Category: Sets

Max Underwater Average Set

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

On the 25s, the goal was to hold the farthest possible average distance (with some pretty good speed) on each set.

The 225/200/175 was an A/B/C distance dependent on swimmer’s kicking speed. Swimmers chose the appropriate distance for themselves individually.

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Broken Bucket Challenge Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

I frequently post sets where we use buckets and I get some questions about what kinds of buckets we are using. Here is what we use:

It is a simple 1-gallon “paint bucket” from Home Depot. We string some paracord through the handle holes and then connect the bucket to a belt by a rope about 6 feet in length. The beats we use are recycled from old stretch cords.

This set worked well today. The broken 200 was challenging but the :10 rest allowed them to hold their stroke technique. The interval on the broken 200 and 100 allowed them to really get up and go on the 3 x 25. We cycled through 2 rotations of this station and some drag sox work.

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Racing for Points and Prizes with WEST Express and Coach Heidi Miler

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Heidi Miler, West Express Swim Team

We did this Saturday to simulate some racing as we have a big meet in two weeks and many of our kids haven’t swam a meet yet coming out of HS season.

I think it went well as it raised the racing level more than we normally see doing “regular off the block sprints”

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Saturday, January 5, 2019

Sprints off blocks – simulate racing with Winter Classic Meet in two weeks

1000 Meet warm up

6 x 50 @ 50 – build through a fast turn

300 kick build by 100

6 x 50  @ 50 – build to a fast finish

300 pull

1200/ 2200

2 x 100  @ 1:40 – 50 drill/50 free – technique focus

4 x 25 @ 30   Sprint free

100 easy

2 x 100 @ 1:50 – Non free 50 drill/50 – technique focus

4 x 25 @ 30 Sprint non free

200 easy

900/3100

Point System:

Winner of each heat gets 10 points, 2nd place 5

Best time 20 points

Best time –within 1 second 10 points

Best time within 2 seconds 5 points

Best time within 3 seconds 3 points

We set up in heats of similar speed – did each of these swims on approx. 5 min with some easy swimming and point calculating in between swims

All Swims AFAP

2 x 100 Free

1 x 100 Non Free (did not score this for heat winners with too many different strokes going on)

1 x 100 IM

At end choose between 2 x 100 broken swims or 1 x 200/500 broken swim

Cool Down

Highest point scorer won a won a TYR Prize (t-shirt, goggles etc)

I printed out a sheet with each swimmers best time sheet and attached it to the table – in between rounds the swimmers calculated their points

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KC Blazer Technique Quality and 200 Race Endurance

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Coach Alex Morris, KC Blazers

Here is a set we used with our National group to reinforce technique quality and race endurance on 200s of stroke. The 25s and 75s should be primary stroke (Or 3 rounds prime, 2 rounds of a secondary stroke). The swimmers chose their intervals on the 75s based on the stroke they were doing and ability, then the rest interval at the end of each round designed to bring the whole group back together to start the next round

5 rounds:
4×25 on :30, 1 form/DPS, 1 build, 1 hold, 1 fast
4×75 hold form and stroke count @ :55/1:00/1:05
50 sprint kick @ :50 (body line kick w/snorkel)
3×50 choice ez @ :50
About 20-60sec Rest to regroup before starting next round

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Any Stroke ‘Best Average’ Set with Coach Gary Galbreath

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Gary Galbreath, Columbia Swim Club

All the same stroke
125 @ 2:00 Fins & Paddles
1 x 75 @ 1:30 Best Avg
1 x 50 @ 1:00 BA
1 x 25 @ 45 BA
125 @ 2:00 Fins & Paddles
1 x 75 @ 1:30 BA
1 x 50 @ 1:00 BA
2 x 25 @ 45 BA
125 @ 2:00 Fins & Paddles
1 x 75 @ 1:30 BA
1 x 50 @ 1:00 BA
3 x 25 @ 45 BA
125 @ 2:00 Fins & Paddles
1 x 75 @ 1:30 BA
2 x 50 @ 1:00 BA
3x 25 @ 45 BA
125 @ 2:00 Fins & Paddles
1 x 75 @ 1:30 BA
3 x 50 @ 1:00 BA
3 x 25 @ 45 BA
125 @ 2:00 Fins & Paddles
2 x 75 @ 1:30 BA
3 x 50 @ 1:00 BA
3 x 25 @ 45 BA
The 125s were supposed to be DPS with a focus on Underwater Kicking & Pullouts
The 75s, 50s & 25s were to swim the same speed on all.

Be Aggressive and then ‘Beat the Beep’ with Coach Jorge Fernandez

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Coach Jorge Fernandez, Falfins Swim Team

Here is a set the mid. dist./dist. freestylers did Tuesday 12/18. We train at Wolf Ranch Rec. Center in Colorado Springs at 6400 feet so I have to give them more rest on certain sets and repeats. The focus on the 200’s was to get out strong and steady, the 50’s focus was the middle part of the race where you have to be more aggressive getting out of your comfort zone, and the 25’s focus was to bring it home with a great tempo and legs. Also on the 25’s I had a few kids do their specialty stroke like fly, breast, or backstroke focusing on their 100 goal pace.

