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.
Monday, July 12, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (1000)
100 Swim
100 Pull
200 Swim
200 Pull
~Fins Ok~
50 Chg 6 with 3 strokes, free
50 Swim free, with fins
50 Chg 6 w/ 3, back
50 Swim back, with fins
~Fins Off~
4 x 25 Breaststroke Pull-Out. Push off underwater. Streamline glide1,2,3.
Pull arms to side, glide 1, 2. Kick *** to surface as hands return to streamline position.
Swim back to other end, choice.
100 choice
Main (1600)
400 as (4 x 25, 2 x 50, 2 x 100 at comfortable pace.) Transition from warm-up to Main Set.
400 Swim. Get time. Figure pace per 100.
4 x 100 at pace above +15
8 x 50 as odds choice on ?, evens free on ?-5
Cool-Down
Pull 100-?
Wednesday, July 14, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (1200-1500)
100-200 Swim
6 x 100 (#1 Swim, #2 D/S by 25, #3 Swim, #4 Pull no paddles, #5 Pull w/ paddles, #6 Swim)
~Fins ok~
100 w/ paddles (and fins). 25 L arm only/ 25 R arm only/ 25 3R-3L / 25 3R-3-3L
300 (fins ok, no paddles). 50K on side / 25 chg 6/25 chg 6 with 3 / 50 swim. Repeat back.
100 (25 fly/25 back. Take fins off. 25 ***/25 free)
100-200 Choice
Main (1250)
Each 50 in set is the same stroke or combination.
(2-5) x (50 kick, 50 drill, 50 pull, 50 swim fast, 50 easy free)
Cool-Down (100-300)
Easy swim or pull
Wednesday, July 14, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (1000)
200-300 Swim, choice.
4 x 25 Swim down center line, do not let hands “touch” the line. Glide on each arm.
4 x 25 Count, choice.
200-300 Pull (at least 100 with paddles)
4 x 50 Choice. Streamline off each wall, kick to flags before using arms.
Main (1700)
1200 as 4 x (3 x 50 descend, 100 for time, 50 easy recovery)
500 Pull as 200-150-100-50 rest 15 after each part.
Cool-Down
Easy 100-200 swim
Friday, July 16, Meter Pool
This is one of my favorite workouts. The only intervals are at the end. All of the stroke count really helps, but the swimmers get muscle fatigue. The muscle fatigue is from using back muscles that they don't usally engage.
Warm-Up (1000)
100-300 Swim
200-300 Pull
8 x 50 alternate 50 Kick/50 Swim. Determine interval by Kick+10.
Main (1300-1600)
200 No fins. Count strokes. 2 x 25 chg 3; 2 x 25 catch-up, 2 x 25 almost catch-up, 2 x 25 swim
100 Count 4 x 25 any stroke. Try at least 1 non-free.
Everyone should know their stroke count for 25.
350 50-75-100-75-50. Swim. Try to hold stroke count low.
350 50-75-100-75-50. Pull. Try to hold stroke count. No paddles.
Ln 4: 6 x 100 on 1:40
Ln 5: 5 x 100 on 1:50
Ln 6: 4 x 100 on 2:05
Ln 7: (3 or 4) x 100 on 2:15 (Non-free can go 3 x 50 non-free, 1 x 100 free.)
Ln 8: 3 x 100 on 3:30
Cool-Down (200)
4 x 50 Easy
Charlie,
The workouts posted don't always include the adaptations for each lane.
I have 5 lanes. I am for 2500-2700 meters or 2800-3000 yards for the fastest lane. Each lane is than scaled back from that. In the meter pool, I have a lane with three 80+ swimmers. I try to have them do each set, but fewer repetitions. As a coach you know that you have to adapt your workout every time to accomodate who shows up.
Betsy
Monday, July 19, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (600-1300)
200-500 Swim
8 x 25 (#1 fast turn over, count; #2-4 reduce count by at least 1 each length). Repeat
(4-8) x 50 Drill/Swim. Interval for 10-15 sec rest.
100-200 Swim
Main (1200)
1st Set
100 Kick
200 Pull with paddles
100 Swim, get time
2nd Set
2 x 50 Kick
4 x 50 Pull (paddles optional)
2 x 50 Swim, get time
3rd Set
100 Kick
200 Pull without paddles
100 Swim, get time
Cool-Down (200)
4 x 50 easy
Monday, July 19, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (700-1000)
200-400 Swim
100 free, count strokes (25 catch-up, 25 chg 3 with 3, 25 almost c.u., swim)
100 choice, streamline off wall, kick to flags
100 streamline, kick to flags, count strokes (50 free/50 choice)
200-300 swim, remember all of above
Main (1100-2000)
10 x 50 (#1-4 drill/swim, #5-10 swim)
(8-10) x 100 (odd non-free or 25 drill/25 swim; even free). Drills are c.u. or 4R-4L)
Intervals: 1:40/1:25, 1:55/1:40, 2:05/1:55, 2:20/2:10
(4-10) x 50 Pull on :45, :55, 1:00, 1:10
Cool-Down
Easy Swim
Wednesday, July 21, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (1100)
300 Swim
300 as 4 x (25K/25D/25S)
500 as 3 x (50 Swim/100 Pull) + 50 Swim. No paddles, continuous.
Main (1050)
300 as 12 x 25, fast. 4 are kick, 4 pull, 4 swim. I’ll start each lane.
50-100 Easy swim
200 as 4 x 50, free. Lanes 4-5 on 1:00; lanes 6-7 on 1:10; lane 8 2 x 50 on 2:00
50-100 Easy swim
150 as 3 x 50 choice (same stroke for all 3). Non-free for at least 25. Add 10 to interval.
50-100 Easy swim
100 as 2 x 50 choice. Do not have to be the same. Same interval.
Cool-Down (400)
100-200 Pull
100-200 Swim
Friday, July 23, Meter Pool
I was over ambitious for them today. I put in an extra 500 for the two fastest lanes, but then they didn't have time for the last 300.
Everyone (300)
100 Swim, free
200 2 x (75 free/25 back)
Lanes 2-7 (2200-2700)
~Fins on~
300 4 x (50 free/25 free with head out, “Tarzan” or “Water Polo”)
400 (8 x 50 alternate 50 kick/50 swim)
~Fins off~
500 3 x 100 free, descend; 2 x 100 choice, descend (1:50, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 3:00).
Rest extra 30 sec between sets to regroup, if necessary.
***Lanes 4-5 only**
500 (300 swim, moderate, get time. Rest 30 sec. 200 swim get time. Avg faster on 200)
***
400 (200 pull, recovery to build; 200 swim, build)
300 (6 x 50, choice) 1:00, 1:05, 1:10, 1:20, 1:45)
200 (50 choice/50 swim)
100 Easy swim
Lane 8 (700-900)
This lane included those going to a meet in the next week or two, the older swimmers, and
a few swimmers new to the workout.
~Fins on~
100 (50 free/25 head out, “Tarzan” or “Water Polo”/25 free)
100-200 ((2-4) x 50 Alternate 50 kick/50 swim)
~Fins off~
200 2 x (2 x 50). 2 x 50 same stroke, descend. Each set can be different.
100-200 Pull, recovery
100-? 25s using the starting blocks; 50s if anyone wants to
100-200 Easy
