Age Group Set from Gwinnett Aquatics

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Lucas Ferreira
Gwinnett Aquatics
Here’s a set we did with our top Age Groupers (11-14) that worked really well:

(SCM)
4 rounds:
5×100 FR – 1:20 / 1:30 / 1:40
10×25 RACE – 0:40
– IM order per round, dive on Odds
Two things were important to make this set as good as it was for us:
1) The 100s were right at the kids’ cruise interval (they had to work decently hard to get 2-3sec of rest only, nearly much playing wall tag the whole way). I would adjust those intervals likewise for a different group of kids or if we were swimming SCY.
2) Each kid had goal times for the 25s. Those were about 1sec faster than what they need to hold to make their goal 100s of each stroke this season, so they had to work pretty hard to make them.
It was a great way to get plenty of hard aerobic work, with a lot of fast swimming in the middle!

Mucho Kicking For Distance

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Ryan Woodruff
ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

The set below uses timed kicks for maximum distance. Mixing in some kick-heavy drill, this set lasts approximately one hour. In total, this is 35 minutes of kicking at high intensity. We gave our swimmers specific distances to shoot for during each timed kick, dividing them up into two teams. The numbers at the very bottom represent the running points total from the team competition.

Speed set for taper time

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Jack D. Roney
Assistant Senior Coach/YOTA Masters

Here is a set that I have found extremely beneficial as a great “Approaching Taper” speed set. It allows the swimmers to focus on quality of stroke while still trying to put in some speed as the athletes approach a taper meet.

500 Free on 5:30
16×25 (1-Smooth / 3-FAST) on :40
400 Free on 5:30
12×25 (1- Smooth / 2-FAST) on :40
300 Free on 5:30
8×25 (1-Smooth / 1-FAST) on :40
200 Free on 5:30
4×25 (ALL FAST) on :40
100 Free on 5:30
1×50 (For Time — SPRINT)

**NOTES: The 500/400/300/200/100 should be all focus on technique. A bit more speed may have to be put into the first 500 depending on the level of swimmer you are coaching, but the 400/300/200/100 should become much “easier” to make the interval. Therefore, attention to detail in EVERY aspect remains high. Perfection swimming is the goal in all non-“FAST” swims.

As you get more rest, the FAST 25s should be as described (100% intensity) but with obvious focus on technique.

I made the athletes hop out of the water after the 300/200/100 and stretch for several minutes before the next set of 25s began.

Quality during the weeks leading up to a meet was the main focus when I was being coached, and is by-far the most important aspect in my workouts AS a coach for my athletes as we approach our taper meet.

Kick/Swim Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff
Coach Erik Wiken
5X Through…
4 x 50 @ 1:00 #1 Stroke Kick, Descend 1-4, #4 is Sprint
1 x 100 @ 2:30 50 Kick Oriented Drill 50Sprint Swim
Rationale:
-The idea was to make the kick the primary focus of your swimming.
-Kick oriented drill was put after the 50s to focus on body position and kick technique in a taxed state and then have the kick be fresh in your mind and the focus in the fast swimming.
-Intervals vary depending on ability:
+50s were to get about 15 seconds on the 1st 50 and about 25 on the 4th for this particular group.
+Longer rest during the 100 to account for rest between rounds to make sure focus stays on kick, not just survival.
#1 Stroke Kick position had two options:
1. Streamline (Fly/Bk/BR @ Back, FR @ stomach with snorkel)
2. Kick in positions that also get an athlete to focus on the body.
Example:
Fly – Side Kick (bottom arm extended, no hula hands!)
BK – “Roller Coaster”
BR – Heel Check (arms down @ you back, heels to hands then big toes finish out of water)
FR – I prefer on stomach arms extended and hands at the beginning of the catch phase (kick in posture) or hands at sides, rotating. Rotating may make the interval tougher and may need to be adjusted depending on athlete.

Today’s Kick Set

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

This set uses performances from our 15-minute Kick Test Set to set goal distances for each swimmer. Total distance from that set divided by 10 gives the goal for each 1:30 segment below.