5×200@2:40 pink    +5×50@50 red    +4×25 beat the beep with a tempo trainer.

Regroup after beat the beep. Individuals have different times to beat. So 1 to 1.5 minutes rest before the 200’s.

4×200@2:40 pink    +4×50@50 red    +4×25 beat the beep with a tempo trainer.

Regroup.

3×200@2:40 pink    +3×50@50 red    +4×25 beat the beep.

Regroup.

2×200@2:40 pink    +2×50@50 red    +4×25 beat the beep.

Regroup.

1×200@2:40 pink    +1×50@50 red    +4×25 beat the beep.

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Fun Relay Speed Work

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Recently at practice about half of our group was missing for a high school meet. We had a block of about 45 minutes that I wanted to get in some good speed work. How to get them excited for it and get some good results? Wacky relays.

We had 12 swimmers split into 4 teams of 3, which allowed us to swim at a roughly 1:2 work-rest ratio. We did 5 relays followed by some active recovery swimming.

Relay 1: 450m each person swims 6×25 free (keeping it simple to get us started)

Relay 2: 450m, each swims 6 x 25 no free

Relay 3: 450m, each swims 25 no free, 75 free, 25 no free, and 75 free

Relay 4: 450m, each swims 25 free, 75 no free, 25 free, 75 no free

By this time, each relay team had won a single race thanks to my expert dividing of teams. The final race would decide who had to do the longest warm down:

Relay 5: 300m each person swims 2 x 50m free dragging a partner holding on to their ankle.

Result: all teams disqualified for various forms of cheating.

The 4-way tie mandated an immediate 50 fly swim-off by a single swimmer from each team.

I got way more energy and effort out of them with this strategy than I would have with a traditional set!

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Aerobic Free/Bk/Br for Mid-IM Stamina

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Ryan Woodruff

This set was intended to focus on the middle part of our IM swims. Every swim has a 100 back/100 breast in the middle. That 200 is the focus of the set, and we aimed to descend that 200 across the 8 swims. Any distance before or after that 200 is freestyle. We did this in a SCM pool.

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IM with Fly Underwater Kicking Focus

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Chris Brookover, YBCC Phoenix

This one is simple and could be changed around but it turned out really well. The fly 25’s turned out to be more of a kick set than swim.

A+ had 1:20 Base for the IM, A had 1:25 and B 1:30

6 x 25 @ :35 Fly – Minimum FIVE Kicks

4 x 100 @ 1:20 –  25 FR / 25 BK / 25 BR / 25 FR

Rest :40

6 x 25 @ :35 Fly – Minimum FIVE Kicks

Rest 1:00

8 x 25 @ :40 Fly – Minimum SIX Kicks

3 x 200 @ 2:40 50 FR / 50 BK / 50 BR / 50 FR

Rest :40

8 x 25 @ :40 Fly – Minimum SIX Kicks

Rest :40

10 x 25 Fly @ :45 Minimum EIGHT Kicks

2 x 300 IM @ 4:00 75 Free / 75 Back / 75 Breast / 75 Free

10 x 25 Fly @ :45 Minimum EIGHT Kicks

Rest :30

12 x 25 Fly @ :50 Minimum NINE Kicks

1 x 400 IM @ 5:15 100 FR / 100 BK / 100 BR / 100 FR

12 x 25 @ :35 EZ FREE

 

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Aerobic IM Sandwich with Coach Chris Brookover

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Chris Brookover, YBCC Phoenix

Warm Up
1 x 400 @ 6:00 Loosen\
4 x 50 @ :45 Drill w/ Forearm Fulcrums
4 x 100 @ 1:30 Descend 1 4

Anaerobic – In Groups off the Blocks:
6 x 75 @ 4:30 – [Two in a Row The Same IM is Two Fly/Btk/BR, Two BK/BR/FR]

Aerobic
3 x 300 @ 4:00 Free
3 x 300 @ 4:30 IM [100 Back / 100 Breast / 100 Free]
3 x 150 @ 2:00 Free
3 x 150 @ 2:15 IM [50 Back / 50 Breast / 50 Free]
3 x 150 @ 2:45 Kick – Choice – Same per 150 [ :55 Base]
3 x 75 @ 1:00 Free
3 x 75 @ 1:05 IM [ 25 BK / 25 BR/ 25 _tatfFR]6t593r8dws
3 x 75 @ 1:20 Kick Choice [ :53.5 Base]

Kicking:
4 X
6 x 25 @ :25
Rest :40

Swim Down
4 x 75 @ 1:30
3 x 50 @ 1:00

 

Breaststroke-Focused IM Set from Coach Ken O’Reilly, Scarlet Aquatics

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Ken O’Reilly, Scarlet Aquatics

For this workout, there are about 24 athletes in 4 lanes. In order to facilitate competition during practice, we have 3 swimmers start from each end of the pool in each lane and put a cone on both sides at the middle of the pool. This allows kids starting from opposite ends to race — whomever passes the cone first as they go in opposite directions is winning.

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