Training & Development

Swim practice sets explained: what the board and A2 mean

Swim practice sets use a short code for repeats, distance, stroke when named, and the leaving interval, while labels such as A2 describe effort. Understanding the terms is enough: the coach decides set design, volume, intensity and timing.

September 21, 2026 · 4 min read

Idea in Brief

  • Read it left to right. The board gives repeats, distance, stroke when named, and the leaving clock.
  • Letters name effort. The FPN uses them too, though clubs and documents may differ.
  • Understanding is enough. You don’t need to assess the plan from the poolside.

Ten seconds before the group pushes off, the shallow-end board says 12x50m, c/ 1’15”, and the coach calls “A2.” The line follows a standard short order: repeats, distance, stroke when named, then the clock. The FPN’s 2016 pré-júnior camp warm-up uses that exact line. It means twelve 50-metre repeats, starting every minute and fifteen seconds. The FPN calls that clock the saída or intervalo: the departure or interval. It sets the next start rather than a target swim time. A shorter saída can make the same distance harder.

Série has two meanings in this sport. At a meet, it means a heat. The FPN’s 2026/27 rules group swimmers por séries, based on entry times. At training, a série is a block of repeats. The setting changes the meaning.

A2 is an intensity label. It tells the swimmer how hard the work is meant to be. The FPN’s long-term model uses A1, A2, A3, TL, PL and Vel. An FPN Infantis table spells out a numbered version. Ca1 means capacidade aeróbia 1 and covers warm-up and recovery. Ca2 means capacidade aeróbia 2 and is tied to critical speed. Ca3 marks the move towards aerobic power. Labels vary between clubs and documents, but the numbered order runs upwards from the easy end. TL, PL and Vel cover harder or shorter work. The source doesn’t expand those initials.

Some pace figures begin with a swimmer’s own results. In FPN material, velocidade crítica, or critical speed, is worked out from their 50-metre and 400-metre freestyle times. It can then become a target time per 50 or 100 metres in an aerobic set. The FPN warns that this method can run too fast in some cases, so it remains a reference. IPDJ’s 2025 Grau II qualification requires coaches to define training zones, volume and intensity. They must also state how load is measured. FPN’s 2026/27 rules place Grau II with Cadetes, Infantis and Juvenis. The whiteboard is the visible end of that written plan.

The other words also describe things the coach measures or sets. Parciais are splits inside a repeat. Braçadas means strokes counted over a length; stroke count explains why coaches use it. Frequência gestual is stroke rate, measured in cycles a minute. Percurso subaquático is the underwater section after a start or turn. Progressivo, regressivo and negative split are pacing instructions that change effort across a swim. The FPN’s development model lists these as coach-set tasks from the Infantis years onward.

Once you understand the sentence, stop there. Set design, volume and the balance between zones remain coaching decisions. An easy-looking fortnight and a brutal one can each have a place in the season; base training and race season explains why blocks differ. If something genuinely worries you, take the concern to the coach through the club’s usual channel.

Share it with your swimmer

The words you use can stay simple:

  • Under 12 (you’re driving). “That says twelve fifties, starting one every minute and fifteen.” Plain words make the code less strange.
  • 12–15 (sharing the wheel). “I know A2 is the effort label. You know what your coach asked for.” This lets them add detail if they want.
  • 16+ (they’re driving). “If you want to tell me about training, I’ll listen.” This gives them control of the conversation.

Stay aligned with your coach

The coach chooses the set, intensity, volume and timing. You handle logistics and listen at home. If a pattern worries you, follow the club’s usual route for talking to the coach and ask, “Is there anything from this training block that you need us to support at home?”

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