Total Newby Workout Needed Quick!

IMO, "drill set, kick set, interval training, cool down" is already beyond neophyte stage. "Know how to swim" = what? I see a lot of "adult swimmers who know how to swim" in the hotel pool where I work out who cannot put their heads under water, know nothing of breathing, etc. I would rein it in to basics. Breathing, buoyant vessel (imagery helps), go long for a continuous swim, smooth hand entry, light flutter kicks. Alternate-side breathing for those interested. If you want to include a kick set specifically, how to hold the board, how to breathe (head up? to side? how far do shoulders come out of water?), where to feel kick originating in body. Maybe get some ideas from Terry or his site; there's a discussion forum there. Advanced neophyte: after a few days to weeks of above, dryland warmup, kick set (with board), pull set (with buoy), swim, repeat. The original post 1 of "Fun, and Fast" thread had good ideas, beloved of coaches everywhere, for basic sets and intervals. 'Swhat I would do. YMMV, and of course, you have the contract for writing the story! (Gosh, maybe I could do one for Women's Health... grin...) Lots of rest. That should be a comfortable interval. Maybe throw in how the body is recovering physiologically during the 30s or 60s or 3min rest; it isn't always obvious to the swimmer. Bec. the article isn't training sprinters. I think you could milk this idea for several articles, say May-June-July-August issues. "Summer SwimFitness" or some such. Race training in last article. :agree: Good luck!

you know what else is a nice beginner workout? pyramids by 25 to 100 25-50-75-100-75-50-25 they go by fast - the 100 is challenging enough for beginners without being overly taxing and a workout of a swim pryamid, a kick pyramid, and a swim pyramid is a nice 1200 yards. finish with a little sprint set and a cooldown and you've got an even 1500. or just do one - or two

Thanks, you guys! This is extremely helpful. I am going to mix and match these ideas into something I hope threads the needle of the editorial demands... Mr. C--you are, as of now, still in the article! Keep fingers crossed, but not so tightly as to cause you to urinate blood. Please continue to send in ideas about neophyte workouts. I am hoping to add 4 drills in a separate sidebar, but we will see how that flies. In any event, one more question for yet another sidebar: the "gear" a rookie needs. IMO, it's a suit and some goggles, but...the editor thinks (and probably rightly so) that some guys will be inspired by gadgetry, too. Here, in descending order of importance, are what I have come up with. Please add to the list and suggest specific items (i.e., your personal favorite kind) of the ones I have on my list: jammers (my favorite: Tyr Durafast) goggles (I like Tyr here, too, but recently got a pair of Speedo Sengars which I love) fins (I have blue zoomers, but I think rookies might prefer something that provides more propulsion. Zura Alphas?) a basic pull buoy maybe a swim snorkel possibly either a swim cap and/or swim shampoo to prevent chlorine damage to the hair (I don't have any hair so I know very little about this world)

I'd give 'em more rest, maybe 30 to 45 seconds, and tell them to not worry about how long each swim takes but rather to empahsize efficiency and relaxation. Also go for long glides off the walls. And lots of breaths.

A pyramid has much to recommend it over a set of boring 50s. Maybe suggest they try to do last 25 fast, compare time with first? Toys are assumed in Masters swimming (no? yes?), so at least describe the use of, e.g., a pull buoy, and suggest a slow, easy lap with pull buoy for recovery rather than swimmer standing around huffing and puffing. I like the idea of multiple drills in a sidebar. :agree:

This is recent territory for me. Before I joined a team in January, I didn't do sets. The first time I got in a pool with the mindset of swimming for fitness, I just swam easy for about two hours. I had fins on. It was enough to leave my entire upper body sore and aching for days afterward, and my legs felt like noodles. I also urinated red about a half an hour after getting out of the pool. Of course, it wasn't just that I had never swam like that before, but that I was also completely bent out of shape and hadn't done very much physical activity up to that point. Two hours of anything would've worn me out, but with swimming, it was double. But I do recall parts of an early January practice being like this... 200 warm-up, swim 8 25s kickboard 6 50s free 20 sec rest maybe 4 50s back 20 sec rest 100 cool down, swim wow, that seems so softcore. :) how goes the writing?!

Haha, I personally own like only two of those items. :p Suit and goggles! Sweetness, I'm still in. I still don't understand what the heck you see in my quotes, but... if you say they help, I believe you. :angel: Hand paddles, maybe? Floral bouquet cap? How about a monofin? The editor will love that!

Pool etiquette bears a once-over. Circle swimming v. R/L side of lane. Does the article assume pool swimming? Can you introduce a paragraph on extending pool techniques to OW: how to get over to that island?

I vote "no" on the pull-buoy, hand paddles and mono-fin for neophytes. I vote "yes" on a proper swimsuit. I see too many wearing T-shirts over generic workout clothes in an indoor pool (no danger of sunburn). Caps for women, optional for men. Goggles for everyone. Many of the neophytes think they have to be able to swim butterfly and do flip turns to join a Masters team, which is really unfortunate. They also don't have to be in great condition for most clubs. Most of the people I see at the health club have horrendous technique and just swim nonstop switching to breaststroke or backstroke when they get too tired swimming crappy freestyle. After 400 yards most are trashed. They can get across the pool but don't relax in the water and don't breath well. Alignment is poor and streamlining especially off the walls is bad. A snorkel can either be a big help to those who have poor alignment and don't breathe well; or it can feel too restrictive. Fins are nice cheaters to help lean but unconditioned swimmers and on drills. Finally, whatever you recommend, make sure it's something that won't annoy other swimmers trying to co-exist in the same pool. Like - none of the drills where you go sideways diving over the laneropes using up the entire pool. :D

Every newby is differrent some need to learn to swim. Technique first then distance then reapeats with varied rest periods. I like to start the newby that swims with 400s maybe 5 with 5 min rests.