Intermediate Swimming Workouts - By Andy

With an upcoming meet in Westport (the first that we will have as a club, and the first meet that they have had in a while), we worked a lot on our starts and breakout today. There is quite a bit of rest in the sprint set; I wanted to make sure they were holding as close to their 50 race pace as possible throughout and truly work an alactate set (though it is a little more yardage than a typical alactate set): Warm Up 1 x 500 (100 Swim, 100 Kick, 100 Choice, 100 Pull, 100 Swim) Mini-Endurance Set 2 x 300 @ 85% (1:20 pace for 100) on :15 rest Drill Set 4 x 50 Freestyle drill on 1:10 1 = Extended Catch-up 2 = Gallop 3 = Distance Per Stroke 4 = One Arm Sprint Set 1 4 x 50 Sprint Start and Breakout on 1:15 4 x 50 Sprint Start, Breakout, and 12.5 yds on 1:15 4 x 50 Sprint Start, Breakout, and turn with breakout on 1:30 4 x 50 Sprint Start, Breakout, Turn, and to far flags on 1:30 4 x 50 Sprint All on 1:45 Sprint Set 2 4 x 50 Easy Start, Breakout, Turn, Sprint last 12.5 yds on 1:15 4 x 50 Easy Start, Breakout, Sprint turn and last 25 yards on 1:15 4 x 50 Easy Start, Breakout, Sprint 12.5 to and through turn, sprint 25 on 1:30 4 x 50 Easy Start, Sprint Breakout and rest of 50 on 1:30 4 x 50 Sprint All on 1:45 Recovery 1 x 200 Choice Total Yardage: 3500 Total Time: ~1 hr 30 minutes Hard, hard work today for the swimmers, but it'll be worth it in another two weeks or so.

Gearing up for our February 1st meet in Westport, CT...huge kicking and technique day with some anaerobic and sprint work. Let me just say that trying to break a no-kicking habit is probably the hardest thing to do....hence today's workout! Enjoy: Warm Up 800 (200 Swim, 200 Kick, 200 Choice, 200 Swim) Kick Set 4 x 100 Building to 90% on :15 rest *1 & 3 with board *2 & 4 on axis Drill Set 5 x 50 (focus on kicking) on 1:05 *1 = SBB (side body balance) *2 = 6 beat switch *3 = modified gallop (six kicks in between switching arms) *4 = SOA (streamline one arm) Main Set 2 x 200 Building on 2:45 4 x 75 on 1:20 *easy 25 focusing on kick, sprint SOA last 50 2 x 175 on 2:30 *85% for 150, sprint 25 2 x 175 on 2:30 *85% for 100, sprint 75 2 x 175 on 2:45 *85% for 50, sprint 125 Sprint Set 2 x 200 Broken :10 @ the 100 on 2:50 *1st 100 = 90%; 2nd 100 = All Out Effort 4 x 75 Sprint 50, Active Recovery 25 on 1:45 Recovery 1 x 200 Choice Total Yardage: 3800 Total Time: ~1 hr 30 minutes Happy Swimming!

Drill and speed day today with a little mid-distance work. Warm Up 1 x 500 (100 Swim, 100 Kick, 100 choice, 100 Pull, 100 Swim) Drill 8 x 50 on 1:10 *odds = free, evens = choice 1 = DPS 2 = Choice 3 = 3 touch 4 = Choice 5 = One Arm 6 = Choice 7 = Gallop 8 = Choice Main Set 4 x 200 on 3:00 building per 100 to 90% *1:20 first 100 pace, 1:14 2nd 100 pace (on a 1:10 race pace) 1 x 125 building per 50 to sprint last 25 on :10 rest 1 x 50 Choice @ 85% on :20 rest 1 x 125 building per 25 to sprint last 50 on :10 rest 1 x 50 Choice @ 85% on :20 rest 1 x 125 building per 25 to sprint last 75 on :10 rest 1 x 50 Choice @ 85% on :20 rest 1 x 125 easy 25 sprint 100 on :10 rest 1 x 50 Choice @ 85% on :20 rest 4 x 75 sprint on 1:25; 1:20; 1:15; 1:10 *finishes: 1:00; :58; :56; :54 10 x 50 race pace with starts on 1:30 *finishes were consistently at ~:33 Recovery 1 x 150 Choice Total Yardage: 3350 Total Time: ~1 hour 15 minutes Friday will be a concentration of kick sets with a lot of anaerobic and sprint work as we near closer to their first meet of the season. With the times that they are practicing on, the swimmers should hit around a 1:08 for their 100 Free (started in mid-October at a ~1:15), and a 200 Free time of 2:24. We'll see how it goes, but they are anxious to see their progress! So am I!

