Breaststroke Technique Pre-Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach

Lynchburg YMCA
This set gave us a good pre-set warmup before we did some fast 100s off the blocks that included several times within 2 seconds of our lifetime bests.
Speed Drill is heads up with a narrow kick and pull, focused on driving the chest forward and popping the hips up. 

Descend the Steps and Then Pound the Kick

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

This is a kick set that I have repeated as a benchmark over the course of a season in the past.

Major Kick Set split into 3 intervals based on kicking speed
3 x 100 kick
1@ 2:00/2:10/2:20
1@1:50/2:00/2:10
1@ 1:40/1:50/2:00
200 50 catchup/50 overkick with a snorkel then REGROUP
3 x 100 kick
1@ 1:55/2:05/2:15
1@ 1:45/1:55/2:05
1@ 1:35/1:45/1:55
200 50 catchup/50 overkick with a snorkel then REGROUP
3 x 100 kick
1@1:50/ 2:00/2:10
1@1:40/1:50/2:00
1@ 1:30/1:40/1:50
200 50 catchup/50 overkick with a snorkel  then REGROUP
8 x 100
Odd ALL OUT kick @2:30
Even easy swim @2:00
 
 

What’s Your Magic Number? Make It and You Are Done!

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

The Magic Number set will challenge your swimmers mentally and physically.  Here is how it works.

  • The set is 7 x 100 @ 7:00 all out from dive (or any other distance and interval that you choose). Make sure there is a sufficient enough recovery time for your athletes to really be ready to go for the next repeat.
  • Before the set write down goal times for each athlete.  Try to make them very challenging but do-able.  For our team, I set them a bit faster than lifetime best practice times, frequently within 2 seconds of actual lifetime best times.  These times are the “Magic Numbers” for each swimmer.  Achieving this time means the swimmer is done with the set.  

  • But here’s the kicker — don’t let the swimmers see their Magic Numbers before the set.  Let them wonder what it might be — this will help them race without putting a mental limit on how fast they can go!  Only after they have completed a few rounds should you show them the Magic Numbers.

  • When our team did this set, we had some athletes  make their Magic Number on #1.  They relished “just going for it” without knowing what the real goal was.  Others swam hard but weren’t able to dig REALLY deep to go fast until after they find out the goal.  Some swimmers completed the set without ever meeting their Magic Number, but nearly all of them had their best-ever sets of 100s from a dive.

Distance Freestyle Descend

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Sometimes, the sets posted here are interesting and creative. This post is not one of those. Sometimes, you just need to do work. Today’s post is straight challenging, and is intended for milers only.

A post shared by SwimmingWizard (@swimmingwizard) on Mar 20, 2017 at 4:52am PDT

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Backstroke or Breaststroke Squeeze Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

9 x (100 swim back or breast + 50 ez) @ 2:30

Swimmer picks back or breast.  The goal is to descend the 100s 1-9 without ascending a single time.  Starting time on #1 must be within 12 seconds of best time.
Penalty if  you add time on a repeat? Skip the 50 ez and do 15 pushups.
Watch them go fast on those last couple repeats!

This set could really be done any stroke, but I particularly like it for back or breast.


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