Racing With Coach Mike Cook and the Mason Makos

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Mike Cook
Mason Makos

We had extra room today and so we decided to have the kids race a lot.  We wanted them to understand that even though they were tired they were still able to get up and race back to back.

WARM UP
24×25 free with snorkels@30 (focus on long stroke head steady)
24×25 back @30 (focus how far can you push the underwater, but you have to be up in 5 seconds)

Pre set
12×50 kick @1:00
12 x50 free pull@1:00 paddles
12×50 free to back @1:00 fast turns hold underwater for 5 seconds

Main set
1×50 free all out for time
10×50 free all out for time with fins ( must beat time fro first)
100 easy kick and get ready for one more 50
1×50 free for time with fins (fastest of day)

We had 24 8-12 year olds and all 8 lanes (3 heats of 8 with one heat swimming at a time. The next heat was responsible for getting the time and letting them know.  The kids had a good time and felt involved with each other.

Did you like this post? Check out Coach Cook’s IM Ready Set and his Broken Miles Set

IM Ready with Coach Mike Cook

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Coach Mike Cook
Mason Makos

We are 2 weeks out from our IMX meet and so we did this set with our senior prep group(11-14)

4×200 IM/free @2:45
4×100 IM FAST@1:40
4×50 fly/back @1:00

3×200 IM/free@2:45
3×100 IM FAST @1:30
3×50 back /breast @50

2×200 IM/free@2:45
2×100 IM FAST@1:20
2×50 breast/free@1:00

1×200 IM/free@2:45
1×100 IM FAST @1:15
1×50 free all out

1×400 IM ( get out and dive at each wall how tight can you make those streamlines)

All 200 IM are distance for stroke on IM portion.  All free is fast

Free/Kick/IM/Underwater with Coach Brad Herndon

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Brad Herndon
Head Coach
GCY Makos

GCY Makos National Team 1/3/2018

Warm-Up (24 min, 1500):
500-400- 300-200- 100
Swim – Kick w/ Fins – FR Pull – IM – Drill w/ snorkel

Pre-Set (22 min, 1200):
8 x 50 Free Kick Only @:55 (Board)
   :40 sec transition
8 x 50 FR Pull Only @:50 (Buoy, paddles, snorkel)
   :20 sec transition
8 x 50 FR Swim Only @:45 (Continuous Boil Kick)

Main Set 1 (44 min, 2400):
Underwater focus, pop up “between the 15m marks” every length!
4x
3 x 50’s Kick @ 1:00 (no board, max out underwaters)
      First – Fly/Back on back, Second – Back/Breast on back, Third- Breast/free
      on stomach (MAX underwaters on fly, back, and free kicks)
3 x 50’s Swim @ :55
      First – Fly/Back, Second – Back/Breast, Third – Breast/Free
      Execute turns efficiently , max underwaters
3 x 100 IM’s @ 1:45
     All 3 = Max Underwaters Descend, 3 rd is all out still with max underwaters!

Main Set 2 (18 min, 1200):
8 x 150’s @ 2:15 with fins
1-4 Freestyle w/ paddles and short fins, DESCEND!
5-8 Back, long fins, no paddles, focus is on underwaters popping up between
the yellow, still descend time! ALWAYS max out last 25 underwater effort!

Cool Down (2 min, 100):
EZ choice 100 minimum

TOTAL = 6500

200s Inferno with Coach Wibke Ahrens

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Wibke Ahrens
Head Coach
Schwimmverein Mannheim/ Germany

*Two hundreds inferno*
 
Warm up:
4x 150m  @ 3:00  IMO bw (starting with free)  50 stroke/ 50 kick/ 50 drill
12x 25m  @ 0:35  1x uw kick (side/back/front)/ 1x free min. cycle counts
                            w/ fins
1x 100m  @ 2:00  ez
 
Main set:
5x 200m  @ 3:30  IM/ Bk or Br (all 5 the same)  80% effort
1x 200m  @ 3:15  free
4x 200m  @ 3:35  IM/ Bk or Br (all 4 the same)  85% effort
1x 200m  @ 3:15  free
3x 200m  @ 3:40  IM/ Bk or Br (all 3 the same)  3” faster
1x 200m  @ 3:15  free
2x 200m  @ 3:50  IM/ Bk or Br (all 2 the same)  3” faster
1x 200m  @ 3:15  free
1x 200m  @ 4:00  IM/ Bk or Br   all out
1x 200m  @ 3:15  free
 
1x 200m  @ 4:00  ez w/ fins
 
Warm down:
8x 50m  @ 1:10  25 without breathing (free/ fly/ uw kick/ pull out)
                         25 ez
1x 200m             ez 
 
5800 scm/ 120 min  
 
We did the main set in three groups with different send offs depending on the personal best.
The fastest group did it the way written above.
The second group started with a send off 3:50 and ended with 4:10.
The third group (some younger swimmers) did the same send off like group one but only 150s.
 