As promised, today was quite a bit of kick work (mostly with fins). Monday (and the rest of next week) will be more focused on the events that the swimmers will do on February 1st; working race technique, starts, turns, etc. Warm Up 800 (200 Swim, 200 Kick, 200 Choice, 200 Swim) Kick Set 5 x 100 on :15 rest (first two without fins; 3 - 5 with fins) *1 = 100 easy *2 = 75 easy, 25 fast *3 = 50 easy, 50 fast *4 = 25 easy, 75 fast *5 = 100 Sprint Main Set (with fins) 1 x 500 on :30 rest *200 fast kick, slow arms *200 regular stroke *100 sprint 1 x 400 on :30 rest *same setup as 500 1 x 300 on :30 rest *same setup as 500 1 x 200 on :30 rest *same setup as 500 Mid Distance and Sprint Work 4 x 200 broken @ 50's by :05 on 3:00 *1st 50 = :40 (85%) *2nd 50 = :40 (85%) *3rd 50 = :38 (95) *4th 50 = :35 (race pace) 3 x 75 on :15 rest (per 25 - easy, sprint, easy) Recovery 1 x 175 Choice Total Yardage: 3900 Total Time: ~1 hr 20 minutes Happy Swimming!

Sorry I didn't post this yesterday!! Monday's workout was a little more "event-based" due to the upcoming meet this weekend. Since most of the swimmer's are freestylers, we focused (and will focus this week) on that stroke. I did, however, have one of the swimmers ask me to do their backstroke during the sprint set....fine by me... Warm Up 500 (100 Swim, 100 Kick, 100 Choice, 100 Pull, 100 Swim) Drill Set 4 x 100 on 1:50 drill 1st 50, build second 50 1 = 12 beat switch 2 = 6 beat switch 3 = gallop 4 = fist Hypoxic 1 x 400 @ 85% 1st 100 = 5 SDK 2nd 100 = 6 SDK 3rd 100 = 7 SDK 4th 100 = 7 SDK Main Set 4 x 200 on :30 rest 1 = sprint 50, active recovery (AR) 50, 85% last 100 2 = 85% 1st 50, sprint 2nd 50, AR 50, 85% last 50 3 = 85% first 100, sprint 50, AR last 50 4 = 85% for 150, sprint last 50 2 x 200 broken by :5 at 50's Sprint on :30 rest **swimmer's were holding ~:01 from in-water race pace (:34 per 50) Sprint Set 10 x 25 Sprint on 1:00 rest off block **Swimmers were targeting :13 - :15 for the 25 (up and walking around) **this is where some of the odd-strokers can substitute free Recovery 1 x 200 Choice Total Yardage: 3450 Total Time: ~1hr 20 minutes

Today (due to the snow storm) we were abbreviated for time and swimmers. That being said, we focused two of the swimmers on the meet for this weekend while we worked quite a bit of kick set for the third swimmer of the brave group. I will show you the "meet" swimmers' workout and leave out the kicking unless you would like to see that one as well...just let me know: Warm Up 500 (100 Swim, 100 Kick, 100 Choice, 100 Pull, 100 Swim) Drill Set 6 x 75 (drill, swim, drill) @ 80% on :10 rest *swimmers' choice for drill...no repeats Main Set ***These are all sprint work on 1:00 rest 2 x 200 (finished ~2:29 for both swims) 4 x 100 (finished ~1:11 for all swims) 8 x 50 (finished ~33 for all 8) 4 x 25 (finished ~14) Recovery 1 x 200 Choice Total Yardage: 2450 Total Time: ~1 hr This workout, though short yardage was extremely intense for them (obviously with all of the sprint work). We will hit a little less yardage on Friday but focus more on event-specific swims and race technique. Today, we altered breakouts, turns, and pacing. All together, a great workout for them, and a great learning day as well!

