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.
Friday, November 13, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (600)
(2-3) x 200 as 100 swim, 50 drill (one armed opposite side breathing drill), 50 kick
Swim first 100 w/o fins, then fins are ok.
Main Set 1 (2400)
6 x 100 on 1:50 or 5 x 100 on 2:20 or 3 x 100 on 2:45;
Go immediately into a 200
5 x 100 on 1:45, followed by 300 or 4 x 100 on 2:15, followed by 200 or 3 x 100 on 2:40 followed by 200
4 x 100 on 1:40 followed by 400 or 3 x 100 on 2:10 followed by 200 or 1 x 100 followed by 200
Set 2 (300)
4 x 75 as 25 kick, 25 drill, 25 swim
Cool Down (100)
100 easy swim
Monday, Nov 16, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (1000)
200 Swim
200 Drill/Swim by 25
200 Kick
200 Pull
8 x 25 Count strokes, max DPS (distance per stroke)
Main (1500)
10 x 50 at 400/500 pace on :55, 1:05, 1:15, 1:15, 1:40
100 breaststroke kick. If you cannot breaststroke kick, kick 50 fly kick on back/50 fly w/ brd.
4 x 50 back on 1:05, 1:15, 1:20 or 1:30, 1:50
100 swim or pull, recovery
2 x 50 ***, rest 10-15 seconds.
Can do these as ***/free and free/***
100 swim or pull, recovery
6 x 50 choice. Compromise on interval if some doing stroke and some doing free.
100 easy
Cool-Down (100-200)
4 x 25 Count
100 easy
Wed, Nov 18, Meter Pool
This went well. A lot of stroke work, but the 200s added some yardage.
Warm-Up (1200)
200-300 Swim, choice
300 (50 k/ 50 d/ 50 s) x 2
~Everyone together, fins okay~
200 practicing hip rotation, all 25s:
K on left side, streamline, head down
K on right side
Repeat if necessary
Chg 6. No strokes. Get on side before counting 6 kicks.
Repeat if necessary.
Chg 6 w/ 3.
Swim, overemphasize hip rotation.
~Fins off~
200 practicing pull, 25s and 50s. Extend, elbow up, bend wrist for catch, lead with hand.
Don’t keep arm straight, don’t lead with elbow. Bent elbow, higher than hand.
Accelerate through stroke, finish.
One arm left, one arm right.
200 Swim, practice CORRECT stroke.
Main (500-1000)
5 x 200 (or 150, 100). Alternate 200 swim, 200 pull.
Cool Down (300)
6 x 50 25 non-free/25 free
Friday, Nov 20, Meter Pool
This workout went well with practicing a small kick. It helped eliminate scissor kicks.
Warm-Up (1000)
100-200 75 swim/25 catch-up
100-200 (25 rt arm only/25 swim/25 left only/25 swim) x 2
200-300 (4-6) x 50 Kick on 1:00, 1:05-1:10, 1:15, 1:30
~Everyone together. Stress importance of strong pull, small kick, breathing correctly.~
25 Kick on stomach (no brd, no fins) about ½ way; swim back
25 Pull (no buoy, no kicking) about ½ way; swim back
Which is easier? Which is faster?
50 Swim with 2-4 beat kick, just enough to keep feet up.
100 as 25 swim with hard kick, note time; 25 swim w/ no kick, note time; 2 x 25 swim with strong, fast pull, slight kick, note time
100 Swim. Stress pull with small kick.
Main (1200-1600)
100-200 Swim free. Practice w/ small kick.
Breaststroke drills:
100 *** kick w/ brd
Fins on. 2 x 25 Breaststroke scull w/ dolphin kick.
Fins off. 2 x 25 Breastroke swim, modified scull pull, glide. Breathing.
50-100 Breaststroke swim w/ modified scull pull. Glide.
500 free as: 25-50-75-100-100-75-50-25. Rest 10-15 seconds after each part. Good pull, short breath, small kick.
300-600 (6-12) x 50.
Odds choice on 1:00, 1:10, 1:20, 1:40
Evens free on :50, 1:00, 1:10, 1:30
Monday, Nov 23, Meter Pool
Warm-Up (500-1000)
(10-20) x 50 on 1:00, 1:05, 1:15, 1:20, 1:40. Stop everyone after 20 minutes.
