Aerobic Interval Training in Freestyle Swimming

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International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences 8(4): 142-146, 2020 http://www.hrpub.org
DOI: 10.13189/saj.2020.080406
Aerobic Interval Training in Freestyle Swimming
Edi Wahyudi M1, Yudi Hendrayana2,*, Amung Ma’mun2, Boyke Mulyana2
1Faculty of Education, Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Curup, Indonesia
2Faculty of Sports Education, Indonesian University of Education, Indonesia
Received June 9, 2020; Revised July 29, 2020; Accepted August 10, 2020
Cite This Paper in the following Citation Styles
(a): [1] Edi Wahyudi M, Yudi Hendrayana, Amung Ma’mun, Boyke Mulyana , "Aerobic Interval Training in Freestyle
Swimming," International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 142 - 146, 2020. DOI:
10.13189/saj.2020.080406.
(b): Edi Wahyudi M, Yudi Hendrayana, Amung Ma’mun, Boyke Mulyana (2020). Aerobic Interval Training in Freestyle
Swimming. International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 8(4), 142 - 146. DOI:
10.13189/saj.2020.080406.
Copyright©2020 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License
Abstract This research was conducted so that the
endurance and speed of swimming athletes can be
increased and prepare young swimmers to be able to reach
the time requirements in following the provincial
championship. Problems found in the field, athletes train in
the conventional way, and training programs are arranged
based on the trainer's experience. This is the basis for the
use of aerobic interval training for young swimmers
because it can form training early by using a proven
theoretical basis that can increase the time in swimming.
The research began by revealing the ability of the freestyle
athlete in the swimming club through aerobic interval
training in order to have maximum endurance and speed.
This training involved 18 athletes in the age range of 10-15
years. The success of the training is known through data
obtained from the best time during aerobic training in the
50m freestyle swimming. Swimming time measurement
uses a stopwatch so that freestyle swimming time is known
before and after training. Time achievement that has been
obtained is done different tests to see the effect of interval
training on swimming time speed. The final measurement
results show that the athlete's time achievement in freestyle
swimming changes after being given aerobic interval
training. The results of this study will support the
achievement of best time young swimmers to take part in
the National Sports Week by continuing training using
theoretically and empirically tested training programs.
Keywords Freestyle Swimming, Aerobic Interval
Training
1. Introduction
Youth swimming athletes are assets that need to be
developed to their full potential early in order to be able to
carve out achievements. The competency development of
swimming athletes will contribute greatly to the club and
region that sent it so that various trainings need to be done.
Competition between clubs, schools and regions is one of
the barometers of athlete achievement in getting the best
time after practicing before competing. The athlete's
achievement in each competition is expected to increase in
order to reach the minimum time limit and is a requirement
to attend a national and even international sports week.
There are quite a lot of swimming clubs in Bengkulu
Province and in every district. This condition illustrates
that students who have talent in swimming can channel it
through the existing swimming club. However, 2016 data
show that Bengkulu province athletes who can meet the
time requirements to attend the national sports week are
only one person. This empirical fact is an evaluation
material for swimming clubs and local governments.
Factors causing the aspects of athletes, coaches and
training programs that have been implemented to need to
be evaluated, so that the best time achievements of athletes
can meet the standards of a competition and obtain
maximum performance. Observations at several swimming
clubs show that athletes train in the conventional way, and
training programs are arranged based on the experience of
the majority of former athletes. Field findings form the
basis for researchers to develop programs and implement
aerobic interval training designed based on theoretical and
empirical studies that have been proven to increase the

International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences 8(4): 142-146, 2020 143
time in swimming.
Interval training is a type of exercise that involves a
series of high-intensity exercises interspersed with periods
of rest. The intensity of the training will familiarize the
heart muscle, provide cardiovascular exercise, increase
aerobic capacity and allow for longer exercise at a more
intense level [1]. Interval training can be identified in the
type of intermittent training that manipulates the amount,
intensity and duration of work attacks and the amount of
recovery, which is used to produce certain types of stress
on the body [2].
