Saturday Swim Session: Alternate Swim & Pull 200s
Swimming, September 06, 2026
This Saturday Swim Session alternates freestyle and Pull Buoy 200m repetitions to develop aerobic endurance, consistent pacing and freestyle efficiency. The Pull Buoy places greater emphasis on the catch and pull before swimmers transfer that feeling back into normal freestyle. Choose from three workout options of 1,700m, 2,300m or 3,400m.
Sometimes the most effective swim sessions are also the simplest.
This week’s Saturday Swim Session alternates between normal freestyle swimming and Pull Buoy work over repeated 200m efforts. There aren’t complicated sets to remember or constant changes in distance. Instead, the focus is on aerobic endurance, consistent pacing and maintaining good freestyle technique.
Why Alternate Swim & Pull?
Using a Pull Buoy reduces the contribution from your legs and places greater emphasis on your upper body.
That gives you an opportunity to concentrate on your catch, pull and connection with the water.
But the important part comes when you remove the Pull Buoy.
As you return to normal freestyle on the following 200m, try to retain the strong catch and pull you established while using the Pull Buoy while reincorporating your normal kick and body position.
Rather than treating Pull and Swim as two completely separate exercises, think about what you can transfer from one into the other.
The Main Set
The concept is straightforward:
200m Freestyle → 200m Pull Buoy → 200m Freestyle → 200m Pull Buoy
Take a 20-second Rest Interval after each 200m and continue alternating until you’ve completed the required number of repetitions.
There are three versions of the workout:
Option A – 1,700m
300m WU; 6x 200m alternating Swim/Pull (20sec RI); 200m CD.
Option B – 2,300m
500m WU; 8x 200m alternating Swim/Pull (20sec RI); 200m CD.
Option C – 3,400m
800m WU; 12x 200m alternating Swim/Pull (20sec RI); 200m CD.
Consistency Is The Challenge
With only 20 seconds recovery between repetitions, this is primarily an aerobic workout.
Don't attack the opening 200s and then gradually fade.
Find a sustainable pace and concentrate on maintaining your technique throughout the session. If you're recording your times, compare your Swim repetitions with one another and your Pull repetitions with one another.
Can your final Swim 200m remain close to your first?
What about your Pull 200s?
The longer options make that increasingly challenging as fatigue accumulates.
Take Something From The Pull Into Your Swim
Don't simply use the Pull Buoy to make swimming easier.
Pay attention to how you move through the water with it. Notice your body position, your catch and how effectively you're applying pressure through the pull.
Then remove it and see whether you can recreate those positive sensations in your complete freestyle stroke.
That's where much of the value of this session comes from.
👉 Want the complete workout, including my coaching advice, technique focuses and common mistakes to avoid?
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