There are 9 possible energy levels that can be associated with each workout set when you create your workouts. Workout Manager starts out with 7 levels and abbreviations as follows:
The Code can be up to 3 characters and the Energy System Name can be up to 20 characters. The abbreviated codes, names and stress index for each of the levels can be changed at any time. However, once you have established a certain level to fit a particular energy system, changing it to a different energy system later will affect all workouts previously written. If you need to add or change a set description without returning to the Main Menu's Set-up Menu, at the top of the Workout Menu, click on Setups, select Energy Categories, click on Edit, Delete, or the Energy Category line, and you can make changes/additions/deletions on the spot.
When creating a workout and when it comes time to enter an energy category for a set, click on the drop down menu button at the right side of the energy combo box as shown below, and your pre-set energy categories are displayed in a scrolling pick list. Just click on the desired energy category, and it will be instantly placed in the energy field.
Pulse Rates and Work-to-Rest Ratios: The energy system codes and names come from the 1995 US Swimming Energy Systems and Training Design Handbook. This handbook also describes pulse rates and recommended work-to-rest ratios as follows:
Code Name Pulse Work-to-Rest Ratio
REC Warm-up/Recovery to 120 Choice
EN1 Aerobic Base 120-150 10 – 30 second rest
EN2 Anaerobic Threshold 140-170 10 – 40 second rest
EN3 MaxVO2 160-180 20 second rest to 1:1
SP1 Lactate Tolerance Max 1:1 to 1:2
SP2 Lactate Peak Max 1:2 to 1:8
SP3 Alactate N/A 30 second minimum
Stress Index: Each energy system is associated with a stress index which is used to evaluate how stressful ("hard") a workout is as opposed to how much yardage was done. The stress indexes are from the "Coaches' Quarterly", September 1995, by Rich Sharp, Ph.D., ICAR Director (and adapted from Sharp, R.L., "Prescribing and evaluating interval training sets in swimming: a proposed model. Journal of Swimming Research. 96:36-40, 1993).