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, Oct 26, Meter Pool
We have a meet in Virginia Beach on Nov 7 so I divided the workout into groups - those swimming in the meet and those not. I tried to talk everyone into swimming, but I wasn't successful.
Warm-Up (400-900)
(100-200) Swim choice
~fins on~
(100-200) 25 “C” drill/25 swim free. Hold “C” for count of 3.
(100-200) 25 1-arm opp breathe / 25 free
or 25 3 rt-3-3 lft-3 / 25 back
~fins off~
(100) 25 catch-up / 25 free or 25 *** pull w/ dolphin / 25 br swim
(100-200) Swim choice
Main (1350-2000)
Workout for those not swimming in meet:
(100) 4 x 25 Swim, establish pace
(200) 4 x 50 Swim, maintain pace
(300) Pull
(400) Swim, same pace?
(400) 4 x 100 Pull
(300) Swim
(200) 4 x 50, pace
(100) Pull
or Meet preparation workout
This can be done in the lane with someone doing the other workout.
(100) 4 x 25 descend
(150) 3 x 50 descend
(200) Pull, recovery
(200) 100 fast, rest, 100 easy
(200) 4 x 50 fast, interval for 30 sec rest
(200-300) Pull
(200) 4 x 50 descend 1-2, 3-4
(100) Pull
Cool-Down
Easy swim
Monday, October 26, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (800)
200 Swim
200 Pull
200 Kick. Fins ok.
200 8 x 25
1 – “C” or sail drill – on side!
2 – Almost catch-up
3 – Free: one-arm opposite breathe or Back: 3 rt/3lft
Fins off.
4 – Free or Back – roll hips!!
5 – Pull, no buoy, free. Move arms fast, throw arm forward, accelerate to finish.
6 – Free or back – sprint, use hips, accelerate finish.
7 – Free: catch-up. ***: *** pull w/ dolphin kick.
8 – Swim free or ***.
Main (1300-1900)
1000 2 x (50, 100 , 200 choice, 100, 50)
The 50, 100 should be the same stroke. The 200 can be anything.
The 100, 50 should be the same stroke, but not necessarily the same as the other 50,100
300-900 (2-6) x (2 x 50 descend, 1 x 50 easy)
Cool-Down
Easy Swim
Wednesday, October 28, Meter Pool
Today I had everyone do the same Main Set, whether going to the meet or not.
Warm-Up (500-1000)
100-200 Free swim. Think about “head down.”
100-200 Free pull. Alternate breathe or turn head underwater to see lights on non-br side
100-200 Free swim. Almost catch-up, head down.
(4-8) x 50
1-2 backstroke, roll hips before hand enters
3-4 breaststroke, glide for count of 2-3
5-6 “butter/flutter” swim fly from push-off as long as it feels ok, then free.
7-8 free, accelerate on finish
Main (1300-1600)
100 Moderate swim, choice
4 x 25 Sprint. On :40, :45, :50, :50, :55. Choice.
100 Fast swim, choice.
2 x 50 #1 easy, recovery; #2 fast
100 Moderate/fast swim, choice.
300 as 4 x (25 K/ 25 D/ 25 S), continuous
(10-16) x 50 as #1-4 Kick, #5-8 Pull, #9-12 Drill/Swim, #13-16 Swim
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy swim.
Wednesday, October 28, Yard Pool
The Warm-Up is the same as the morning workout, but the Main Set is different.
Warm-Up (600-1200)
100-300 as free swim. Think about “head down.”
200-300 as free pull. Alternate breathe or turn head underwater to see the
underwater lights on non-breathing side.
100-200 as free swim. Almost catch-up, head down.
(4-8) x 50 as:
1-2 backstroke, roll hips before hand enters
3-4 breaststroke, glide for count of 2-3
5-6 “butter/flutter” swim fly from push-off as long as it feels ok, then free.
7-8 free, accelerate on finish
Main (1000-1500)
10 x 100 Free, steady pace.
On: Ln 5 – 1:30, Ln 4 – 1:40, Ln 3 – 1:55, Ln 1,2 – 2:15
5 x 100 Free, steady pace. This should be challenging. Not all lanes will have time.
On: Ln 5 – 1:20, Ln 4 – 1:30, Ln 3 – 1:50, Ln 1,2 – 2:10
Cool-Down (100-200)
(4-8) x 25 Easy swim.
Monday, Nov 2, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (700-1200)
This is a sample meet warm-up. We will try others this week.
300-600 Swim (swim all strokes you are doing in the meet, include some drills)
200-400 At least 4 x 50. Pick your own interval and work around the others. You
may have to adjust interval due to traffic. If you are swimming distance, you
might want to do a few 100s for pace.
100-200 (4-8) x 25. Some as: 12 ½ fast, rest easy. Some as: 12 ½ easy, sprint into turn.
Main (700-1100)
(3-5) x 100 Distance swimmers (800, 1500), work on pace.
Middle distance (400), do 2 on pace, then others can be easy.
Sprinters, do this as a conditioning set.
