Triple Crown Set

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

This set comes from Coach Sean Quinn. He typically has our Senior II swimmers perform it once a season:

3x through (all swims fast for time):
1,000 free @ ~16:00
500 free @ ~10:00
400 IM @ ~10:00

Record all times. Fastest total time wins the "Triple Crown!"

Turn Test Set

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

SCY This set is intended to test an athlete's turning ability as well as encourage him or her to improve this all-important skill. It works for open turns with fly or breaststroke swimming. If you have touch pads that can measure turn time, this set could also be good for back or free.

Swimmer performs 1 x 200 for time. Coach times the swimmer's turns (from hand touch to feet leaving the wall) cumulatively using the start and stop buttons on the watch. Record swimmer's total turn time and average turn time. For instance, a good total might be 7.00 seconds, average turn time of 1.00 seconds per turn.

Swimmer then performs fast 50s on a moderate interval (perhaps a 1:1 work:rest ratio). If the swimmer's total turn time was 7 seconds, then he does seven 50s. If it took him 10 seconds, he does ten 50s. During the 50s, the coach times the swimmer's turn. Swimmer must beat his average turn time by .2 seconds and give a good effort on the 50 for it to count.

If doing this set in a group setting, divide the swimmers into teams, each swimmer with a partner on the opposite team and a stopwatch per partnership. Team with the least # of 50s to do wins.

Monday Movie: Inspirational

It may not be a workout, but check out this guy's incredible technique despite his physical limitation. Listen for his time at the end of the clip - incredible!

Solo Distance Training Set

Anonymous Submission

Here is a progressing series of sets I use to train for long distance open water racing.

 

Week 1 -

   Day 1 - 4 x 500 first 100 fast, 50 easy, balance at race pace 3 min rest between reps

  Day 3 - 5 x 500 first 100 fast, 50 easy, balance at race pace 3 min rest between reps

   Day 5 - 6 x 500 first 100 fast, 50 easy, balance race pace 3 min rest between reps.

 

Each week I start back at 4 reps but increase the distance by 100 total per rep and increase the fast part by 50 per rep. so Week 2, Day 1 would be 4x600, 150 fast, 50 easy, balance at race pace Week 3 Day 1 would be 4x700, first 200 fast, 50 easy, balance race pace. and so on. I do this for a 5 week cycle. It is important to focus on going really fast for the first part of each rep and returning back to race pace for the balance of each rep. The goal of these sets is to improve ability to swim long distances at a fast pace and to get used to going out fast. In open water swimming this will help you to get out with the front pack and free from the crowds. As you can see I do this set three times a week. On days 2,4 and 6 each week I do sprint and technique work.

Blast From the Past #2

Chris Webb, SwimMAC Carolina

This post is the second of two submissions by Coach Webb detailing workouts from past stops in his coaching career (Click here for #1).  This set originally was a creation of Chris Plumb of the Carmel Swim Club from 2008.

15x200 on 3:00-3:30 choice
If the swimmer is within 10 of their best time they skip two 200's. If they are within 15 of their best they skip one. 16+ they skip none. So the set could be 5x200's on 9:00 or it could be a whole lot of painful 200's 16 over your best. This set rewards performance.

Miler 25s

Gary Galbreath, Dayton Raiders

Did this set early during taper for the Distance Group

 

Repeat Set 3 Times.  All 25s are to a hand touch.  Do Not Flip.
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 20 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 19 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 18 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 17 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 16 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 15 Fast

Blast from the Past #1

Chris Webb, SwimMAC Carolina

This is the first of two submissions from Coach Webb of sets that he used at a past stop in his coaching career.  This first one is from the 2001 Team Pittsburgh Distance group

3x200 fr on 2:10
2x200 fr on 2:05
1 min rest
1x500 on 5:30
3x200 fr on 2:15
2x200 fr on 2:10
1 min rest
1x500 on 5:20
3x200 fr on 2:20
2x200 fr on 2:15
1 min rest
1x500 fr on 5:10

Monday Movie: Kinesthetic Memory for Freestyle

An interesting way to construct or correct a stroke with Dr. Rein Haljand.

IM Overload Loop

Eric Talsma, Hamilton (MI) Swimming

Another set we like for a good IM practice SCY:
IM Overload Set:
4 x (16 x 50 on :50/:60/1:10)
 Odd 50's are Overload Stroke
 Even 50's are Broken 400 IM
So first time through looks like this
1-Fly
2-Fly
3-Fly
4-Fly
5-Fly
6-Back
7-Fly
8-Back
9-Fly
10-Breast
11-Fly
12-Breast
13-Fly
14-Free
15-Fly
16-Free
Second time replace Fly on the odds with Back, third time they'll be Breast and fourth they'll be Free. I got this set from someone but I can't remember who for the life of me. We've been using it for quite a while.

