Author: rdwoodruff

Prepare for meet warm-up with this fun warm-down concept

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Coach Richard Heselton
UK

I often think that the first swimming gala (meet) warm-up can be a daunting experience when the lanes get full. To prepare our junior swimmers I like to set the following swim down.

All athletes in one lane (the more the better). Set the distance 200m+.  First swimmer sets off, and the next swimmer follows but is not allowed to copy the stroke of the first swimmer, and so on. They have to swim all strokes without copying the swimmer in front. There is no overtaking or stopping at the end of the lanes allowed.
See Coach Heselton’s previous posts:
The Swim Your Name Set
Kick Set from the UK

Our Most Popular Post of Each Month This Year

Posted on by rdwoodruff

We have posted a new workout, set, or idea here every day this year.  Here is the most popular post from every month so far.

January: Middle Distance IM Set from Nittany Lion Coach Ryan Sprang

February: Boom Boom 75s

March: Aerobic Power and IM Transitions with Coach Mathieu Leroy

April: Sprint/Power Workout with Coach Josh Udermann

May: 200 Free Mania

June: One of the best ideas I ever had

12 13 Books Every Swim Coach Should Read

The "X" Set for Age Groupers with Coach Dan Mascolo

Posted on by rdwoodruff
Dan Mascolo
Associate Head Coach

Cheshire Y/Sea Dog Swim Club (CDOG-CT)

In a conversation with another coach, I explained a test set that I had devised years ago that I use several times per season to both help gauge their progress throughout the season as well as to help the kids realize what kind of intervals they can actually handle at practice. I am sure that other coaches do this or something very similar.
The X-Set

5 X 100 Free @ “X”

1:00 Rest

5 X 100 Free @ “X” – :05

1:00 Rest

5 X 100 Free @ “X” – :10

1:00 Rest

5 X 100 Free @ “X” – :15

1:00 Rest

5 X 100 Free @ “X” -:20
This set has evolved over the years so now we cap the set at 5 rounds, so that you can “win” the set instead of not having a goal in front of them to strive for once they have passed their best result. I do this set with my 3 Age Group practice groups ages 9-12. Swimmers continue until they miss a send off at which point they are “X”terminated. They climb out and give the coach their results and then rejoin the group going 75’s instead of 100’s.
We start the first test each season with the same sendoff
Age Group 1 (9-10’s without Age Group Champ cuts) starts at 2:00
Age Group 2 (9-10’s with AG Champ cuts; 11-12’s without cuts) starts at 1:45
Age Group 3 (11-12’s with AG Champ cuts) starts at 1:30

After the first test we will adjust the starting time looking at how many swimmers “win” the set. Usually we will start the set :05 faster starting with the second test and keep it there for the rest of the season. We keep an all time top 5 list and kids really fight to get on that list.

Animal Kicks from Coach Jim Steen

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Recently, I have been enjoying Chris Ritter’s Sports Performance podcast.  He has been interviewing an impressive list of coaches, and a recent one he spoke with new Pittsburgh (former U Penn) assistant Coach Marc Christian, and in it Christian spoke about a kick set his mentor Jim Steen used to do at Kenyon.

Coach Christian used this set once every 8-10 days with his sprinters at Penn.

Animal Kicks
10 x 100 kick @ :10 rest, aiming for the fastest possible overall time.  Record total times and seek gradual improvement every time the set is performed.

One of the best ideas I ever had (or maybe stole)…

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

I probably got this idea from somewhere, but it is pretty simple so maybe I came up with it myself…

Want to use video to help your swimmers improve their technique? Great — buy an iPad and start filming.  But there is a better way…

If you coach teenagers, they probably all have a camera phone.  Have them pair up. Give them a prompt on what to work on (i.e. examine freestyle breathing technique, looking for horizontal head position) and give them 10-15 minutes to film each other and give each other feedback.  Peer Coaching!

The benefits are many:
1. Tons of feedback for EVERY swimmer in your group, something that would take an individual coach hours to do by himself.
2. A chance to use a rapid feedback loop in a way that isn’t easy to do in a normal workout.  Do it…watch it… do it again, better… watch it… do it again better still.
3. The teaching swimmer learns as well. Teaching is one of the best ways to learn.
4. Team bonding! Swimmers enjoy working together and helping each other improve.

