[Editor's note: This article was originally published in July, 2003]
Swim star Klete Keller may best be known for his two Olympic medal-winning performances in the 2000 Games, but readers of Active.com may also recognize his moniker from a World Class Workout column featuring little sister Kalyn.
Apparently, being a member of the Keller family lineage ensures you a place at the head of the swimming pack (both his older sister Kelsey and his mother are current and former swimmers, respectively). It was with this in mind that I approached Klete about contributing his own World Class Workout, in hopes of providing Active.com readers with another training snapshot from one of the world's best freestylers.
Klete's contribution is an "active rest" workout, typically completed on a Friday (after four days of longer, more aerobic/threshold training). The purpose of this workout is to transition the swimmer into the sprint workout scheduled for the next morning.
Mixing long, moderate-effort sets with race-pacing and sprinting, active rest workouts are unique in that they never give the swimmer any down time between repeats—rather, continuous swimming is allowed in preparation for the next physically exerting drill.
As Klete explains, "Instead of doing efforts on a slower interval, I go an easy 100 or 50 after each hard effort."
For readers who may not have their workouts planned this far in advance (or who are not on Klete's intensive five-days-aerobic/one-day-sprint schedule), the workout is still a valuable combination of anaerobic and aerobic training, threshold and moderate swimming.
Klete Keller's Active Rest Workout
Unsure about the workout lingo? Use this handy swimming glossary.
Warm-Up
1,500 swim (alternate 200 freestyle, 100 stroke)
Pre-Set
8x50 @ 50-second interval for each 50 (alt. butterfly/freestyle)
8x50 @ 50 secs (alt. backstroke/freestyle)
Kick Set
300 easy @ 6:00
6x100 @ 2:00 - fast
Hypoxic Set
(wear fins if preferred)
400 (breathe every 3rd stroke)
300 (breathe every 5th stroke)
200 (breathe every 7th stroke)
100 (breathe every 9th stroke)
Main Set
16x100
Odd: Fast freestyle
Even: Active rest, 100 easy backstroke
(descend 1-4 freestyle to race pace and maintain)
3x [4x (50 easy + 50 pace)]
1st round @ race pace
2nd round @ faster
3rd round @ sprint
Easy 200 cool-down
TOTAL: 7,200 meters