(4-8) x 50 Sprint odd numbers (choice). Easy on even numbers (choice).
8 x 25 Odds easy swim to deep end. Evens sprint from block, edge or in water.
Go when person ahead of you is ½ way.
Wait for everyone to finish sprint then easy swim back.
Cool-Down (100)
Easy swim
Wednesday, Nov 4, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (300-700)
200-400 Swim, choice.
100-300 Pull
Main #1
~Fins on~ (400)
50 Kick as far as you can underwater on your stomach. When you surface,
kick backstroke rest of the way. Same after turn.
50 Same thing all on back.
50 Kick underwater on stomach, switch to free kick to surface, swim free.
50 Kick underwater on back, switch to flutter on back to surface, swim back.
100 Free or Back swim. Think about turns. Fins on.
50 Underwater fly kick, surface and swim fly as far as you can, then free.
50 Choice swim w/ fins
~Fins off~ (400)
2 x 50 Back or free. Think about streamline kick underwater w/o fins.
50-100 *** kick
150 2 x 75 25 *** (glide)/free/*** (glide)
50 Swim choice.
Main #2 (400)
8 x 25 2 of each stroke; may substitute free. Fast.
4 x 25 Fast. All same stroke.
4 x 25 Fast. All same stroke.
Cool-Down (100-400)
100 or 200 Pull OR Work on turns
100 or 200 Swim
Wednesday, Nov 4, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (850-1400)
200-300 Swim
150-300 (2-4) x (25 k/ 25 d/ 25 s) Continuous.
200 4 x 50, descend 1-3, 4 easy
300-600 (3 x 100 Pull, descend 1-3). Repeat if time.
Interval: 1:25, 1:40, 1:55, 2:10, 2:10
If swimming in meet on Saturday, just do 1 set.
Main (500-1100)
2 x 100 Swim at distance pace. Keep them even or descend.
The 2nd should NOT be slower than the 1st.
On 1:30, 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, 2:15
If swimming in the meet, 2 x 50 descend
400 Swim. Hold pace set in two 100s above.
If in meet, 1 x 200 choice, easy
200-300 (4-6) x 50. 1-2 moderate, 3-4 faster, 5-6 hold pace.
If in meet, 2 x 50 descend
200 Swim at good pace.
If in meet, 1 x 100 good effort
Cool-Down (100-500)
2 x 50 D/S
100-200 Kick
2 x 50 Count
100 Easy swim
Friday, Nov 6, Meter Pool
Meet tomorrow for some of the swimmers. Regular workout for others.
Warm-Up (900-1400)
15 minutes for warm-up. Swim, drill, do some pace work. No fins, buoys, or paddles.
4 x 50 Get heart rate up a little. On: :55, 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:40.
8 x 25 Sprint odds; easy on evens. On :40, :45, :50, :50,:50
Main (1000-1200)
4 x 100 Swim. Steady pace.
4 x 100 Pull. Think about your stroke.
4 x 100 or 4 x 50 (depending on time; adjust interval for 50s)
Intervals: 1:45-1:50, 1:50-1:55, 2:05-2:10, 2:15-2:20
Lane 8 (everyone swimming in meet tomorrow):
▪Divide into 2 groups. Do turns at shallow and deep ends. 10-15 minutes.
▪Starts off blocks
▪Finish with easy swim
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy swim
Monday, Nov 9, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (1200-1300)
100 Swim
100 Pull
200 Swim
200 Pull
~Fins On~
100 Kick (no board, on side or back)
100 Drill (8 kicks with 4 armstrokes, back or free)
100 Swim w/ fins, back or free
100 Kick w/ brd (not back!)
100 as 50 drill (one arm opposite breathe), 50 swim
~Fins Off~
100-200 Swim (*** or free, or combination)
Main (1200-1500)
10 x 50 as 4 drill/swim, choice; 3 swim, descend; 3 more swim, descend
2 x 200 Pull. 1st one easy, stretch it out; 2nd one with more effort but still long
3 x 100 as #1 Pull, #2 Swim, #3 Pull. Choice
200 Swim, choice
100 Good effort. Try to predict your time.
Cool-Down (100)
4 x 25 Count
Monday, Nov 9, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (1200)
200 Swim Free
100 Drill, 3 right arm only, 3 strokes, 3 left arm, 3 strokes
100-200 Swim, choice
~Fins on~
200 as 50 Kick w/ board, 50 Swim
200 as 50 Drill (6 kicks on side, 3 strokes, 6 kicks on other side), 50 Swim
300 as 25 catch-up/75 swim; 25 almost catch-up/75 swim; 25 count strokes/75 swim
(The last 100 can be non-free)
Main (1200)
For 75s, set interval after 1st 75. Allow for 15-20 sec rest.
4 x 75 Pull free
4 x 75 as 25 pull / 50 swim, choice
4 x 75 as 25 easy/25 fast/25 easy, choice
2 x 150 as 50 drill/50 pull/50 swim. Rest 20 seconds
Cool-Down (200-400)
(4-8) x 50 Alternate 50 count strokes, 50 swim. Rest 10-15.
