u/ComplicatedLodging

Hey,

I’m looking for advice on improving my 200m freestyle time — I feel completely stuck and not progressing.

For context:

I’m 19, in good overall shape (Cooper test ~3100m). My goal is a 200m freestyle swim, and I need to get under 3:20.

Right now my time is around 4:00.

The frustrating part is that I’ve been swimming regularly, but I feel like I’m just “swimming” without actually improving. Every session ends up being kind of random — some laps, some effort, but no clear progress.

So my questions:

- What are the biggest mistakes people make at ~4:00 / 200m level?

- What should I focus on first to drop time quickly (technique vs conditioning)?

- Any specific drills or sets that helped you break through a plateau?

- How should I pace a 200m swim?

Also, if anyone has gone from ~4:00 to ~3:20 range, I’d love to hear what made the biggest difference.

Thanks in advance — I’m not looking for shortcuts, just trying to train smarter.