Tall Pauls Favorite Workouts and/or Sets

Getting to travel as much as we do we get to "taste" a lot of workouts from clubs all over the country...plus on occasion I come up with something to toss at the workouts I coach. For those lucky enough to swim with me Saturday (I'm coaching) here's the main set: SCY 800 negative split (get 400 split) @1:00 rest 6 x 100's @ 1:20 400IM 100 kick for time 400 negative split (faster than 2nd 400 of the 800, get 200 split) 1:00 rest 5 x 100's @ 1:15 200IM 100 kick for time (different stroke) 200 negative split (faster than 2nd 200 of 400) 4 x 100's @ 1:10 100IM 100 kick for time (different than first two)
  • You're a sick man, Paul. :D Did they know about the swims for time beforehand? NEVER! But they are catching on!
  • Stolen. Doing it on Monday the 10th. Superb set! Uhhhhh...ok, if you say so. I wouldn't be doing that set on my own. The idea is good, yes, but I don't like doing long continuous stuff much over 300 anymore.
  • Wednesday at Kino, two groups: SCY “D” group - Broken Mile (11 lengths, 10, 9, …..1), R:10 between each block. Use to establish pace of 1:10 (sub 19), 1:20 (sub 22) or 1:30 (sub 25) per 100 - 1 x 1000 @ base + rounded to nearest 60 or 30 (1:10 base = 12:00) - 1 x 500 @ 6:00 - 1 x 200 @ 2:30 - 1 x 100 @ 1:10 - 1 x 50 fast - 10 x 50’s kick @ 1:10 “Sprint/Middle D” 4 rounds of the following, no break between rounds (reverse IM order for the 50’s and 25’s): 4 x 50’s @ :45 stroke (round #1 free, #2 ***…) 4 x 100 IM’s @ 1:30 8 x 25’s kick @ :30(round #1 flutter, #2 ***….)
  • Fast Friday at MAC!! About 12 masters challenged the club senior group to a "dual meet"....great stuff!! Highlights: Masters take both the M's & W's 200 medley relay's! Men = 26.0, 26.5, 23.8, 23.0 Women = 27.2, 39.0, 25.7, 25.2 M's 200 free won by masters in 1:47.2 M's 100 fly won by masters in 53.9 W's 100 fly won by masters in 58.5 200 backstroke one female masters swimmer vs. one 15 year old senior boy...club team wins 2:02.2 vs. 2:02.5 M's 100 *** won by masters in 59.8 M's 400 free relay won by masters! 50.1, 50.8, 49.8, 49.6 W's 400 free masters team touched out by club but we did get a 53.9 lead-off split!
  • 8 minute Tabata cycle (37.5yds fast from a dive, 12.5 yds easy to wall..repeat without a break for 8 minutes) I've noticed you using tabata cycles. But I'm confused about this one. Typically, tabata is 8 x 30 seconds -- 20 all out, 10 second rest. If you're doing a true tabata and going all out, you can only do one round. If you're doing 8 rounds, isn't this really just a short rest swim interval for mid D types?
  • I've noticed you using tabata cycles. But I'm confused about this one. Typically, tabata is 8 x 30 seconds -- 20 all out, 10 second rest. If you're doing a true tabata and going all out, you can only do one round. If you're doing 8 rounds, isn't this really just a short rest swim interval for mid D types? Fort, we use 4, 6 & 8 minute cycles for all groups (sprint, middle distance, etc.) depending on where we are in our training. Although 6 & 8 minute cycles are not "true" Tabata at times its more about the distance covered in that particular energy system...8 minutes gets most of our swimmers about 10 x 50's, so just about 400yds at max effort.
  • Want to report back that I did this with a teammate of mine today. The only change was that we did it on the 1:20/100 base as I tend to slack off on rest interval sets. It was superb, superbly painful but damn good. Next time add Tennessee turns to all the freestyle swims!
  • I'm interested to see someone using Tabata in swimming! I started a thread about it six years ago and at the time no one seemed to be using it (at least no one that replied): Tabata training - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums I'd love to try it sometime in the pool.
  • Stolen. Doing it on Monday the 10th. Superb set! 1 x 125 (100 smooth/25 fast stroke) 1 x 250 (200 smooth/50 fast stroke) 1 x 375 (300 smooth/75 fast stroke) 1 x 500 (400 smooth/100 fast stroke or IM) 1 x 625 (500 smooth/125 fast stroke or IM) 1 x 750 (600 smooth/150 fast stroke or IM) 1 x 875 (700 smooth/175 fast stroke or IM) 1 x 1000 (800 smooth/200 fast stroke or IM) R:30 between each swim Want to report back that I did this with a teammate of mine today. The only change was that we did it on the 1:20/100 base as I tend to slack off on rest interval sets. It was superb, superbly painful but damn good.
  • Tuesday at MAC SCY 15 minute choice warm-up "Variables" = 4 swims as follows (you can use any distance): #1 = easy to fast #2 = fast to easy #3 all easy #4 all fast * We assign a "distance" for the "fast" part of these swims so people are not going all out as this is one of our main warm-up sets. Warm up #1 = 25's @ 100 pace = 3 rounds of variables: Rd. #1 = swim free Rd. #2 = swim stroke @ :35 Rd. #3 = kick @ :40 Warm up #2 = 50's @ 200 pace Rd. #1 = swim choice @ 1:00 Rd. #2 = kick choice @ 1:10 Warm up #3 = 100's @ 500 pace One round swim choice @ 1:30 Main = 4 options on 10 fast swims @ 3:00 Option #1 = 200's best average Option #2 = 100's best average Option #3 = 1 thru 4 & 6-9 are 100's, #5 & #10 are 200's Option #4 = 1 thru 4 & 6-9 are 50's, #5 & #10 are 100's