
Chart 2 - Standard Stroke Rates - Continued...
Stroke Rate
Cycle / Minute |
Tempo Trainer Setting
Seconds / Cycle |
Tempo Trainer Setting
Seconds / Stroke |
63 |
0.95 |
0.48 |
64 |
0.94 |
0.47 |
65 |
0.92 |
0.46 |
66 |
0.91 |
0.45 |
67 |
0.90 |
0.45 |
68 |
0.88 |
0.44 |
69 |
0.87 |
0.43 |
70 |
0.86 |
0.43 |
71 |
0.85 |
0.42 |
72 |
0.83 |
0.42 |
73 |
0.82 |
0.41 |
74 |
0.81 |
0.41 |
75 |
0.80 |
0.40 |
76 |
0.79 |
0.39 |
77 |
0.78 |
0.39 |
78 |
0.77 |
0.38 |
79 |
0.76 |
0.38 |
80 |
0.75 |
0.38 |
81 |
0.74 |
0.37 |