Introduction.
I coach 3 mornings a week at a 25 meter pool with an average of 25 swimmers in 5 lanes. I coach 2 evenings a week at a 25 yard pool with an average of 12-14 swimmers in 5 lanes. Both workouts are for one hour. They are mixed groups with competitive swimmers, triathletes, and people who just want a good workout. Ages range from 20 to 87, with an occassional teen-ager dropping in. My emphasis is on techinique and pace. I swim 3 days a week with a coach at a Y pool. I use some sets that I learn from my coach, Laura Peter. I also write a workout for myself for Saturday mornings. The workouts that I coach are 2500-2800 meters for the fastest lane, scaled down for other lanes. In the yard pool, they are 2700-3000 yards for the fastest lanes. For my personal workouts, I aim for 2500 yards and try to boost it to 2700 in the fall.
Thursday, Apr 15, Yard Pool
This is an adaptation of the previous workout. I modified yesterday’s workout for me. I am preparing for our Zone meet in a week.
Warm-Up (900)
300 Swim
200 Pull
300 as 6 x 50. K/D, S/K, D/S, K/D, S/K, D/S
100 Swim, glide 2
Main (1300)
Working on holding 1000 pace:
400 as (100 swim, 200 pull, 200 swim, 100 pull) on 2:00/4:00
400 as (100 pull, 200 swim, 200 pull, 100 swim)
200 as (2 x 50 descend, 1 x 100) on 1:00/2:00
Speed work for 100s:
2 x 50 descend backstroke on 1:10
50 easy
2 x 50 descend breaststroke
Cool-Down (100)
Easy Swim
Friday, Apr 16, Meter Pool
Everyone knows their average per 100 for intervals. I want to see if they can hold the pace for a 400. Those going to a meet next week are only going 200.
Speed work at the end provides a chance to adapt the stroke for speed. I'm not sure how many 25s we actually had time for.
Warm-Up (550-900)
100-200 Swim. Choice.
100 as 25 drill/25 swim. Drill is one arm, 3R/3L. Think about shoulder width entry.
100 Glide2. Think about extension, pause, catch.
100-200 as 25 drill/25 swim. 100 non-free, 100 free.
(2-4) x 25 on :40, :45, :50, :55 Choice
(2-4) x 50 on :55, 1:00, 1:05, 1:10, 1:15, 1:30.
Main #1 (500-800)
Everyone start together. All free.
Lanes 4-6: 400 for time.
Lanes 7-8: 200 for time.
200 Kick, 200 Pull
Main #2 (500)
20 x 25. Choice. I’ll call out times.
You may use blocks at deep end if you want.
Cool-Down (100-300)
Easy Swim
Monday, Apr 19, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (500-900)
100-200 Swim
100-200 Kick
100-200 Pull
100-200 Drill/Swim by 25
4 x 25 Count strokes
Main (800-1600)
Lanes 4-5: 4 x 100 free on 1:45, 1:55
Lane 6: 2 x 100 free on 2:05
Lane 7-8: 1 x 100 free
▪Two times the following:
4 x 25 on :40, :45, :50, lanes 7-8 on :55
2 x 50 on :55, 1:00,1:05, lanes 7-8 on 1:45
50-100 kick
50-100 pull
▪2 x 100 free same interval as above.
Lane 4: 4 x 100 if time
Lanes 7-8: 1 x 100 free
Cool-Down (100-300)
Easy swim
Monday, Apr 19, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (900-1000)
•200-300 Swim
•300 as (25K/25D/25S) x 4. Continuous.
•8 x 25 Drill.
Glide2 (extend, pause, catch)
One arm – 3R/3L (shoulder width, extend)
Recovery – Think of finish of stroke is when hand enters
“Perfect” stroke
•4 x 50. I’ll start each lane. 1 back, 1 free, 1 ***, 1 choice
Main (1800)
2 x 50
1 x 100
4 x 50
1 x 200
6 x 50
1 x 300 pull or swim
4 x 50 pull
1 x 200 pull
2 x 50 pull
1 x 100 pull or swim
Dist: 50, 100, 200, 300
Ln 5: 45, 1:30, 3:00, 4:30
Ln 4: 50, 1:40, 3:20, 5:00
Ln 3: 55, 1:50, 3:40, 5:30
Ln 2: 1:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00 (or same as lane 3)
Ln 1: 1:05, 2:10, 4:20, 6:30
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy swim
Wednesday, Apr 21, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (700-1000)
•200 Swim free
•100 Swim choice (at least 25 non-free)
•(3-4) x 100 Pull on 1:40, 1:50, 2:10, 2:15, 2:45
•(2-6) x 50. Go when 3rd person finishes.
#1 free glide2, #2 swim. Compare time on #1 and #2.
#3 free/back, #4 choice, #5 free/***, #6 choice
Main (800-1500)
Intervals for Lane 4, 5, 6, 7 shown below. Each lane drops 5 sec for each set of 100s.