The application of interval training or continuous
training can increase aerobic and anaerobic metabolism [3],
which can burn more calories in a shorter period, and
increase aerobic ability at a faster rate [4]. For those
athletes who are capable, they need to improve endurance
performance through high intensity interval training [5] [6]
[3], because a regulated contribution by aerobic and
anaerobic metabolism can improve endurance performance
to a greater extent than continuous submaximal exercise
alone [3], [7], [8]. Endurance training can also increase
stroke volume and affect the delivery of oxygen to the
muscles that work during high-intensity exercises
performed [9]. This condition strengthens the data that
skilled athletes need to be given high-level interval training
so that they can increase endurance and speed in swimming,
which impacts on the expected achievement.
Trainers have long used high-intensity training to
improve the endurance performance of their elite athletes
[10]. Training is usually achieved through the use of
intervals. High-intensity training can be broadly defined
as the repetition of short or moderate duration training
items, die at a duration of 10 seconds to 5 minutes
completed with an intensity greater than the anaerobic
threshold [11] The aim of this training is to emphasize the
physiological system in order to obtain certain resistance
when exercising through repetitive activities [2]. A
significant advantage of high-intensity training is the
simultaneous regulation of oxidative and glycolytic energy
systems resulting in an increase in energy acting on the
muscles through the preservation of high-energy
phosphates. Even observations show that trained
individuals tend to respond better to higher intensity
exercises [11]
In addition, high-intensity training results in more
efficient muscle contraction and increased physical work
capacity. Endurance training that is habitual can increase
the volume of training that usually does not occur [12],
[13], [14],[15]. Even high-intensity interval training that
continues to be used, has been shown to have positive
results in improving performance and physiological
benefits [16]
The result of theoretical and empirical studies of the
aerobic interval training show that researcher's practice is
focused on the 50m freestyle swimming sport. This
training was conducted to spur the endurance and speed of
time of athletes in order to prepare themselves and meet
national competition time standards. Conventional and
monotonous S training programs are replaced by variations
in movement and distances that are as high in the recovery
process. The four swimming style cross-training exercises
are integrated in the training but still the composition of the
freestyle swimming is greater. Physical training on land is
done so that the formation of muscular endurance can
support when training in water later. The implementation
of this interval training involves beginners that are capable
athletes. Athletes in swimming clubs do regular exercise
according to a predetermined schedule. Interval training is
given so that athletes have maximum endurance and speed
in participating in competitions and are able to excel
2. Method
The approach used in this study is quantitative, with an
experimental method. Interval training was carried out in
16 sessions in freestyle swimming. Determination of
research subjects using purposive sampling, namely
athletes who are in the swimming club and achievers at the
school or regional level. The athletes are elementary and
middle school students covered in the swimming club
managed by the private sector. The selection of research
subjects is aimed at training the endurance and speed of
athletes in order to gain an increase in training or in
competition later.
The research subjects are age groups in the age range of
10-15 years as many as 18 people. This range includes the
age of early adolescents [17]. Data collection technique is
done by measuring the swimming time before being given
treatment by using a stopwatch. Exercise is done as much
as four days a week with a duration of time of three hours /
day. Each meeting session was conducted cross style
training but was more focused on freestyle. Training for 16
sessions was fully followed by swimmers. The exercise
includes doing hand and foot movements separately and
coordination as a whole. The end of the sprint training is
done with multi-level distances ranging from 25m, 50m,
100m, 200m, 300m and 400m followed by a 1-2-minute
recovery process between sprint distances.
Implementation of physical training for athletes is not
only done in water but is complemented by physical
training on land namely running, push ups, sit ups, back
ups, full ups, squat thrust, agility, flexibility and weight
training that supports swimming. Activities carried out
eight meetings. As a whole, the training was held within
two months and ended with measurement after being given
a treatment. The results of the posttest measurements were
compared with the pretest scores so it was known the
effect of the implementation of interval training through
the acquisition of the 50-meter freestyle swimming test
results.

