Free Swimming Workouts, Sets, Ideas, and Dryland Exercises from Professional Coaches Around the World
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Black parts are freestyle breathing every 3 strokes (B3) and doing 4 underwater kicks (4DR).
Green parts were either IM or Back/free depending on swimmers’ specialty.
Intervals were pretty tight for our kids (this set was done in short course yards). We had some pretty good performances toward the end.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We split the group in two for this workout, and both sets went well. The mid/sprint set allowed enough time for some real technical focus. The distance set kept our guys “in the groove” for some very good 100s.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
On this set, we used stretch cords with a teammate providing the resistance for the 4 x 8 underwater kicks (do all 4x within the 1:00 interval).
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set led us to several swimmers posting lifetime best practice times at the end! The blue times with the arrows indicate extras rest time.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Every swim was on a 1:00 interval. Everything is fast unless otherwise indicated. In a few cases, we had to add an extra 25 easy to get our swimmers back to the end of the pool with all of our equipment. Otherwise, this set worked really well. SCM.
Ryan Lee
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Here’s a set we threw down to get aggressive with their 200 speed. Added battle ropes to produce forearm fatigue as they travel down the rabbit hole of the 200.
1st Round
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
I verbally called out when to start the fast parts.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set using StrechCordz as assistance to generate faster-than-race speeds into turns and finishes.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Our swimmers had been asking for a set where there was some sort of group incentive or group goal. I was happy to oblige with the set below (SCM).
The idea is this: we are doing 50s off the blocks until we score 400 points. Swimmers would score 1 point for the team if they beat their 1st 50 time for their best 200. 2 points were scored if they beat their 1st 50 time for their best 100. If they were able to beat the 1st 50 time for their GOAL time, they scored 3 points for the group.
Time goals were derived from the pace cards available on our Tools for Coaches page.
At random times in the set, we would do a 100 instead of a 50 with the stated goals.
As we started the set, I was concerned that it might take us a LONG time to get to the 400 goal. We got to 100 points relative ease, then to 200 it took a bit longer. As fatigue began to build (even with an ez 100 thrown in), the points started coming a bit more slowly, though the team stayed positive and supportive. After about 50 minutes and just shy of 300 points, I offered “get out swims” to 3 swimmers. We ended up with some phenomenal get-out swim 100s, and concluded the set. If I would do this set again, I might structure the points system slightly differently, but I was still pleased with the effort and the results we got.
Alex Morris, Kansas City Blazers
Looking to build speed on the stroke 50s throughout the set, work on closing speed in a 200 race
2 rounds, can change stroke between rounds
100 free @ 1:45
2×50 stroke @ :50 – 200RP +1
100 Free @ 1:45
4×50 @ 1:00 – @ 200RP
100 free @ 1:45
6×50 @ 1:10 – 200RP -1
300 ez – 50 kick/50 scull/50 drill
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. We did the 8 x 8 underwater kicks resisted with stretch cordz and SwimSmart Power Harnesses (which we reviewed here). The dolphin kicks were at high intensity. On the eighth repeat, we added 4 cycles of fast fly. The 25s, 50s, and 75s on this one went really well…the 3:1 ratio was just right for our group to do some real good fly while holding onto their rhythm and getting some recovery on the backstroke parts.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set went really well for our middle-distance and distance freestylers. Those who have legitimate best mile and 1,000 times used those respective paces. Others who have only a legit 500 time used the alternative +2 and +1 paces for the first two parts.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set was a challenging one for our crew… we had about 50% success with the 100s at P400IM. At the conclusion of this set, we took about 2:00 rest and then did a broken 200 IM. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We had a few minutes left at the end of practice the other night, so we finished with a little bit of breaststroke for everyone.
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Alex Morris, Kansas City Blazers
One round of each stroke, take the average of each round of 3×100 and add together for an estimated 400 IM time.
