The Swimming Wizard

6 Fun Ideas for your Swim Practice

Posted on August 9, 2017February 20, 2020 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Our team is on a break right now, so I am taking a break from the workout writing. That doesn’t mean we can’t still kick around some creative ideas here on the blog.

Here are 6 recent posts from our “Just for Fun” category that you might want to try:

1. Team Sprint Points Competition
2. Red Light Green Light with Coach Brad Herndon
3. Fun Sprint Set to Finish Practice
4. Dryland Pictionary
5. The Deck of Cards Practice
6. Bottle Flippin’ Relays

The Record Breaker

Posted on August 7, 2017 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

We don’t do lots of swimming with fins, but when we do, I like to make sure it is fast.

Here is one way I like to do it:

4-6 rounds of:

100 fast swim with fins, where the goal is to go your lifetime best time, or your goal time, or the team record

100 ez swim free breathing every 3

Total interval around 5 minutes

Provide an incentive for going a best time or breaking a record: maybe coach does pushups, or relays at the end, etc. I have the breaststrokers go flutter kick with the fins on –they end up going really fast that way!

Backstroke Progression

Posted on August 6, 2017 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

3 x 75 backstroke w/ band (around ankles) descend 1-3 @ :20 rest
3 x 75 backstroke w/ buoy and band (around ankles) descend 1-3 @:20 rest
3 x 75 backstroke w/paddles, buoy, and band (around ankles) descend 1-3 @:20 rest
3 x 25 spin drill (max hand speed, sitting up) w/band and buoy @:30 rest
1:00 rest
1 x 200 backstroke for time

The Pacer

Posted on August 5, 2017 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

12 x 100 Free
3 tight descend to P1500 @1:20
1 ez @ 1:40
3 tight descend to P800 @1:30
1 ez @ 1:40
3 tight descend to P400 @ 1:40
1 ez @ 1:40

300 scull/swim by 25

9 x 100
2 at P1500 @1:20
1 ez @ 1:40
2 at P800 @1:30
1 ez @ 1:40
2 at P400 @1:40
1 ez @ 1:40

300 same as above

6 x 100 all @1:40
2 at P1500
2 at P800
2 at P400

300 same warm down

The Fly Back Grinder

Posted on August 3, 2017 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

1 x 200 done as 100 fly strong/100 back get your time @ 3:30
1 x 100 ez @ 2:00
1 x 300 done as 100 fly strong/200 back get your time @5:00
1 x 100 ez @ 2:00
1 x 400 done as 100 fly strong/300 back get your time @ 6:30
1 x 300 ez swim

add up your 100-200-300 backstroke times. Now go:

600 backstroke for time — try to beat that total time!

Sprint/Fartlek/Sprint

Posted on August 1, 2017 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

40 x 50 all choice (but no breast) @ 1:00

#1 – Sprint no breath until you MUST take a breath, then build to a perfect finish

#2 – 40 meters drill then 10m no breath sprint to finish

#3 – max underwater kick and then minimum cycle count

#4 – fast for time

Fins, Paddles & Snorkels

6 x 5:00 Fartlek @ 6:00 (use whistle or wrench bang on side of the pool, they can stop in the middle of the pool for the 1:00 rest and start from there on the next one)

Continuously repeating: 25 flutter kick on side/ 25 swim. Descend the 25 swim 1 to ? (however many they do). Descend using the power of the legs!

Diving well set (10-12m width)

20 x 50 (2 widths) @ :30

1st width fast underwater kick followed by open turn

2nd width sprint free no breath (at least 4 dolphin kicks off the wall)

Late season quality set

Posted on July 30, 2017 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Late season quality set

A post shared by SwimmingWizard (@swimmingwizard) on Jul 30, 2017 at 7:13am PDT