Breaststroke Length/Tempo Set

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Ryan Woodruff
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This was a breaststroke set we did tonight that concluded with some good results.  The 400 at the beginning is done with a tempo trainer set at 4.00 seconds, and the swimmers performed one cycle breast each beep (this is long-glide breaststroke!) for a 75 and then swam a 25 easy freestyle four times through.  For the 50s, the focus shifts from stroke length to stroke tempo.  The first 25 is build, and then the second 25 is “speed drill,” essentially a head-up narrow-pull narrow-kick version of breaststroke that gets their tempo and hand speed up. The 3 x 100 s are “fastest possible average” on a big 2:00 interval.  We got excellent results with good-looking strokes.

Chloe Sutton Freestyle Workout

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Mission Viejo Nadadores

@csutswim 10/24/12 17:26

Here’s my workout today! Total: 10,200 yards. http://pic.twitter.com/RaEtzC26

"Beat the Beep" Race Pace Set

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Ryan Woodruff

This set uses the Tempo Trainer Pro to help our swimmers swim at race pace for 200 yard events.  The beauty of using the Tempo Trainers is that the swimmers can focus on tempo, technique, etc. without having to listen for times.  They simply listen for the beep and try to keep up with it.

We set the Tempo Trainers for a swimmer’s average pace for a 25 in a 200 yard race.  Use the pace cards to find your race pace.  This means that the swimmer will hear a beep at the beginning and end of each lap swum at pace.  We call the time between beeps a “segment.”  Thus for a swimmer whose best 200 time is 2:00, 1 segment equals either a 25 swim performed in :15 seconds or :15 seconds rest.

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IM Feelin the Need for Speed (1-hour workout)

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

 

Standard Warmup (ours takes 18 minutes)

9 x 50 free
1 @ :40
1 @ :35
1 @ :30
 
200 free B3 with 4+ dolphin kicks off every wall @ 2:30

9 x 50 breast
1@ :45
1@ :40
1@:45
1@:35
1@:45
1@:35
1@:45
1@:40
1@:45
 
200 breast with double pullouts @ 3:00

9 x 50 back
1 @ :45
1 @ :40
1 @ :35
 
200 back with steady kick and 4+ kicks off the wall @2:50

9 x 50
3 Fly/Back @ :45,:40,:40
3 Back/Breast @ :45
3 Breast/Free  @ :45,:40,:35
 
Extra :30 rest
 
200 IM for time

Warm down 100 easy

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Broken 200s Workout

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
Pre-Set:
12 x 50 @ 1:00
Sprint 2,4,6,8,10,12 cycles on #1-6 and repeat

Main Set – 1 hour set
4 x 200 free @ 3:00 w/fins and paddles
1:00 rest
Broken 200 choice (50, 100, 50) w/:10 rest at break points
2:00 rest
4 x 200 @ 3:00 w/fins and paddles
1:00 rest
Broken 200 (50, 100, 50) w/:20 rest at break points
2:00 rest
4 x 200 @ 3:00 w/fins and paddles
1:00 rest
Broken 200 (50, 100, 50) w/:30 rest at break points
5:00 rest to swim easy
200 for time…goal is to beat first broken 200 w/:10 rest
100 easy swim

Kick Set – 20 min – no kickboards
4x:
4:00 kick for distance, descend rounds 1-4
1:00 rest

Breaststroke Cord Work

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Coach Ryan Woodruff
Follow on Twitter @WoodruffRyan

The cycles of kick, pull and swim were done with stretch cords anchored 8 ft above the edge of the pool.  200s were regular swim breaststroke. We got some good times on the last round.

Additional info: The picture below shows how our cords are attached to the railings at the front of the balcony overlooking the pool.  It is approximately 15 feet from the wall to the edge of the pool.  I like this high-anchor position, particularly for breaststrokers as it forces their hips up slightly. Obviously, the cord at right is in use and the others are not.