4 rounds, IM order by round:
4×25 desc 1-4 @ :30
3×100 stroke @ 1:45 best average/AFAP
2×50 kick/scull @ 1:00
1:00 rest between rounds
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Alex Morris, Kansas City Blazers
Start with good form/quality, then build tempo and effort throughout the set, aiming to finish around 1000 pace/tempo. Use 150’s as active rest
150 bk/br/fr @ 2:15
100 free @ 1:15/1:20
150 bk/br/fr
200 free @ 2:25/2:35
150 bk/br/fr
300 free @ 3:35/3:50
150 bk/br/fr
400 free @ 4:45/5:05
150 bk/br/fr
500 free @ 5:55/6:20
150 bk/br/fr
600 free @ 7:05/7:35
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The following is a quality set that we performed well on earlier this week.
by Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The folks at SwimSmart recently sent me their Power Harness to test out. We have been using it for a few weeks now, and my swimmers constantly ask if they can use it rather than the traditional waist belts. The Power Harness allows the loaded resistance to be applied to the upper body, freeing up the hips to move more naturally in every stroke. We particularly like it for breaststroke and butterfly, but we have been using it for freestyle and backstroke (you can wear it backwards!) too. The first time we used the Power Harness, here was the feedback I received:
athletes. It is pretty durably constructed and comes with a carabiner so that you can attach it to parachutes, power towers, StretchCordz, buckets, or whatever form of in-water resisted training you do. You can also choose to buy it with a parachute and/or a weight. I don’t have a large budget for training equipment, but after trying the Power Harness I have already bought 9 of these so we can have a bunch of swimmers using it at the same time.Chris Brookover, YBCC Phoenix
10 pounds of stuff in a 5-pound bag.
Fall 2018 Warm Up
1 x 400 @ 6:00 Loosen
4 x 50 @ :45 Drill w/ Forearm Fulcrums
4 x 100 @ 1:30 Descend 1 – 4
Aerobic
#A+
1 x 600 @ 8:00
1 x 500 @ 6:30
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:00
1 x 300 @ 3:40
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:20
1 x 200 @ 2:25
1 x 100 @ 1:10
#A
1 x 600 @ 8:15
1 x 500 @ 6:45
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:15
1 x 300 @ 3:50
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 1:55
1 x 200 @ 2:30
#B
1 x 600 @ 8:30
1 x 500 @ 7:00
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:30
1 x 300 @ 4:00
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 200 @ 2:35
Kicking:
#A
3 x 200 @ 3:20 Kicking W/ Fins
3 X
6 x 25 @ :25
Rest :30
#B
3 x 200 @ 3:30 Kicking W/ Fins
3 X
5 x 25 @ :30
Rest :30
Stroke – Perfect Technique – Intervals not that hard – thus you can think.
#Back
6 x 100 @ 2:00 W/ Fins & Fulcrums
6 x 100 @ 1:45 Back Swim – Build Each – Best Average
6 x 50 @ 1:15 Cup Head Drill Back Stroke
6 x 50 @ :50 Back Swim [2nd 25 Faster / Minumum 5 Kicks off wall]
6 x 25 @ :50 Spin Drill Backstroke
2 X
6 x 25 @ :45 Back Swim – All Out Sprint
Rest :30
#Breast
6 x 100 @ 2:00 Breast 4 Kick / 1 Pull – Double Pull Outs
5 x 100 @ 2:00 Breast Swim – Build Each – Best Average
6 x 50 @ 1:10 Free Kick no Board – Triple Pull Outs
6 x 50 @ :55 Breast Swim [2nd 25 Faster / Minumum 5 Kicks off wall]
6 x 25 @ :50 Spin Drill Breaststroke – [Breast Pull / Free Kick – Not Swim]
2 X
6 x 25 @ :45 Breast Swim – All Out Sprint
#Fly
6 x 100 @ 1:45 – Fly Kick On Back w/ Fins
8 x 25 @ :40 Swim Fly [Boys 6 Kicks 5 Strokes, Girls 6 Kicks 7 Strokes]
Rest :40
8 x 25 @ :40 Swim Fly [Boys 5 Kicks 6 Strokes, Girls 5 Kicks 8 Strokes]
6 x 100 @ 2:00 – Fly Kick Underwater – Streamline Position
8 x 25 @ :45 Swim Fly Fast – Horsehoe Finish
1 x 100 @ 3:00 EZ Free
8 x 25 @ :50 Swim Fly Fast
Swim Down
4 x 75 @ 1:30
3 x 50 @ 1:00
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This was a brief underwater kicking set that we did in a SCM pool as a pre-set before yesterday’s post. The instructions were to kick fast underwater to 12.5m every time (this was cut off in the picture below). For the first 6, the swimmers held one paddle out in front of them with the broad surface perpendicular to the oncoming water (to create drag).