I promise you… give this a try and you will love it.  If not, I will give you a full refund of your purchase price for this post.

Choose your weapon — back or breast

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

LCM.  Wanted to get some good swimming of both of these strokes in today.  Being within the best+30 goal on the 200s wasn’t a problem for most, and the conscientious ones were able to be within 20 for the most part.  Rest intervals allowed for good flexibility on lane assignments and stroke choices.  Swimmers had to stick with either stroke for a round before switching.

Choose Your Descend with Coach John Ravestein

Posted on by rdwoodruff

John Ravestein
TYDE Coach – National Team
YMCA of Northwest North Carolina

We did this yesterday, I liked it because it gave the kids some freedom of what they wanted to descend but the intervals were still hard enough that they couldn’t slack on the other part. I also played a game to see if I could pick which one they descended based on their effort. You can also have them pick it before they start to give them ownership of the set.

10x50s on :50

     Odds- fly, Evens- IM

     Desc 1-5

     You pick to either desc the fly or IM

Rest 1:00

8x100s on 1:25

     Odds- back, Evens- IM

     Desc 1-4

     You pick to either desc the back or IM

Rest 1:00

6x150s on 2:20

     Odds- breast, Evens- IM no Free

     Desc 1-3

     You pick to either desc the breast or IM

Rest 1:00

4x200s on 2:45

     Odds- Free, Evens- IM

     Desc 1-2

     You pick to either desc the free or IM

200 ez

12 Books All Swim Coaches Should Read 
Tools for Swim Coaches
Submit your own set
 

Free/IM Day with Coach Brandon Fain

Posted on by rdwoodruff
Brandon Fain
New Braunfels YMCA Swim Team
New Braunfels,  TX   
KICK 12 X 50 FINS          1:00
           -4 BK 4 FLY 4 FR
           – ALL IN STREAMLINE
           – AT LEAST 12 YARDS UNDERWATER
SWIM 2 X 150
            – BREATHE 3-5-7 BY 50  REST :15
            – ALWAYS WORK THE TURNS
SWIM 8 X 75
            – 50 IM ORDER 25 FREE  1:45
            – BUILD
SWIM 3 X 150 FREE                  3:00
             – BREATHE 3-5-7 BY 50 REST :15
             – WORK STREAMLINES / TURNS
SWIM 4 X 125.                            3:00
             – 100 – 80% / 25 – SPRINT
DRILL 6 X 100 IM                      2:30
            – DON’T DO SAME DRILL MORE THAN TWICE
DRILL 6 X 50 FREE                  1:05
            -SIDE KICK 6 + 3 STROKES

I always drill at the end of practice.   I believe doing good drills at the end of practice will help hold strokes together at the end of a race.

Butterfly Quality Control

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

With narrow lanes and lots of turbulence in our pool, I try to find ways for our swimmers to get in good quality fly sets without having to dodge teammates, do 1-arm strokes, or have to worry about getting hit in the face.  This set accomplished all of those objectives AND helped us deliver some fast performances at practice.  On the 25s, we were able to go :10 apart.  On the 75s, I would start the second heat when the first heat had finished about 60m (SCM pool).  For the 125s, the second heat would begin as soon as the first heat had finished about 110m.  This also produced a “chasing” effect that encouraged swimmers to finish their last 25 fast lest they get caught by a teammate in embarrassing fashion.

"The Olympic Set" with Coach Mathieu Leroy

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Mathieu Leroy
Chartres, France

Editor’s Note: Have you checked out Bob Bowman’s new book yet? The Golden Rules is a Swimming Wizard recommended read.  

 
//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//popuri.us/assets/js/twitterwidget.js”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, ‘script’, ‘popuri-jssdk’));

Broken 175s for Kicking Prowess

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

Lynchburg YMCA

!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js”;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,”script”,”twitter-wjs”); SCY
This set is designed to encourage swimmers to practice strong kicking through the middle and end of 200 events. Time the total round (50+75+50), with the goal being to beat one’s lifetime best 200 time. Typically, breaststrokers and flyers will have the easiest time achieving this goal.

6x through @ 4:00:

50 fast swim
:10 rest
75 fast kick with a board
:10 rest
50 fast swim