Just How Much Faster & Smoother Can You Get in 10 Weeks?

The 10-Week CSS Pace Improvement Challenge

Hey Swimmers

Over the years, you’ve probably heard me share stories about swimmers like Charlie (UK) and Charles (South Africa) below — two great examples of how transformative focused technique work can be in as little as 10 weeks. Both made incredible progress by learning to swim with less drag and more rhythm, and if you’ve seen the YouTube video with Charles, you’ll know exactly how we helped him achieve that.

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But here’s the important part:

Improving your swimming speed and efficiency isn’t just about endless drills or “fixing” technique. It’s about balancing skill development with smart, structured training that systematically challenges your aerobic system — training that translates directly into real-world speed and efficiency improvements.

At Swim Smooth, we’ve spent over two decades refining this balance. Our sessions aren’t randomly generated or churned out by AI algorithms — they’re crafted through thousands of real hours on pool decks around the world.

Every set, recovery, and progression has been tested with real swimmers of every level to make sure it not only works, but that it’s enjoyable, engaging, and effective.

We’re proud to blend science, coaching experience, and a bit of Swim Smooth creativity to deliver training that feels personal — because swimming should never feel robotic.

So, are you ready for a challenge that truly improves how you swim and how you feel in the water?

Your Mission

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is simple:

Reduce your CSS pace by 5% in 10 weeks

The legendary Swim Smooth CSS Challenge is back — smarter, sleeker, and fully integrated inside the Swim Smooth GURU. Whether you’re chasing a new PB, looking for renewed motivation, or simply wanting to bring more structure to your training, this program has everything you need.

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What Is CSS and Why It Matters?

CSS stands for Critical Swim Speed — your sustainable pace over roughly 1500m. It’s a proven measure of aerobic fitness and pacing control used in sports science for over 30 years.

To calculate your CSS, after a good warm up and build set:

• Swim a 400 m time trial (aerobic endurance)

• Take 5-8 minutes rest or easy swimming

• Swim a 200 m time trial (anaerobic power)

• Input both into the Guru’s CSS Calculator to determine your pace per 100m

This number becomes your personal training anchor — helping you train precisely, progress consistently, and track every improvement.

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How the 10-Week Challenge Works

The structure is beautifully simple and powerfully effective:

• 10 weeks of progressive CSS training

• One key CSS workout per week

• Supporting technique, endurance, and recovery sessions included

Each week your CSS target becomes 0.5% faster (using a Finis Tempo Trainer PRO for precision pacing - get one here for 30% off), leading to an overall 5% pace improvement by week 10. It’s subtle, sustainable, and seriously motivating. But can you do it?

Two Core Sets You’ll Master

1. Pace Control Set – 6–10 × 100m at your current CSS pace with 1 beep rest.
   Learn to feel rhythm and consistency, not just speed.

2. Maintain Speed Over Distance Set – 1000m total of longer repeats.
   Train to hold your pace even as fatigue builds.

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A Smarter Way to Train

The new version of this plan for 2025 — literally “hot off the press” inside the Swim Smooth Guru — takes your experience to the next level:

• 🧠 Automated CSS Adjuster: Each week, your target pace automatically updates by 0.5% — no spreadsheets, no guesswork.

  

• 🧩 Drag-and-Drop Scheduler: Rearrange all 40 sessions to suit your week. Swim training that fits your busy lifestyle — not the other way around.

  

• 📈 Predictive Fitness Chart: Watch your actual progress plotted against Swim Smooth’s performance benchmarks. It’s like having your coach on screen, showing exactly how your fitness is tracking in real time.

  

• 🎯 Comprehensive Structure: Every supporting session is included and tailored precisely to you — from technique work to aerobic conditioning — so you’ll build skill and endurance alongside speed.

  

  We show you exactly what settings to use with your Finis Tempo Trainer

Swim training is now fun, efficient, and completely tailored to your routine.

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Perfect Timing, Wherever You Are

All new Swim Smooth plans start on a Monday, giving you a few days to get ready, set your intentions, and plan your first week.

• 🌍 In the Northern Hemisphere? This is your perfect winter challenge — stay sharp, motivated, and focused as the temperatures drop.

• 🏖️ In the Southern Hemisphere? Prime yourself for summer racing, triathlon season, or those first glorious open-water swims of the year.

Wherever you are, this plan keeps you swimming strong and consistent.

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How to Get Started

You can access the 10-Week CSS Pace Improvement Challenge in two ways:

• 🚨 NEW: Pay-Per-Plan – purchase this program alone without any tie-ins for £49 / €56 / $65 USD / $91 CAN / $99 AUD and enjoy site-wide access to the GURU for this 10-Week period. All new accounts will receive 7-days FREE access to explore the new plan structure.

• 🗓️ Routine Subscription on the GURU – pay per month / year (cancel anytime - check your local pricing)

Both include:

• All 40 sessions (CSS + supporting workouts)

• The Automated CSS Adjuster

• The Predictive Fitness Chart

• Video guides and session tracking tools

⚠️ Please note: currently the new Training Plans are only viewable on the swimsmooth.guru web app and not within our iOS app - we hope to bring them there soon!

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🚀 Limited Launch Offer

Be among the first to experience this new plan on our brand new Pay Per Plan option!

We’re offering a 25% discount for the first 50 swimmers who sign up before Monday 20 October at 11:59 pm. This is a strictly limited offer.

Use code SSMAKESMEFASTER25 at checkout.

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Ready to Take the Challenge?

Don’t just swim — train with purpose.

Start your 10-Week CSS Pace Improvement Challenge today in the Swim Smooth Guru and see what a difference structured, intelligent coaching can make.

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Don’t Fancy This Plan, But Want to See Our Others?

Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be creating some wonderful new Training Plans across a variety of distances for all levels of ability. You can always still access our Legacy Training Plans here but why not check out these 3 plans using the new format:

• Train to Train: 10 Week CSS Development Program where each week gets 0.5% faster than the last with sessions ranging from 2,000m to 3,200m depending on your ability and 3-4 sessions per week.

• Train to Race: 20 Week Rottnest SOLO Program where we comprehensively prepare you for the 19.7km marathon swim to Rottnest Island with over 100 sessions ranging from 2,000m to 10,000m+ depending on your ability. This is the best value and most effective Rottnest SOLO training program on the market, bar none.

• Train for Fitness: 10 Week “Fundamentals” Program with 2 sessions per week for the first 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week for the next 2 weeks and 4 sessions per week for the last 2 weeks ranging from 900m to 2,400m this is a great program for newer swimmers to really hone the fundamentals of swimming smooth!

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Additional Resources You Might Find Useful

I often refer to the following two historical articles which delve into the Squad-wide results of this program as well as some common peculiarities that some people experience when doing the CSS test.

Thanks for reading!

Your Coach, Paul.