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The Engagement Factor – the essential element in designing training sets and swimming workouts.

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In my last post, I introduced the P.A.C.E. system – a simple, easy to use, practical way of managing training intensity in young age group swimmers. Now, let’s build on the P.A.C.E. system by introducing the Engagement Factor: the first training prescription system which incorporates a mental skills focus in swimming workout design. Everyone talks [...]

In my last post, I introduced the P.A.C.E. system – a simple, easy to use, practical way of managing training intensity in young age group swimmers.

P.A.C.E. System LevelDescriptionFeels likeUsed for
P or PACE 1Practice and Preparation PaceEasy, relaxed.Recovery, drills and skills.
A or PACE 2Air-robic Pace.Easy to moderate.Endurance development.
C or PACE 3Competition Specific PaceHard.Race specific practices with race specific speeds, skills, techniques and breathing.
E or PACE 4Electric PaceFast - explosive.Speed development.

Now, let’s build on the P.A.C.E. system by introducing the Engagement Factor: the first training prescription system which incorporates a mental skills focus in swimming workout design.

Everyone talks about the importance of the mental side of swimming and how important it is for swimmers to train both their bodies and minds in training and preparation.

Talking about it is one thing.

The next step for coaches is to make mental skills and the integration of the mind into every session and the way to achieve this is to incorporate mental skills in the workout design itself.

Introducing the Engagement Factor.TransIStock 000001617961XSmall 201x300We all know that optimal performance comes from the integration – or harmony if you like – of body and mind. When the body and mind come together to collaborate in competition anything is possible.

The problem is that at the moment, for the most part, we train the mind and body separately.

When we design swimming workouts, it is always done from a physical (volume and intensity), technical (stroke technique and skills) and tactical (stroke mechanics, pacing etc) perspective. Then, we train the mind quite separately by organising motivation talks, personal development sessions and mental skills workshops.

For example, a training set like 5 x 200 metres is typically written:

5 x 200 (volume) at a pace of 75% maximum speed (intensity) on a 3:30 cycle (intensity) – which are all physical variables.

We might add in some technical and tactical elements, for example:

5 x 200 on 3:30 holding 75% maximum speed / stroke count of ABC and stroke rate of DEF.

But again, our instructions to the swimmers are based on the execution of physical performance elements.

The challenge is how can we incorporate mental skills as an integral, core aspect of workout design?

The effectiveness of training programs and workout designs are dependent on how engaged the athlete is in the activities.

A brilliantly designed workout, with skilfully crafted sets and repeat times is of little value to swimmers who are not interested, not concentrating, not focused and not engaged in the workout.

As engagement is such a critical factor in the effectiveness of workout design, it makes very good sense to incorporate a measure or level of required engagement in the workout design itself: hence the Engagement Factor.

The primary goal of incorporating and integrating a mental component into workout design is to have swimmers go “on line” – to engage their brains and switch on mentally when completing important sets and repeats.

As a general principle, the Engagement Factor aims to help swimmers increase their level of engagement as the need for greater levels of technical excellence and higher speeds are required by the coach – or as the demand for excellence in technical execution and speed increases, so too does engagement level.

So,why do this? Why do we need an Engagement Factor?

Remember that the P.A.C.E. system is targeted at young age group swimmers.

Similarly the Engagement Factor is targeting young age group swimmers (aged 8-12 years) and is designed to help coaches working with young swimmers to better “train the brain”.

We have all heard the rhetoric about how “every lap is important” but the reality is young kids can not concentrate or focus for the full 45-60 minutes of an average age group swimming training session.

Our response to their lack of concentration or focus has been to yell and scream and pull our hair out. The Engagement Factor overcomes this frustration by clearly instructing swimmers when to “switch on” and when to “switch off”.

In the same way we instruct swimmers when to speed up and when to slow down their swimming pace using repeat times and goals speed, the Engagement Factor helps swimmers to learn how to control the “speed” of their brains during a training session.

To summarise the Engagement Factor:

  • Engagement Factor 1: Warm up (early stages) / swim down / recovery: Focus on relaxation, ease of movement and slow, steady breathing;
  • Engagement Factor 2: Warm up (later stages) / long endurance work: Focus on relaxation, flow, “switching on” to the workout;
  • Engagement Factor 3: Most conditioning work: Combination of relaxation and rhythm whilst focusing on skills execution and technique;
  • Engagement Factor 4: Drills and skills work. Focus on attention to detail, purposeful movements, quality in execution;
  • Engagement Factor 5: Competition preparation work and speed development – i.e. total concentration and focus to stimulate neural adaptation mechanisms and simulate competition conditions.

For example:

Traditional methods of swimming workout design using Physiological variables only (i.e. volume / intensity – P.A.C.E. system):

  • Warm up – PACE 1 (see table above ): Easy 400 freestyle on 6:30 / 8 x 50 Back kick in streamline on 1:30
  • Drills and skills – PACE 1 (see table above) 8 x 25 lateral freestyle kicking drill on 45 / 8 x 25 lateral 6 x 6 freestyle drill on 40.
  • Main set – PACE 2 (see table above ) 8 x 200 metres freestyle on 3:15.
  • Sprint development –  6 x 50 metres as  (20 metres best stroke at maximum speed PACE 4 / 30 metres recovery freestyle PACE 1)
  • Swim down – PACE 1 (see  table above) 400 as alternate 25s backstroke / freestyle

Now look at the same workout using the new concept incorporating the Engagement Factor, i.e. Mind and body incorporated into swimming workout design:

  • Warm up – PACE 1 (see table above ): Easy 400 freestyle on 6:30 / 8 x 50 Back kick in streamline on 1:30 – Engagement Factor 1-2.
  • Drills and skills – PACE 1 (see table above ) 8 x 25 lateral freestyle kicking drill on 45 / 8 x 25 lateral 6 x 6 freestyle drill on 40 – Engagement Factor 4.
  • Main set – PACE 2 (see table above ) 8 x 200 metres freestyle on 3:15 – Engagement Factor 2-3.
  • Sprint development –  6 x 50 metres as  (20 metres best stroke at maximum speed PACE 4 / 30 metres recovery freestyle PACE 1) – Engagement Factor 5 on sprints / Engagement Factor 1 on recovery.
  • Swim down – PACE 1 (see table above ) 400 as alternate 25s backstroke / freestyle – Engagement Factor 1.

Or in swimming workout design “shorthand”, the shift in thinking means writing workouts this way:

Old method: 12 x 100 metres on 1:45 holding the target intensity level for example PACE 2:

New method: 12 x 100 metres on 1:45 holding the target intensity level of PACE 2 at an Engagement factor of 3 – or 12 x 100 on 1:45 P2 E3.

The philosophy behind the Engagement Factor is simple: it is an easy, practical way to incorporate a focus on mental skills into swimming workouts and thereby make workouts more efficient and effective.

When combined with the P.A.C.E. system of managing training intensity, the Engagement Factor provides a simple, practical way for young swimmers and their coaches to ensure the optimal stimulation and integration of physiological and psychological factors in training and preparation.

Let me know what you think.

Wayne Goldsmith

© 2010, Swim Coaching Brain. All rights reserved. This post can not be reproduced in full or in part without the expressed consent of the author Wayne Goldsmith.

Related posts:

  1. Speed development workouts – five of the best speed workout sets to have you burning up the lanes!
  2. Mental Skills Training in Swimming – a new approach.
  3. The P.A.C.E. System of Managing Swimming Training Intensity.


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