144 Aerobic Interval Training in Freestyle Swimming
3. Results
The results of data processing explained that the
endurance and speed of athletes had increased namely the
highest time achievement of athletes before being given
training at a score of 34 seconds and the lowest time
obtained 1 minute 14 seconds, whereas after being given
training the fastest time interval reached 33 seconds, and
the time delay was 1 minute 10 seconds. With complete
data unraveled as the following graph 1:
Graph 1. Obtaining Time Before and After Conducting Training
The graph explains the change in time for each athlete
after 16 sessions of training are carried out. The acquisition
of time changes shows an increase in 50-meter freestyle
swimming speed. To test the increase in time obtained, a
correlation test and a different test were performed, namely
the Paired Samples t-Test in Table 1.
Table 1. Paired Samples Statistics
Mean N
Std.
Deviation
Std. Error
Mean
Interval training
at 50m freestyle
swimming
Pretest .6989 18 .31775 .07489
Postest .5228 18 .20562 .04847
The output data above explains that the acquisition of the
average value to the pretest group 0.6989 while the posttest
0.5228 on the number of respondents 18 swimming
athletes. This shows that before being given treatment the
score was greater than after being given training namely
0.6989> 0.5228 so it can be concluded that there are
differences in endurance and speed of swimming time after
being given interval training in freestyle swimming. This
data is strengthened by the results of the correlation test
(Paired Samples Correlations) which are broken down in
the following table 2:
Table 2. Paired Samples Correlations
N
Correlation
Sig.
Interval training at 50m
freestyle swimming
Pretest &
Postest
18 .651 .003
The data shows that the correlation coefficient
(Correlation) 0.651 with a significance value (Sig.) Of
0.003. because the significance value 0.003 <probability
0.05, it can be concluded that there is a relationship
between the results of the pretest and posttest. The results
of the Paired Samples Test output are broken down in the
following table 3.
The results of the Paired Samples Test table are known
by Sig. (2-tailed) is 0.007 <0.05 then Ho is rejected and Ha
is accepted that there is a difference in athlete's swimming
time after being given freestyle swimming interval training
so it can be concluded that there is an increase in athlete's
freestyle swimming time after being treated.
Table 3. Paired Samples Test
Paired Differences
t df Sig.
(2-tailed)
Mean Std. Deviation
Std. Error
Mean
95% Confidence Interval of
the Difference
Lower Upper
Interval training at
50m freestyle
swimming
Pretest -
Postest .17611 .24115 .05684 .05619 .29603 3.098 17 .007

International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences 8(4): 142-146, 2020 145
4. Discussion
Overall endurance and athlete's time has increased after
the freestyle swimming interval training was conducted.
This condition was achieved through swimming training
conducted by 16 meetings. Every time the meeting is done
swimming exercises repeatedly on a continuous basis both
feet, hands, and overall coordination until the athlete reach
the maximum ability and VO2. The exercise is carried out
with movements that focus on one-handed, second-hand
movements and followed up with foot movements. The
exercises are carried out separately in each movement and
followed by a full coordination movement exercise in each
style. The duration of the exercise is applied in stages 4 x
20m, 25m, 50m, 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m. Each
session was carried out cross-style training but was more
focused on freestyle. After the end of the exercise, a sprint
is performed to find out the time achieved during the
exercise. the training and sprint mileage starts from 20m,
25m, 50m, 100m, to 200m, 400m to form a multilevel
mileage habit. Intermittent sprint training will contribute to
energy derived from resources that stimulate heart rate and
respiratory rate so that it can increase the capacity for
aerobic metabolism [7], [19]. Sprint implementation for
each distance traveled during training is expected to have a
positive impact on increasing 50m swimming time of the
prediction that the habits carried out during training at a
longer distance will make it easier for athletes to reach with
the shortest possible time.