Breaststroke Magic for Age Groupers Using @FinisSwim Tempo Trainers

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

We did this set the other day with our age-groupers and it worked like magic.

One of the most common stroke flaws for younger kids is that they pause with their hands under their chest and don’t glide long enough in a near-streamlined position.  Try this using the Finis Tempo Trainer Pro.

2 x 150 breaststroke swim (@ :20 rest) with Tempo Trainer on Mode 1 set at 4.00 seconds
Swimmers take 1 cycle of breaststroke for each beep.  This will be an incredibly long glide for them all.  Make sure they spend the time in the glide phase and are using proper timing of the pull and kick.

2 x 100 breaststroke swim (@:20 rest) with Tempo Trainer on Mode 1 set at 2.00 seconds
Same instructions, just a faster tempo.

2 x 50 breaststroke swim FAST (@:20 rest), focused on swimming fast but still getting a glide between each stroke.  Do not use the tempo trainer here.

If they don’t glide on the 2 x 50, repeat the 2 x 100 and then do the 2 x 50 again.

The CrossSwim Set

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Ryan Woodruff
ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

Inspired by CrossFit, we gave the following swim/dryland hybrid set a go tonight.  One time through the whole thing as fast as possible.  No rest. X = 1/2 of athlete’s pre-determined pullup max (minimum 3)

500 freestyle
X Pullups
30 squats (butt down to a bench)
400 freestyle
X Pullups
30 squats
300 freestyle
X Pullups
30 squats (butt down to a bench)
200 freestyle
X Pullups
30 squats
100 freestyle
X Pullups
30 squats
3 x 50 free fastest possible average @ 1:00 (begin on the first multiple of 5 or 10 after you finish the previous 30 squats)

Fastest time by anyone in our group: 21:55

Simple Fly Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

This set is simple in its construction yet challenging if swimmers endeavor to hold the same cycle count, underwater kicks and speed (within 1 sec of 100 race pace).
SCY

30 x 25
4@ :30
4@:25
2@:20
:30 rest
4@:30
2@:25
4@:20
:30 rest
2@:30
4@:25
4@:20
100 easy free @2:00
200 fly for time

Age Group I.M. Workout

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Greg Johnson
Head Age Group Coach
Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club
I tried this on a small group of 10-13 year olds. Most of them ‘A’ swimmers.
25 FLY
50 BK/BR
75 BK/BR/FR
50 BK/BR
25 FLY
All on :30 per 25. It gave them enough rest to work turns.
50 FLY
75 BK/BR/FR
100 IM
75 BK/BR/FR
50 FLY
All on :25 per 25. This made them have to go fast
75 FLY/BK/BR
100 IM
125 FAST FREE !
100 IM
75 FLY/BK/BR
All on :30 per 25. I made them race each one
Now you take them back down the pyramid, starting with the 50 fly. End with a 25 ez (or sprint!) and you’ve got a mile of IM work.

Butterfly Workout

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Ryan Woodruff

Ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com
3 x 100 @ 1:30 25 sprint fly/75 free B3
300 5 cycles fly/5 cycles breast @ 6:00
3 x 150 @ 2:10 50 sprint fly/100 free B3
200 5 cycles fly/5 cycles breast @ 4:00
3 x 200 @ 2:50 75 sprint fly/125 free B3
100 5 cycles fly/5 cycles breast @ 2:00
100 easy free
20 x 50 fly, breathing 1 up/1 down
Put cones on bottom 10m from wall. No breathing after the cone. Try to keep time consistently strong on all 20.
4 @ 1:00
3 @ :55
2 @ :50
1 @ :45

Challenging I.M. Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

LCM

9 x 800 @ 13:00
#1 – straight 800 IM
#2 – done as 2 x 400 FRIM
#3 – done as 4 x 200 IM
#4 – done as 2 x 400 FRIM
#5 – straight 800 IM
#6 – done as 2 x 400 FRIM
#7 – done as 4 x 200 IM
#8 – done as 2 x 400 FRIM
#9 – straight 800 IM – all out effort