FOWLI Set

Eric Talsma, Hamilton (MI) Swimming

This is a fun set that we do. Or we use it as part of a larger set. Great for getting the kids to push each other and make each other suffer a bit.

We call it simply FOWLI which stands for First Out When Last In. No time interval, they just leave based on how fast those around them are swimming. We usually do it as 25's but you can do it for any length repeat.

Generally set up with between 3 and 6 swimmers per lane. The fewer the swimmers the tougher the set.

When the last swimmer touches the wall, the first swimmer leaves. We want them to be leaving at about :02 intervals so they are really pretty close to each other. We encourage them to pass if they can but they must hang on to the feet of the person in
front of them.

Each swimmer leads between 1 and 4 repeats. The fewer repeats before rotating the lead the tougher the set. After the leader is done they go to the back of the lane, giving them between 6 and 12 seconds extra rest, everyone else moves up one spot shorting them on :02 or so of rest.

Some variations that we like: w/ zoomers or fins, pulling, stroke, IM order rotating lead every 4, as a lead in to a set, in the middle of a set, at the end of a set, etc. We like to mix it in to a workout once a week or so. We encourage them to push each other and steal their lane-mates rest.


Hope you like it. Let me know if you have any questions.

I'll try to get you some others that we like to do. I really appreciate the site. It has spurred some good conversations and some good thinking on workout ideas.

Tricep Fire

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

You guessed it... this one will burn!

SCY
30 x 50 done in ten sets of 3. After each set of three, perform 8 press-outs on the edge of the pool, adding :10 seconds to the interval on the 3rd 50.
Set #1,#4,#6 and #9: descend 1-3 to P200 or faster @ 1:00
Set #2 and #7: 1 ez, 2 at P200 or faster @ :50
Set #3 and #8: moderate, descend cycle count @ :40
Set #5 and #10: Fastest possible average @ 1:00

Free/Back Workout

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

SCY
500 free @ 6:20 (1:16)
10 x 75 choice odd kick @ 1:20, even swim build @ 1:00
500 free @ 6:10 (1:14)
10 x 50 free, 1 @ :50, 2 @ :45, 3 @ 40 4@:35
500 free @ 6:00 (1:12)
10 x 25 back odds ez swim @:30 even uw dolphin kick @:20
500 free @ 5:50
10 x 25 free odds ez @ :30 even sprint no breath @:20
500 free @ 6:00
10 x 50 back odd @ :50, even @ :35
500 free @ 6:10
10 x 75 choice odd kick @ 1:20, even swim build @ :55
500 free @ 6:20
TOTAL: 6500 yards

Monday Movie: V-Ups with a Pull Buoy

From the GoSwim series, an improved twist on a classic dryland exercise.

E.T.'s Backstroke Set

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

This set was written for backstroke, but it really could be performed any stroke.

300 25 scull/50 drill/25 swim @ :20 rest
2 x 50 swim at tempo (Find your tempo with this set)@ :20 rest

300 25 scull/50 drill/25 swim @ :20 rest
2 x 75 swim at tempo @ :30 rest

300 25 scull/50 drill/25 swim @ :20 rest
2 x 100 50 build up to race tempo/50 at tempo

Yet Another Shreveport Set...

Dustin Myers, City of Shreveport Swim Team

LCM

 

3 rounds:

1 x 200  IM;  25 kick, 25 drill

4 x 100  fast;  round #1 = 50 fly 50 back, round #2 = 50 back 50 breast, round # 3 = 50 breast 50 free

 

2-3 min rest

 

3 rounds:

1 x 200  IM;  25 kick, 25 drill

1 x 200  worst stroke; 50 drill, 50 strong effort

1 x 200  IM;  all out from push

 

2-3 min rest

 

3 rounds:

1 x 200  IM;  25 kick, 25 drill

1 x 200  IM;  designated drills at aerobic pace

4 x 50  IM order; all out for an added up time better than your best time

 

 

 

The first 200 IM k/d of each round/set is meant for recovery.  On the second set I had kids coming within 9 seconds of their best 200 IM times (from a push too!).  On the third set I had kids who's add up 200 times were 2-4 seconds faster than their goal time for that season. 