Today's workout was a little more aerobicly based due to the swimmers' meet yesterday (which, if they are reading this, they did a great job)! Warm-Up 1 x 500 (100 Swim, 100 Kick, 100 Choice, 100 Pull, 100 Swim) Mid-Distance (Hypoxic) 5 x 200 @ 85% on :15 rest *1 = every 3 *2 = every 5 *3 = 5 SDK *4 = 7 SDK *5 = every 3 Main Set 1 x 50 on :50 @ 90% 1 x 100 on 1:30 @ 90% 1 x 150 on 2:00 @ 95% 2 x 200 on 3:10 @ 100% 1 x 150 on 2:00 @ 95% 1 x 100 on 1:30 @ 90% 1 x 50 on @ 90% 10 x 50 on 1:00 @ 90% Kicking Set *Vertical kicking* 3 x {4 x :30 on :15 rest IM Order Kick *1 = Hands by your side *2 = Hands at your shoulders *3 = Hands in streamline Choice Set 2 x 75 Back Build to Sprint on :15 rest Recovery 1 x 200 Choice Total Yardage: 3350 Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Again, this practice was more aerobically based (with a hint of anaerobic mixed in there). The goal for the next couple of weeks is to build up a good base aerobically and hit more anaerobic/alactate at the beginning of March (or end of February).

Today was IM Day (woohoo for my swimmers who are typically the long axis folks)!! Personally, I love coaching IM days because they just absolutely kill my swimmers and I get some sort of pleasure out of cruel and unusual sets! Enjoy! Warm Up 800 (200 Swim, 200 Kick, 200 Choice, 200 Swim) Drill Set 2 x {4 x 50 on 1:05 IM Order Main Set 1 4 x 200 IM Broken at the 50's by :10 @ 85% on :15 rest 2 x 200 IM Broken at the 100's by :10 @ 90% on :20 rest Main Set 2 10 x 100 IM Twister on 2:00 @ 95% - 100% 1 = 50 Fly, 50 Back 2 = 25 Fly, 50 Back, 25 *** 3 = 50 Back, 50 *** 4 = 25 Back, 50 ***, 25 Free 5 = 50 ***, 50 Free 6 = 25 ***, 50 Free, 25 Fly 7 = 50 Free, 50 Fly 8 = Fly, ***, Back, Free 9 - Free, Back, ***, Fly 10 = Reverse IM 4 x 100 IM on 2:00 1 = easy 75, sprint free 2 = easy 50, sprint *** & free 3 = easy 25, sprint back, ***, & free 4 = all out effort Recovery 1 x 200 Choice Total Yardage: 4000 Total Time: ~1 hr 20 mins

Lots of mid-distance freestyle today to give them a break from their IM day on Friday! Wednesday will be a lot of pace work for the mid-distance events (200, 500). Warm Up 500 (100 Swim, 100 Kick, 100 Choice, 100 Pull, 100 Swim) Kick Set 2 x 100 on axis with no board on 2:00 Main Set 2 x 100 @ 85% on 1:45 2 x 200 @ 90% on 3:00 1 x 400 @ 90% on :45 rest 2 x 200 @ 95% on 3:00 2 x 100 @ 95% on 1:45 Sprint Set 10 x 100 on 2:00 10 x 50 on 1:15 Recovery 1 x 200 Choice Total Yardage: 3800 Total Time: ~1 hour 25 mins

We acquired a new swimmer today (primarily a breaststroker), so during the sets I have put a "breaststroke substitution" just in case: Warm Up 500 (100 Swim, 100 Kick, 100 Choice, 100 Pull, 100 Swim) Drill Set 4 x 50 on 1:10 *breaststroke sub on evens Main Set 10 x 100 Hypoxic on 1:45 1 = 5 SDK 2 = 7 SDK (or 2 pullouts) 3 = Every 3 4 = Every 5 (or 2 pullouts and 2 kick with one pull) 5 = Every 5 6 = Every 7 (or 3 pullouts) 7 = Every 5 8 = Every 5 (or 2 pullouts and 2 kick with one pull) 9 = 7 SDK 10 = 5 SDK (or 2 pullouts) 5 x 100 Pace Work (All freestyle) on 1:50 1 = Easy 50, hit :38 for second 50 2 = Easy 25, hit 37 for mid 50, easy 25 3 = Hit :36 for 50, easy 50 4 = Build to full sprint Sprint Work 8 x 75 on "walk around recovery" (as long as it takes to walk around and get back up on the block) *swimmers were hitting a low :31 - :32 on the 50 split each 75 Recovery 1 x 200 Choice Total Yardage: 3000 Total Time: ~1 hr 10 mins Happy Swimming!