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Project Sub-6: The 400m Swim Plan

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Project Sub-6: The 400m Swim Plan

Author

Mark Whittle

All plans by this Coach

Length

4 Weeks

Plan Description

If you’re an intermediate or competitive swimmer, or a triathlete looking to improve your swim performance, Project Sub-6 is a focused 4-week training block designed to help bring your 400m swim time down towards the 6-minute barrier.

Rather than simply adding more volume, this plan uses structured, purposeful sessions to improve the specific fitness needed to swim a faster, stronger, and more efficient 400m.

Who Is This Plan For?
This plan is aimed at intermediate and competitive swimmers, as well as performance-focused triathletes, who already have a solid swim base and want a clear, targeted block of training to improve their 400m performance.

You should already be comfortable swimming regularly, handling structured sessions, and swimming approximately 6:30 for 400m.

What Does The Plan Focus On?
Across the 4 weeks, the training is designed to improve:
🔹 Threshold swim speed
🔹 Race pace familiarity
🔹 Aerobic endurance
🔹 Speed endurance under fatigue

The goal is not simply to swim harder, but to sustain a strong race-relevant pace with good technique as fatigue builds.

What’s Included?
The plan combines structured interval sessions, race pace work, aerobic support sets, and controlled speed endurance training to progressively improve both swim fitness and pacing confidence.

Training builds steadily across the block, helping you become sharper, fitter, and more efficient over 400m.

The Bigger Picture
The aim of this plan is simple: to help you attack the 400m with greater confidence and move yourself closer towards that sub-6 benchmark. ✅

How it Works

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Training Plan Sample Week

Stats

Average Weekly Breakdown

Workouts Weekly Average Longest Workout
Swim x4
04:00:00 01:00:00
Custom x1
—— ——
Workouts Per Week Weekly Average Longest Workout
Swim
04:00:00 01:00:00
Custom
—— ——

Training Load By Week


This plan works best with the following fitness devices:

Mark Whittle

WhittleFit

Whoever you are and whatever your goals might be, WhittleFit are here to guide you on your triathlon and endurance sports journey. Our goal is to design and develop endurance training programs that really work for you, the individual.

We have plans available to you for:

  • Triathlon
  • Cycling
  • Swimming
  • Running
  • Strength Training

  • This plan includes a Free Basic TrainingPeaks Account.
  • Access your training plan anywhere on the TrainingPeaks mobile and desktop apps.
  • Track your performance with robust data tracking and detailed graphs.
  • Plan for your event in the TrainingPeaks calendar.
  • Track your weight, sleep, hours, fatigue and stress while you train.
  • Completed workouts sync with popular apps like Garmin and Wahoo. Learn More
  • If plan includes Structured Workouts, then planned workouts sync to compatible devices and guide you through workouts in real time. Learn More

Refund Policy

This plan is protected by our Refund Policy and may, with the author's approval, be exchanged for a plan of equal value from the same author.

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