 

When giving the practice only tell your swimmers one set at a time, that way they'll focus on each set individually.  So the 2-3 rest between sets is actually when you are explaining the next part.  At the end of the practice my kids admitted that if I had given them the entire set at the beginning they would have been a lot more cautious at the beginning.

July Fly

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

This set accomplishes 3,350 meters of butterfly swimming while spacing out the freestyle recovery to allow swimmers to maintain their butterfly technique.

LCM
2 sets of 40 x 50m

1 @ 1:00 all fly
2 @ :55 first 35m fly, then free
3 @ :50 first 25m fly, then free
4 @ :45 first 15m sprint fly, then free
4 @ :55 all fly
3 @ :50 first 35m fly, then free
2 @ :45 first 25m fly, then free
1 @ :40 first 15m sprint fly, then free
10 @ :50 25 drill/25 build to perfect finish
10 @ 1:00 fly fastest possible average

How Tough Are You?

The following set originally appeared on Swimming World's workout page. Give it a try for a solid IM workout.

LCM
800m swim free @ 10:40
2x400m IM all out @ 6:10
600m swim fly/free, by 100 @ 8:30
2x400m IM all out @ 6:00
400m swim free/back by 50 @ 6:00
2x400m IM all out @ 5:50
200m swim breast @ 3:20
2x400m IM all out @ 5:40

Total: 5200m, 77 minutes

Tempo Trainer Set #4

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

LCM
1 x 400 free @ 6:20 25m at tempo/25m ez free

2 x 200 free @ 3:10 35m at tempo/15m ez free

4 x 100 prime stroke @ 2:00
#1 - 35m at tempo/65m ez
#2 - 50m at tempo/50m ez
#3 - 65m at tempo/35m ez
#4 - 75m at tempo/25m ez

6 x 50 prime stroke, just fast, no tempo trainers
#1 @ 1:20
#2 @ 1:10
#3 @ 1:00
#4,5,6 @ :50

Monday Movie: The Bulgarian Bag

Don't have a weight room? You can do some awesome exercises using the Bulgarian Bag. Find instructions on how to make one for $2 here.

Happy Independence Day

Here's an inspiring video that reminds me how awesome it is to be a citizen of the world's greatest sporting nation:

Captain Jack 100s

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

"Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid." -Captain Jack Sparrow

SCY
This set was inspired by the scene from Pirates of the Carribbean when the pirates trek across the bottom of the ocean. Thought it would be a good challenge to run across the bottom of the pool.

This set is best performed in 6 to 8 feet of water. Have swimmers each grab weights or weight belts (10-20 pounds per person should do) and place them 12.5 yards down the pool.

Perform the following in rapid succession (no rest)
1) 12.5 yards sprint from a dive
2) Dive down and pick up your weight from the bottom, holding it and "running" along the bottom of the pool for 12.5 yards to the opposite side, dropping the weight by the wall.
3) Perform 5 press-outs on the pool edge.
4) Swim a 50 fast
5) Pick up your weight from the bottom and "run" it along the bottom back to the middle of the pool. Drop your weight.
6) Push off the bottom and sprint the final 12.5 yards to a perfect finish.

Rest and repeat as you wish.

Savvy?

Cyclone Kick Set

Lucas Ferreira, Ames Cyclone Aquatics Club

This is a set I did with my age groupers, but if you adapt the intervals I'm sure senior swimmers can get a lot out of it too:

SCY
The 400, 200s, 100s, and 50s kick are always 50 FR / 50 FL on BK

1x400 Kick - 8:00
4x25 UW DK @ 0:45
0:30 extra rest, fins on!
2x200 – 3:10
4x25 UW DK @ 0:45
0:30 extra rest, fins off!
4x100 – 2:00
4x25 UW DK @ 0:45
0:30 extra rest, fins on!
8x50 – 0:45
8x25, long UW DK, FAST Breakout! @ 0:45

Shreveport Sequel: Descending/Challenge Set

Dustin Myers, City of Shreveport Swim Team

Just wanted to say I enjoy your blog.  I think one of the great things about USA Swimming is thE fact that we share all of our ideas.  It's what makes us great.

 

 

SCY

 

Adjust intervals to fit the needs of your swimmers.  The intervals listed are the intervals we used for our top group.  Take 0:30 rest inbetween each set.

 

10 x 100  @  1:20 

8 x 100  @  1:15 

6 x 100  @  1:10  

4 x 100  @  1:05

? x 100  @  1:00

 

On the last set of 100's the goal is to do as many as possible.  The most I had from my group was 4 (0:56, 0:58, 0:58, 0:59).  Average was 2.