4 x 1:30 kick for distance @ 2:00Link200 easy swim
3 x 3:00 kick for distance @ 4:00
200 easy swim
2 x 4:30 kick for distance @ 6:00
200 easy swim

1000 yard Medley Relay Set

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Ryan Woodruff

Head Coach
Parkland Aquatic Club
ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com
This set works well with up to six swimmers (two relay teams) in a lane. Divide your group into groups of two or three- try to make even teams to give everyone a good race. Have them race a 1000 (or whatever distance you choose) medley relay. If your teams have three people each, swimmers swim the strokes in regular medley relay order. If you have only two swimmers, leave out one of the strokes. This ensures that swimmers don’t swim the same strokes repeatedly. Swimmers complete a single 50 at a time…swimmer 1 does a 50 back, swimmer 2 does a 50 breast, etc. Use the starting blocks for some extra work climbing out of the pool every time, or just stay in the water and go from a push.

Exam Week at Carthage

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Greg Earhart
Head Coach
Carthage College

Last week was finals week so we open up the pool and the guys train around their exam schedule.  I generally make the practices simpler (i.e. less thinking and stress) and give them a couple of options – more aerobic or challenging – depending on their own personal stress level.

I tried to inject a little fun into last week’s and I’ve attached what I came up with.

Fly Set for Groups

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Parkland Aquatic Club
This set is effective for doing butterfly with a group of varying levels of ability. Simply divide your group into A, B, and C levels of ability and you should be able to keep them on the same intervals. Here are the distances with instructions below.
200
2 x 25
100
200
4 x25
100
200
6 x 25
100
200
8 x 25
100
200s always on 3:20
“A” instructions: 5 through 8 cycles fly off each wall x2
“B” Instructions: 5 cycles off every wall sprint fly then ez free
“C” Instructions: 3 cycles off every wall sprint fly
25s always on :30 are all sprint fly no B last 10 yards
100s kick @ 2:30, 25 on back hands at side, 25 right side, 25 left side, 25 front, hands at side

Vertical I.M. Transitions

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Ryan Woodruff
Ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

This set is designed to help mimic the crucial transitions in IM sets. In my opinion, much of the difficulty in IM transitions is due to fatigue in the legs. The vertical kicking mimics the fatigue from one stroke and then we swim fast!

3x:
2:00 vertical dolphin kick (hands out of the water) straight into…
1 x 100 fast backstroke (50 splits must be within 1 sec of each other)
1 x 100 easy swim

Repeat additional times doing vertical flutter kick (for backstroke) followed by breaststroke swimming. For the br-fr transition, do vertical kicking with a weight followed by freestyle swimming. Intersperse these sets with longer IM sets for maximum effect.

Underwater Power Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Parkland Aquatic Club

One of the pools that we train at is 6 lanes (about 12 yards wide), perfect for practicing some FAST underwater dolphin kicking. We did this set just the other day. On repeats of multiple widths, they could take one breath at each turn.

12 x 1 width @ :20
50 ez swim
6 x 2 widths @ :40
50 ez swim
4 x 3 widths @ 1:00
50 ez swim
1 x 12 widths as fast as possible

Speed to Burn

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Parkland Aquatic Club

Try this one for a good race-pace set.

6 x 50 @ 1:00 at P200
200 easy swim @ 4:00
4 x 50 @ 1:00 at P200
2 x 25 @ :30 at P100
200 easy swim @ 4:00
2 x 50 @ 1:00 at P200
4 x 25 @ :30 at P100
200 easy swim @ 4:00
6 x 25 @ :30 at P100
200 easy swim @ 4:00

Freestyle Set After the Main Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Parkland Aquatic Club

After a big freestyle set (6,000) for our main set today, we used the follow-up set below.  Swimmers had the option to continue to swim at anaerobic pace or swim aerobically and focus on details.  Color paces are based on a T30 test and Jon Urbanchek’s training tables.