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
2 x through:
6 x 100 all out from start
2 @ 5:00 (with a 100 ez)
2 @ 4:00 (with a 50 ez)
2 @ 3:00
200 easy swim
Swimmers had two options for strokes. They could either pick a stroke and stick with it for one round (6x100s). Alternatively, they could choose the “IM option,” doing all four strokes in IM order but tripling up on their best individual stroke.
This was a great set for us, with excellent esprit de corps and some pretty good results for early in the season.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
On days when we do what I call “quality sets” (generally fast swims off the blocks or race-pace swims from a push) I have noticed that our breaststrokers sometimes have difficulty getting up to full speed, even after a full warmup. This set was designed to get their engines going before today’s quality set.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The intervals on this set were based on best 100 times for whichever stroke was being performed. Swimmers whose best 100 time is under 1:00 Weedon the A interval,etc. In hindsight, the JMI (just make it) interval needed to be faster for our fastest freestylers. Our group did well on this set and was hitting some pretty good 75 times by the end.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This was an early season resistance set for us. The aim of the bucket set was to establish some baseline values for resisted sprint 25s, to be used throughout the season. We did a round of each stroke on the buckets, starting with each swimmer’s best stroke and progressing to his worst stroke.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This was a simple swim and kick set that got us some good kicking effort. Getting going on the freestyle 200s after the kick also set us up well for a sprint set after this.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set was originally published here in 2016
So much of performing good turns in short course fly and breaststroke swims comes from spacing the cycles out correctly. The key is that swimmers hit the wall at the conclusion of a full cycle, and not on a short stroke or a long glide. This set is simple but demands exactly that.
6 x 25 Breast @ :35 — Hit the wall correctly at specified cycle count or it doesn’t count (take :20 extra rest and then continue
100 ez free
6 x 25 Breast @ :30 — same instructions as above
100 ez free
6 x 25 Breast @ :25 — same instructions above.
100 ez free
200 Breast odd 25s at min cycle count, even 25s 15m speed drill, 10m long and smooth strokes
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. Intervals listed are an A and B interval for round 1, round 2, and round 3. 3 x through that for 9 total rounds. For instance, for the A interval it would be 100 kick @1:45, 50 swim @:35, 100 Kick @1:35, 50 swim @:45, 100 Kick @1:25, 50 swim @:55.
Gary Galbreath, Head Coach of the Columbia Swim Club, formerly of the Dayton Raiders
This set was originally published to the blog in 2010.
Here’s a set we did Saturday morning. Just as a reminder it’s base building time! We did it SC meters. Everyone was on the same cycle. The Kick part was the chance to catch up if the were struggling with the Times. It’s just a good Aerobic set. Total 8800 meters
25 Kick@ 30
4 x 50 @ 45 Descend 1-4
Free
75 Kick@ 1:30
4 x 100 @ 1:30 Descend 1-4
25 Stroke/50 Free/25 Stroke
125 Kick @ 2:30
4 x 150 @ 2:05 Descend 1-4
Free
175 Kick@ 3:30
4 x 200 @ 3:00 Descend 1-4
BackStroke
225 Kick @ 4:30
4 x 250 @ 3:15 Descend 1-4
Free
275 kick@ 5:30
4 x 300 @ 4:30 Descend 1-4
100 IM/100No Free/100 Free
325 Kick @ 6:30
4 x 350 @ 4:25 Descend 1-4
Free
375 Kick@ 7:30
4 x 400 IM @ 6:30
#1 4 x 100 IM
#2 100IM/200 IM/100IM
#3 2 x 200 IM
#4 Reverse 400 IM
8800 meters