Enjoy!! 🙂

Booming Buckets and Underwater Kicking

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

For this set we used our 2-gallon buckets pulled behind via a rope attached to a stretch-cord belt.  We increased the sprint distances on the red 25s and then tried to really hammer the purple 25s.

For the 50s kick, we used a Finis Tempo Trainer to set a fairly aggressive tempo for the 8 underwater kicks off every wall.

All in all, the set worked pretty well.

Broken Butterfly

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

This was one of our recent most popular fly sets among the swimmers.  We had 5 lanes and 22 swimmers, so the broken 200s happened in 4 lanes with half of the group while the 5 x 50 happened in the 5th lane (against the wall) with the other half.  We had only two or three swimmers in lane, allowing for good fly technique.

Snake Circuit with a Full Pool

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

The challenge: How to make the best use of 30 minutes of pool time with 50 teenage swimmers in 5 SCM lanes.  Here is what we did.

Each swimmer performed a 50 drill in lane 2, then moved into lane 3 and did a 50 swim with a fast turn, and so on.  We have an underwater camera hooked to a TiVo in Lane 6, so after the swimmer sprinted past the camera, he climbed out and watched his technique with a coach.  Get back in lane 2 and repeat. 

This one was a hit with swimmers and coaches alike.

Kicking Down the New Year with Coach Brad Herndon

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Brad Herndon

Head Coach
Greensboro Community YMCA
This is one of our “countdown sets” we did today long course meters after our hardest workout last night. We are down in Florida training outdoors! 

It takes exactly 1 hour and 50 min and is 5500 LCM, it is the warmup, pre-set, main-set, everything except cooling down (we did 400 with fins ez), only equipment needed is a board (although several used snorkels):

10 x 50’s swim at :55
10 x 50’s kick at 1:05
9 x 50’s swim at :55
9 x 50’s kick at 1:05
8 x 50’s swim at :55
8 x 50’s kick at 1:05
7 x 50’s swim at :55
7 x 50’s kick at 1:05
6 x 50’s swim at :55
6 x 50’s kick at 1:05
5 x 50’s swim at :55
5 x 50’s kick at 1:05
4 x 50’s swim at :55
4 x 50’s kick at 1:05
3 x 50’s swim at :55
3 x 50’s kick at 1:05
2 x 50’s swim at :55
2 x 50’s kick at 1:05
1 x 50’s swim at :55
1 x 50’s kick at 1:05

RULES:

Any stroke board optional as long as you can make the interval!

Last 50 in a series is all out sprint!

Each lower number of 50 cycles you pick up your speed

Fly Challenge (optional, 6 of our 34 did this): The last 4-3-2-1 swims are all butterfly!

Anytime you choose fly or back you have to go for the 15m mark!

All sprint kicks goal is under :45!

The intervals we did take you away from the top then you work back towards the top…

All levels did this, highlights:

We had a 35 br sprint (boys) and a a few 39’s girls

Several 27’s from boys on free

A kicker broke 40 a few times…

Book Review: "Conquer the Pool: A Swimmer’s Guide to a High-Performance Mindset" by Oliver Poirier-Leroy

Posted on by rdwoodruff

by Ryan Woodruff

Olivier Poirier-Leroy has put together a fantastic tool with Conquer the Pool.  I got a copy right after our team concluded a successful long course season.  One of our swimmers was having trouble re-setting her goals and finding motivation to start the new short course season — and this was a swimmer who I would previous have rated as among our most driven.  I handed her the book and asked her to read it and do the exercises.  The book is laid out in such a way that it guides the athlete through a process of self-discovery and self-examination. 

Here is what my swimmer had to say…

“I really liked how it helped me understand what kind of athlete I mentally.  There were parts where I read a description that sounded like me… I showed it to my mom and she said ‘That’s totally you!’.  I liked how once I figured out how I am thinking, and talking to myself the book showed me what to do about it.  It definitely helped!”

You might be wondering… How did this swimmer do after using this book? She had a fantastic meet in December with a bunch of big time drops and a meet where most importantly she stayed mentally strong throughout.

In short, I highly recommend that every swimmer get this book.  It is best geared toward the athlete who is at least a teenager.  Coaches — you should encourage your athletes to get a copy or even thinking about getting one for every swimmer on your team — it is that helpful!