During the sprint, 1-2 minutes are recovered. The
recovery interval (relief interval) is the rest period between
work intervals and between sets. The recovery process will
occur at rest intervals. During recovery, the energy
requirements are greatly reduced, but oxygen consumption
continues at fairly high levels for some time. Oxygen
consumption during recovery is used to provide energy so
that it can improve the condition of the body as before
exercise, including replenishing energy reserves that have
been empty [18].
The results of the evaluation during the training process
are known to increase and sometimes decrease. This can be
seen during the sprint at the end of the exercise. This
condition occurs because of body fatigue due to repetitive
exercise processes. The trainer's effort to overcome the
fatigue is done to improve physical conditions on land in
the form of running, push ups, sit ups, back ups, full ups,
squat thrust, agility, flexibility and weight training that
supports swimming. This exercise needs to be done so
that recovery occurs, Buchheit, Al, et al [20] stated that
active recovery was beneficial in swimming. Even
physical exercise can offer stimulus for increasing athletic
strength and endurance [15].
During the interval, training the focus of the training is
not only on the achievement of the duration of time but
also on the improvement of the overall freestyle swimming
technique. Interval training was carried out 16 times with
physical training on the ground for eight times. Exercises
are done to improve performance and muscle strength.
After the overall training the final posttest was measured,
the 50-meter freestyle swimming. The measurement
results show that there is an influence of interval training
conducted on the time obtained. This can be seen from the
higher pretest data compared to the results of the posttest
which shows the achievement of the swimming force of the
free style 50m faster. Obtaining a score after being given
training for 52 seconds and a score before being given a
mean training of 69 seconds, die an increase in the mean of
17 seconds.
This improvement still needs to be done because 50m
freestyle swimming is taken with the fastest time of 32
seconds, whereas previous studies have reached the best
time of 30 seconds / 50m [21], trainers need to explore
other factors that can increase swimming time such as
motivation factors. The success of interval training requires
a very high level of subject motivation [22] so
strengthening intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in athletes
must be maintained and need to be improved as one of the
factors that can make a positive contribution to the addition
of 50m swimming time. Even a high volume and intensity
training program is an important component for an athlete
[6] and needs to be done at subsequent interval programs.
Increasing swimming time in national-level competitions
should be an intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for
swimmers and coaches so that the 30-second / 50m time
requirement for female athletes and 27 seconds / 50m for
male athletes can be achieved as expected.
5. Result
This study concludes that there is a correlation between
interval training and increased freestyle swimming time at
a distance of 50m. The training was carried out 16 times
with distance training focused on one-handed movements,
both hands, leg movements and overall coordination of
movements. Cross training in each style is also carried out
but remains dominant in the freestyle. The training distance
will increase from 25m, 50m, 100m to 400m. Practice
swims exercises repeatedly that end with a sprint and
recovery between each distance or set after the exercise.
The training is also equipped with physical training in the
form of running, push ups, sit ups, back ups, full ups, squat
thrust, agility, flexibility and weight training that supports
swimming. Increased time will make a positive
contribution to the achievement of time to become a
National-Level Competition nominee, provided that it
continues the training session intensely with additional
training mileage.
Acknowledgment
We would like to express our special thanks and

146 Aerobic Interval Training in Freestyle Swimming
gratitude to our rector IAIN Curup (Dr. Rahmad Hidayat,
M.Ag., M.Pd), Director of the Postgraduate University of
Indonesian Education (Prof. Dr.Syihabuddin, M.Pd) and
Head of sports education study program at the Indonesian
university of Education (Dr. Amung Ma’mun, M.Pd)
along with his staff who gave us support to carry out this
extraordinary project. Secondly, we would also like to
thank Sofwan, M.Pd.Kons who helped us a lot in
finalizing this project within the limited time frame.
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