5 x 100 on 1:40, 1:50, 2:10, -
4 x 100 on 1:35, 1:45, 2:05, 2:20
3 x 100 on 1:30, 1:40, 2:00, 2:15
2 x 100 on 1:25, 1:35, 1:55, 2:10
1 x 100. I'll time you.
Ln8 and those going to Zones:
5 x 50 on 2:00, mix it up
3 x 100 on 3:00
25s from the blocks
Cool-Down (200)
4 x 50 swim or d/s
Wednesday, Apr 21, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (800)
200 Swim
100 Kick
100 Swim, keep fins on. Choice.
100 Kick
200 Pull
100 Swim, free. Long stroke, extend and roll.
Main (1200-2000)
▪8 x 50. Odds are choice. Evens are free.
On :50/:45, :55/:50, 1:10/:55, 1:15/1:00, 1:20/1:10
▪2 x 200. #1 swim, #2 pull.
▪4 x 100 on 1:20 or 1:25, 1:35, 1:55, 1:55-2:05, 2:10. #1-3 are free, #4 is choice.
▪400 Swim as 100 free/50 non/100 free/50 non/100 free
▪16 x 25 choice. Go when 4th person finishes.
Lanes 4 and 5 finished with time to:
1 x 50 on 1:00
1 x 100 on 2:00
1 x 50 on 1:00
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy swim or pull.
Friday, Apr 23, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (400-700)
100-300 Swim
300 as (25K/25D/25S), choice.
100 Swim, choice.
Main (1600-1800)
Free (400)
•4 x 100 Free. #1 Count strokes on each length.
#2-4 descend w/o increasing # of strokes by more than 2.
Backstroke (500)
~Fins on~
•12 x 25 Backstroke.
#1-2 Push off on back, arms extended, kick ½ way. Add arms and swim rest. Head position.
#3-4 Kick back on side.
#5-6 Chg 6
#7-8 Chg 6 with 3 strokes.
#9-10 “L” drill with 3 strokes. (3 on side, 3 w/ arm up)
#11-12 Swim back. Be sure to roll on side.
•4 x 5. Backstroke or 25 free/25 back. Fins off on last 2.
Free (400)
•2 x 50 Chg 3 with 3 strokes.
•2 x 50 3R/3/3L
•(4-8) x 50 free. Keep stroke under control.
Pulls (500)
(3-5) x 100 Pull. 75 free/25 back
Cool-Down
Easy swim
Monday, Apr 26, Meter Pool
Big day today! We went from 5 to 6 lanes. i hope we can keep the 6 lanes!
Warm-Up (700-1200)
•200-400 Swim
•(6-8) x 50
#1-2 free, glide2
#3 free, #4 free or back. Both are 3R-3-3L (one arm)
#5 free, #6 free or back. Both are change 3 with 3 strokes (K3 on side, 3 arm stroke, K3 on other side)
#7-8 free, glide2
•200-400 Pull
Main (1600)
2 x 50 free, even pace, on :55, 1:00,1:05, 1:10, 1:15, 1:30
200 free, comfortable pace. Get your time - to be used later.
3 x 100 same pace as 200 for free OR 2 x 100 free and 1 x 100 non-free. On 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 2:15, 2:30, 2:45
2 x 200 #1 Pull, #2 Swim. Choice.
6 x 50 drill/swim, choice, on 1:00, 1:05, 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50
200 free, faster than 1st 200 at “comfortable” pace
2 x 50. Free – faster than first 2 x 50. Or, non-free – descend.
Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim
Monday, Apr 26, Yard Pool
This is essentially the same workout that the morning group did last week. I don't use the same workout on the same day because 2-3 swimmers sometimes do both workouts.
Warm-Up (700-1000)
•200 Swim free
•100 Swim choice (at least 25 non-free)
•(3-4) x 100 Pull on 1:25, 1:35, 1:50, 2:10, 2:15
•(2-6) x 50. Go when 3rd person finishes.
#1 free glide2, #2 swim. Compare time on #1 and #2.
#3 free/back, #4 choice, #5 free/***, #6 choice
Main (800-1800)
5 x 100 on 1:30 1:40, 2:00, 2:10 -
4 x 100 on 1:25 1:35, 1:55, 2:05, 2:20
3 x 100 on 1:20 1:30, 1:50, 2:00, 2:15
2 x 100 on 1:15 1:25, 1:45, 1:55, 2:10
1 x 100
300 Pull
Cool-Down (200)
4 x 50 swim or d/s
Tuesday, April 27, Yard Pool
Both my morning and evening groups have done this set of descending 100s and liked the workout. I’m swimming the 1650 at nationals and a 200 back this weekend. I did the 100 frees just for conditioning and making sure I didn’t get too much muscle fatigue. I put the four 50 backs in between to practice my pace for the 200 while I was tired. The workout was challenging, but satisfying.
Warm-Up (600)
100 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick
100 Drill
Main (1700)
5 x 100 on 2:00
50 back
4 x 100 on 1:55
50 back
3 x 100 on 1:50
50 back
2 x 100 on 1:45
50 back
100