1-3 easy; 4-6 drill/swim; 7-9 pull; 10-12 descend; 13-15 easy; 16-18 descend; 19-20 easy
Main (110, 1300, 1600)
Go through this twice:
(1) 3 x 100 Strong kick, small kick
(2) 2 x 100 Pick up kick
(3) 1 x 100 Fast
(4) 4 x 50 d/s, recovery
Intervals: 1:40, 1:55, 2:10 or 2:15, 2:20, 2:45
50s same interval as above
Cool-Down (100-200)
Easy pull or swim.
Monday, Nov 23, Yard Pool
Warm-Up (700-1000)
300-500 75 free/25 non-free
4 x 25 swim w/ big kick get time; swim w/ no kick strong arms; swim w/ 2 beat kick (2)
2 x 50 practice small kick, strong pull
4 x 25, count strokes swim
4 x 25, count strokes pull, no paddles
100 Swim free keep kick low
Main (1500-1800)
6 x 50 All free or #1, #4 non-free
3 x 100 #1-2 free; #3 can be non-free
300 Free swim. Get time.
300* Pull. Compare time. (* faster lanes only)
3 x 100
6 x 50
Intervals:
:45, :50, :55, 1:00, 1:05
1:20, 1:30, 1:40, 1:55
Cool-Down (200)
Easy swim or pull.
Thanksgiving Workout, Wednesday Nov 25, Meter Pool
This workout was originally copied from one Michael Collins had in a magazine. Over the years, I have modified it for my groups. I give each lane a copy decorated with appropriate graphics.
Hors d’oeuvres (150-300)
Swim (1-2) x (75, 50, 25). Change strokes.
Salad (100)
Swim 100 backstroke or alternate 25 bk/25 fr
Vegetables (200-300)
(4-6) x 50. 25 Kick (no board)/ 25 Swim. Fins ok.
Set interval by adding 20 sec to time for first 50.
Stuffing (100-300)
Swim 100-300. Good technique. Choice.
Turkey and Potatoes (900-1200)
(6-8) x (100 free, 50 non-free). 50s can 25 non/25 free.
100s on 1:45, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30
50s on 1:05, 1:10,1:30, 2:00
Rolls (100)
2 x 50 easy, 15 sec rest. Free or back.
Work on “rolling.”
Cranberry Sauce (100)
4 x 25, 20 sec rest. Use buoy. Odds scull feet first on back.
Evens pull choice.
Pie (100)
4 x 25 Sprint. Choice. On :40, :45, :50
After dinner relaxation (100-300)
100-300 easy swim or pull.
Friday, Nov 27, Yard Pool
This is a workout I did with a friend the day after Thanksgiving. I have a meet in 2 weeks and the 50s were good.
Warm-Up (1000)
300 Swim and drill, choice
300 as 25K/25D/25S
3 x 100 Pull, descend
100 Drill
Main (1200)
3 x (8 x 50)
2x50 kick, 1x50 drill, 2x50 pull, 3x50 swim (all one stroke).
Can change stroke each time through.
Cool-Down (300)
100 swim
100 d/s
100 count
Monday, Nov 30, Meter Pool
This is an adaptation of the last workout, 100s instead of 50s.
Warm-Up (900)
300 Swim choice
300 25K/25D/25S
6 x 50 Pull, descend 1-3, 4-6
Main (1000-1500)
(2-3) x (5 x 100)
*100 drill/swim by 25
*100 kick
*100 pull
*2 x 100 swim, descend
*One stroke throughout each set; can change stroke each time through.
Cool-Down (300)
(2-8) x 50 non-free and swim
Monday, Nov 30, Yard Pool
Test set tonight. I don't do this often enough. The swimmers felt real good about their progress and I learned a lot. I was expecting 12 swimmers, but 17 were there. It took longer than I wanted to record times. We did not get to anything after the fast 100s.
Warm-Up (1050-1300)
300 Swim, choice
200 Drill/Swim by 25, choice
4 x 50 Kick on 1:00, 1:10, 1:20
(2-3) x 100 Pull, descend on 1:25, 1:45, 1:55, 2:15
(3-6) x 50 Swim, descend 1-3, 4-6
Main – Test Set (500)
5 x 100 on approximately 6:00 (3 groups)
Time Left (100-600)
2 x 50 Kick, descend
2 x 50 Pull, descend
2 x 50 Swim, descend
Repeat
