I swam about a 4:40 in high school, but was a sprinter i.e. 100 fly, 100 free, 50 free. 4 years of 6 practices a week pretty straight through all the seasons. Most practices were about 6000 yrds except for saturdays that were usually closer to 10,000. Then again we would really ramp up the yardage at the beginning of our season to a bunch more than that.

probably not what you want to hear, and maybe you have more inane talent than I did, but that is what it took to swim under a 5:00 min 500 when I would do it in competition....mind you I maybe did it twice in competition...but the only time I swam it slower than that was at the beginning of high school when I wasn't in the kind of shape I was in after 4 years of shape.

I broke 5 twice in college. ~80k a week.

SCY? or Meters?

What are your 100 and 200 free times?

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

I was a high school swimmer with 75k per week but I was on the slower end of varsity my best 500 yds was 5:13.

I was mid 4:40's in high school. I came from a high volume age group program. 9-10 practices a week. Mornings were about 5K, Evenings were about 6-8K. 3.5 hours on saturday with yardage that could approach 15K on a real brutal day.

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How old are you? Hate to say, but that seems like a fairly unrealistic goal coming from a 5:30 currently. I would shoot for say 5:10 to 5:15? Prove me wrong though.

Was low 4:50 scy in college (DIII), and swam a crap ton to get there. Like 13-15k per day with Sundays off.

Swimming is not all about the volume that you put in. Technique matters WAY more in the pool than does any other endurance based sport.

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I know a high school kid who does it off of 5 days a week of 3 to 4k a day. He has a lot of talent though.

If you're talking LCM : unless you're 10 or 11 years old atm with the "right" parents, then no amount will likely get you there. If you are in this situation then 5-8 years of 15-20hrs/week x 48-50 weeks/year is my guess.

I can't work out the whole yds to metres conversion thing so don't really know how fast this equates to for a 400LCM swim but going under 4min is pretty handy!

all great replies I appreciate the help. I am doing a 2:07 200 free and 5:30 500 from a push and open turns. The weekly volume for everybody is that all in singles or some days doubles. I am will do whatever I can to achieve this goal!

Broke 5:00 in high school. I didn't inherit my dad's athletic genes, so it took many years of 50-70,000 yards/week over 9-10 practices, plus 3-4 total hours of dryland, for 50 weeks per year to get there. Going from 5:30 to under 5:00 in one season will be tough - the same jump took me four years. However if you have good genetics and low hanging fruit (like mega-low yardage currently or easily fixable technique issues), by all means go for it.

Open turns?

Advice: learn and perfect fast flip turns. Dive off the blocks for a few more seconds. Swim with fast high schoolers if possible, or maybe with a fast masters group if you can find them.

5:00 is tough to reach (I never quite got there). I remember it as a huge milestone for the kids who could do it. They were swimming every day -- sometimes double practices -- up to 10k yards, and were very talented and gifted athletes. I remember efficient turns were really key and can get you a lot of time.

Anyone know what 500 scy equates to in LCM?
Ie What would you be looking at for a 400LCM?

QT for 400 free SCM at our (Aus) national SC Champs is 4:00 so interested how sub 5 for 500 scy would compare as just getting the QT means you're a pretty bloody good swimmer.

Mens 400 LC = 4:01
Mens 400 SCM = 3:52
Mens 500 SCY = 4:28

All these weekly totals seem insane. I went 4:48 off less than 30k (5-6k, 5x/week). But was a sprint free/back guy, so strong kick and good speed.

Unless you are competitive swimmer training full time, you will not go under 5min. You will not come even close.

As a kid I swam 10 months a year for 10 or so years. I starting at about 25,000 yds a week and within a couple years getting up to 60-80,000+ yds a week. 17,000 yds was a typical day in the summer, a bit less during the school year. I broke 5:00 around year 5 but that was before I was full grown so you might be able to make it a bit quicker ;-) I eventually went 4:36.

I did have the great misfortune to be swimming in the late 70's and early 80's when max yardage ruled. No one swims that much these days but, you still are going to have to swim way more, and way harder, then you are now if you want a shot at 5:00 ;-)

Did 4:05 SCM in high school. Didn't taper for the 400 after that. I swam sub 4.05 in training a few times in University. That is a 4.37 500Y.

We swam around 70 to 80k (metres) most weeks. Peek weeks 90 to 105k.

200 Fly was my event.

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4.00 ~ 4.35 in yards.

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You are losing at least 10 seconds on turns.

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4:35- there were definitely weeks were we exceeded 100,000 yards/wk. Average probably 80,000

What I wonder is what it would take to break
5:00 at 44?
I think I could go around:
6:30 of of 0 hr/wk
5:30 of 2 hr/wk
5:10 of of 4 hr/wk of well focused training
5:00 of 8 hrs/wk
4:48 of of 20 hr/wk
Just my guess.
(Triathletes note the diminishing returns per hour).

How old are you? I would argue it is nearly impossible for a 30 year old at your speed - even though you are doing open turns - to get down from 5:30. But if you are 16 I would think you could have it accomplished this short course season.

But learn the bloody flip turns. If nothing else that will enable you to swim with a faster crowd. And that will help you more than anything else. Which of course is another reason why everyone should learn to do flip turns (inner ear issues aside).

The number of yards are fairly irrelevant. Like anything else some people have the talent to do it more easily than others. If you swim 25-30K per week consistently you will tap into 98% of your potential. If that 2% really matters to you then you need to swim a lot.

Someone else asked how old you are.

I was not 'fast' in high school. 4:56 500 yard free. 2:03 200 yard IM. I broke 5 twice 'shaved and tapered'. And, in TX that wouldn't get to the state meet. For my 500, I was out in the first 200 at about 1:53 or so.

It's hard to get under 5. You either need to have a lot of talent or a lot of hard work and a decent amount of talent. I was a once a day swimmer who also did cross country and track (and tris) in high school. I think that you need to have easy speed and be able to go a 100 yard free cruising or from a push in about 55 seconds. It helps to have a good start and good turns. My turns were not good. So learn to flip turn.

I'll let you know. I'm going to try to get back under 5 in the near future, I'm 39.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

I'll play. Swam 4:3x low for 500scy at 16. Believe it was 4:32. First and only time in a meet. 100s and 200s were my events. With most everyone else on here, around 70k-80k per week average spread over 11 practices per week. I did not swim in college. Turned down the D1 scholarship and joined the military. Took 22 years off from swimming, came back to it at 40(now). My first timed 500 coming off the 22 years absence was 6:10. 6 months later averaging < 3 hours per week and 9-10k yards, went 5:08 from a push not tapered or shaven so dropped 1 minute in 6 months. I guess my coach was right in that muscle memory will help. I predict breaking 5' in the 500 next spring sometime. I might even do a master's event to "validate" my 500 if it fits in my tri schedule.

Now I just wish I could run. :-/

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