A Great Halloween Set

We found this one on the USMS website from Coach Mike Collins at NOVA Masters.

Special “Evil” Practice – Come if you dare!

Warm-up:
ae – 200 Free + 100 Back + 100 Breast
i – 150 Free + 75 Back + 75 Breast
r – 100 Free + 50 Back + 50 Breast

1 x 400/300 Evil Free Swim
No wall turns. Turn at the “T” WITHOUT touching the bottom.
Every 4th length Fly w/ Breast kick.

7 x 50’s of Progressive Pain (w/ Fins)
25 FAST Fly + 25 Free
Do pullouts at the turn as follows:
#1- 2 pullouts #2 – 4 pullouts
#3 – 6 pullouts #4 – 8 pullouts
Then back down 6-4-2 to make 7 50’s
Interval increases by 5 with more pullouts and decreases by 5 as they are
taken out

Zombies in the Grave Kicking – 6/4 x 50’s @ :20 RI (w/ Fins)
25 kick on back with arms straight up in the air shoulder width
apart – Kick like HELL!
2nd 25 of each 50 is Backstroke Swim

Swim – 6 x 100 Insane IM’s & Sanity Free @ :20 RI
Odd 100’s – Insane IM’s. Use different kick for each stroke
Fly w/ Flutter kick
Back w/ dolphin kick
Breast w/ flutter kick
Free w/ Breast kick
Even 100’s – Normal swim to return sanity

Suffocating Pull of Death – 3 x (3 x 50’s Pulling)
1st round: 5-4-3 breaths per 50. Beginners start at 6-5-4
2nd round: 4-3-2 breaths per 50
3rd round: 3-2-1 breaths per 50
Intervals :50-1:00-1:10, 1:00-1:10-1:20, 1:10-1:20-1:30

4/3 x Screamer 50’s @ 1:30 or 2:00
25 easy+25 fast
Let out a blood curdling Scream or witch’s cackle at the turn
Leave after the person in front of you screams

Quality and Technique

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach, Parkland Aquatic Club

SCY
We performed this set to get in some high-quality yardage while also spending some time on specific technical elements of our freestyle

20 x 400
odd fastest possible average @ 5:00
even easy @ 6:00
Follow these specific instructions on the easy swims:
#1 and #11 – Breathe every 3 strokes
#3 and #13 – Kick at least 4+ dolphin kicks off every wall
#5 and #15- Open turns with great streamlines
#7 and #17- 25 breathing right/25 breathing left
#9 and #19- Finish every 25 with a perfect touch

For an  I.M. option: Do the fast swims IM  @ 6:00 and go a 300 (instead of 400) easy @ 5:00.

Kickin’ with Wiken #5

Erik Wiken
Head Coach, Heartland Aquatics

This post is the fifth in a series of posts from Coach Wiken’s Senior/National Team Group.  Look for more to come soon.

7 x 100 @ 2:10 IM Cycle
      -Kick, build each 50 to strong kick
1 x 200 @ 4:50 IM
      -Kick for Time, in SL (1 stroke/turn)
3 x 100 @ 2:10 IM Transitions
      -Kick, build each 50 to strong kick
1 x 200 @ 4:30 IM
     -Kick for Time, in SL (1stroke/turn)
1400 yards, 31 minutes

A Few Favorites

Dan Harrigan
1976 Olympic Bronze Medalist- 200 Back
Former Coach, Penn State University

Dan counts the great Dick Jochums as his mentor.  Here are a few of Dan’s favorite sets:
10 x 100 free (yds)on 1:15 count strokes for each lap. Each 25 take one less stroke.
This will tend to make you kick more toward the end of each hundred.

10 x 200m back swim/kick by 100s on 2:45 (or an interval that gives you little time to rest, maybe 5 to 10 seconds.)

15 x 100 free on descending intervals (meters):

first five on 1:15

next five on 1:10

last five on 1:05

Kickin’ with Wiken #2

Erik Wiken
Head Coach, Heartland Aquatics

This post is the second in a series of posts from Coach Wiken’s Senior/National Team Group.  Look for more to come soon.

No Board/in Streamline on back, 1 stroke max into wall
3 x through:
    4 x 100 @ 2:00   
       75Flutter/25 Dolphin, 50/50, 25/75, 0/100
    4 x 25 @ :45 Fly Swim
    ½ Way – 15M ↓H20 kick into sprint swim
    1 x 50 @ 1:00 Easy FR Swim

1650/36 minutes



Kickin’ with Wiken #1

Erik Wiken
Head Coach, Heartland Aquatics

This post is the first in a series of posts from Coach Wiken’s Senior/National Team Group.  Look for more to come soon.

With Board or in Streamline (1 stroke max into wall)
4 x 100 @ 2:00 FR Strong Kick
4 x 25 @ :45 FR All Out Kick
3 x 100 @ 1:55 FR Strong Kick
4 x 25 @ :45 FR All Out Kick
2 x 100 @ 1:50 FR Strong Kick
4 x 25 @ :45 FR All Out Kick
1 x 100 @ 1:45 FR Strong Kick
4 x 25 @ :45 FR All Out Kick
1 x 100 @ — Easy Moderate FR Swim
1500/35 minutes