Learn More and Order Your Copy Today

Our 10 Most Popular Guest Workouts of 2017

Posted on by rdwoodruff

This year, we have posted over 330 workouts, sets, and ideas to this blog.  We are so thankful for the many coaches who send in their ideas. Here are our 10 most popular guest posts this year.  Contribute a workout and maybe you will appear on this list next year!

1. Middle Distance Push/Tolerance Set with Coach Brad Herndon

2. VO2 Max Set with Coach Mathieu Leroy

3. Zig-Zag Ironman with Coach Ken Thorley

4. Empty the Gas Tank Set with Coach Todd Kramer

5. Technique and Efficiency Workout with Coach Mathieu Leroy

6. Wild and Wacky Kick Set with Dan Mascolo

7. Intense Focus on Streamlines with Coach Rob Bond

8. Texas 25s with Coach Darian Townsend

9. Thanksgiving with Coach Tony Carroll of the Lakeside Seahawks

10. Another Good One with Coach Brad Herndon

For another “Best of” in 2017, check out our Top Reads from 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, and 2012

400 IM Race Pace Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

This SCY set working on 400 IM race pace was pretty successful. We spent about 40 minutes prior to this warming up and doing some technical work.

7x:
     200 FRIM (50 Free/Back/Breast/Free) @ 3:00
     100 at P400IM @ 2:00
       #1 – All Fly
       #2 – 50 Fly/50 Back
       #3 – All Back
       #4 – 50 Back/50 Breast
       #5 – All Breast
       #6 – 50 Breast/50 Free
       #7 – All Free

The Best Thing I Read, Watched, and Listened to in 2017

IM Set #806

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

SCY

We were able to get some excellent results on this IM set.  The intent is for the 400 IMs and 200 IMs to each descend 1-3.

4 x 75 Fly @ 1:10
   25 – 3 kicks on side/3 R arm strokes/3 kicks on opp side/3 L arm strokes
   25 – 4-kick drill
   25 – fly swim

1 x 400 IM (done as 4 x 100 IM) @ 5:20  5:40

4 x 75 Back @ 1:05
   50 – focused on connecting finish to entry
   25 – awesome UW kicks

1 x 400 IM (done as 2 x 200 IM) 5:20 5:40

4 x 75 Breast @ 1:15
   25 – 3 kicks/1 pull drill
   25 – FHFK (Fast Hands Flutter Kick Drill)
   25 -Swim

1 400 IM Fast, Broken :10 rest at each 100
       +                                                                   > @ 8:00
1 x 100 EZ Free

***ROUND TWO – CHANGING 400s to 200s****

4 x 75 Fly @ 1:10
   25 – 3 kicks on side/3 R arm strokes/3 kicks on opp side/3 L arm strokes
   25 – 4-kick drill
   25 – fly swim

1 x 200 IM (done as 2 x 100 IM) @ 2:40  2:50

4 x 75 Back @ 1:05
   50 – focused on connecting finish to entry
   25 – awesome UW kicks

1 x 200 IM @ 2:40  2:50

4 x 75 Breast @ 1:15
   25 – 3 kicks/1 pull drill
   25 – FHFK (Fast Hands Flutter Kick Drill)
   25 -Swim

1 200 IM Fast, Broken :10 rest at each 50
       +                                                                  
1 x 100 EZ Free

The Tennis Ball Technique Challenge Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

The purpose of this set was to challenge our athletes from a technical standpoint in all strokes.  For the first 75, they swam with a tennis ball in each hand.  As we have posted in the past, this essentially removes the hand as a propulsive surface, encouraging use of the forearms, the kick, and the core for propulsion.   Setting the tennis balls down, we sprinted the first 25 (on a tight interval), paying attention to our cycle count and enjoying the sensation of having use of the hands again.  We followed that up very quickly with a 25 of the same stroke, demanding excellent efficiency and stroke length by asking for the 25 to be performed with 2 fewer cycles than the previous 25.

This Isn’t One of Those Sets

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Most of the time, sets that coaches share (including the ones I post to this blog) are ones that were at least modestly successful.  This isn’t one of those sets. Instead, this is a set that didn’t work how I was hoping.  I am posting to share what I learned.

This was originally intended to be just a breaststroke set, and I tried to make it work for a few butterfly specialists who didn’t fit into the backstroke/freestyle set that we were doing at the same time.  It was fine for the fly, but for breaststroke it just didn’t work.

Swimmers reported that during/after this set they felt that their timing was off and they felt sluggish.  In hindsight, the 6 x 50 kick with the bucket was probably too much. The volume made the 50s too slow and probably diminished any power-training effect.  The rest of the set probably would still work (FPA = Fastest Possible Average), but it might be better to do 1-2 50s or 2-3 x 25s instead, and include more drill before the FPA.

See other recent breaststroke sets here.