Descend 1 – 5 – 9

FRIM – Free IM (Free, Back, Breast, Free)

Distance Freestyle Delight

Posted on by rdwoodruff
Ryan Woodruff
ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

LCM

Warmup – 400 swim, 4 x150 d-s-b, 4 x 50 20m sprint/30 m easy all @:20 rest

2 x 800 @ 10:15/10:30 (1:16 and 1:19 base)
#1 negative split, #2 broken, fast with :30 rest at 400 mark
2 x 100 at Pmile+2 @ 1:30
2 x 600 @ 7:45/8:00 (1:17 and 1:20 base)
# 1 negative split, # 2 broken, fast with :20 rest at 300 mark
4 x 100 at Pmile+1 @ 1:30
2 x 400 @ 5:15/5:30 (1:18 and 1:22 base)
#1 negative split, # 2 broken, fast with :10 rest at 200 mark
6 x 100 at Pmile @ 1:30

2 x 200 @ 2:45/3:00 (1:22 and 1:30 base)

#1 negative split, # 2 fast with no rest
8 x 100 at Pmile -2 @ 1:30

(Pmile=”at mile pace”)

6 x 150 free with snorkels @ 2:40 50 fists drill/50 swim/50 catchup
5 x 300 @ :20 rest Fastest Possible Average.
This is a broken 1500 with 1:20 total rest.
400 easy swim

Age Group IM Set

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Lucas Ferreira
Gwinnett Aquatics

SCM
Here’s an IM set our top Age Groupers (all in Middle school) did a couple weeks ago, that even surprised me on how well it worked:

4×100 FR IM Descend 1:40

4×25 FLY DPS 0:30

4×50 Drill, IMO 1:05

0:30 Rest

4×100 FR IM, make it 1:30

4×25 FLY DPS 0:25

4×50 Dr / Sw, IMO 1:10

1:00 Rest

4×100 IM RACE! From dive! 2:30


Notes: FR IM means we do Fr/Bk/Br/Fr. As you can see, we take care of the fly as well. We train SCM, and those intervals were designed with specific swimmers in mind (they really had to push to make the harder interval on those 100s). I had other lanes in different intervals, and I adjusted the sets so that everyone was together for the last 4×100. That worked out great, since we could get in ‘heats’ to really race! Many kids posted their fastest 4 100 IMs ever in our odd 25.2m pool at the end of the set. To me, that makes any set a successful one.

Man-Ups!

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Spencer George
Head Coach
Long Eaton Swimming Club

A set we like to use at Long Eaton Swimming Club, Derbyshire England is called “man ups”. Its a basic complex training set that hurts but is great fun.

Straight through the following:
10 Press ups
50m swim max effort
10 squats
50m swim max effort
10 Dips
50m swim max effort
10 Calf raises
50m swim max effort

Our top lane swimmer go around 2:10 200 free and their turnaround is 3:45 for 8 Man Ups. You can add Med Balls or weights to increase the intensity of some of the exercises if you want. Another variation is for IM, obviously the 50’s are IM order but the exercises change to hit the strokes as close as possible, so V sits before Fly, Dips before Back, Squats before Breast and press ups before Free. Have fun and “MAN UP”

Creative Open Water Training Tip #1 – Timed Feedings

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach, Parkland Aquatic Club
Ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

LCM or SCY

Open Water races impose unique demands on an athlete physically, mentally, and strategically. Many swimmers do not have readily accessible open water to practice for these unique conditions. Here is a technique you can practice in your pool to help prepare your swimmers.

Swims of longer than 5k often necessitate that athletes feed (take beverages or food for hydration or calories). Designated feeding stations become strategically important like NASCAR pit stops – the athlete who takes on fuel most quickly and efficiently can pull ahead, and those who pit stop poorly fall behind.

Time your swimmers on a 50 that includes a feed. Try 5 x 400 build to fast last 100, and feed on the last 50. Get that split. Give immediate feedback during the interval rest.