SCY
6 x 100 Free @1:30
Swimmers have the option of swimming at these paces or swimming at White pace for all of them and doing 6 or more dolphin kicks off every wall.
#1 – White
#2 – Pink
#3 – Red
#4 – White
#5 – Red
#6 – Blue

Beat It (The Michael Jackson Set)

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Gary Galbreath
Dayton Raiders Swim Club

A Tempo Trainer Set- Try to Beat the Beep

We set the Tempo Trainers so it beep at the 1/2 length and at the wall pace!
The Goal is to beat the beep to the wall. Forces swimmers to get to the wall.
Rest 2 beeps go on the 3rd BEEP on all Rounds
The 25’s are set at 100 Pace, The 50’s are set at a .25 faster than
200 Speed and the 75 .25 slower than 200 Pace.

Beat the Beep
10 x 25 Tempo Trainer Go on 3Rd Beep FLAT OUT FAST!
 2 x 400 Pull @ 6:00 #1 Smooth, #2 Each 100 Faster
10 x 50 Tempo Trainer Go on 3rd Beep KEEP THE SPEED!
2 x 300 @ 4:30 #1 Smooth, #2 Each 100 Faster
10 x 75 Go on 3rd Beep SHOW HOW TOUGH YOU ARE
2 x 200 Pull @ 3:00 #1 Smooth, #2 Fast

11-11-11 Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Parkland Aquatic Club

Can you have a once-in-a-lifetime set to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime day?

11 x 100 free @ 1:11
Possible instructions:
– Kick out 11m off every wall
– Breathe every 11
– Get 11 seconds of rest each time
– Take 11 strokes or fewer each length
– Use 11 dolphin kicks off every wall
– Take 11 breaths total in each 100
– Descend by 11 seconds from #1 to #11
– Be within 11 seconds of your best time on every swim
– Come up with 11 different technical things to work on and focus on one for each 100
– 11 strokes – 11 kicks – 11 strokes drill
– Start the set at the 11:11 on your pace clock
– Perform the set with 11 people in your lane
– Tell your coach 11 reasons why you liked the set!!!

Kick Set from Gwinnett

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Lucas Ferreira
Head Age Group Coach
Gwinnett Aquatics
lucas@gwinnettaquatics.com

Here’s a set we had our top Age Group (11-14) do:
Notes: We train SCM, so the intervals were appropriate for that. For SCY, intervals should be about 10sec faster per 100. ‘The’ main set would be the 12×100 kick, but I coach by the motto ‘every set is a main set’. Thus I have included the lead up to the set, since that was all thought of ways to make sure they would be ready to go.
6×100 @ 2:00 w/ wall kick
75 FR B3 / 25 Rev. IMO, double UW!
– Key thing here is to make sure they are going twice as far (for us, double pull-outs on Br, 6 to 8 kicks on Fl and Bk)! I also asked them to keep their heads down most of the time for the wall kick, and build it until their send-off.
4:00 wall kick (30 EZ / 30 FAST / 35/25 / 40/20 / 45/15) – Goal was to make sure their legs were ready up to hit the set right.
Finally… Kicking FAST:
12×100 Kick @ 2:20
75 FAST (alt FR/IMO, no FR) / 25 EZ Fr
– Goal for the 75 was to beat their best 100 LCM time for that stroke (if training SCY, I would use best SCY times).
– We had the kids write their 75 times down on acrylic boards with wax pencils (that always helps keeping them honest on the effort). Had a couple kids hit their goals on all 12, everyone hit it on at least 6 (the BR was actually very easy).

A Great Halloween Set

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We found this one on the USMS website from Coach Mike Collins at NOVA Masters.

Special “Evil” Practice – Come if you dare!

Warm-up:
ae – 200 Free + 100 Back + 100 Breast
i – 150 Free + 75 Back + 75 Breast
r – 100 Free + 50 Back + 50 Breast

1 x 400/300 Evil Free Swim
No wall turns. Turn at the “T” WITHOUT touching the bottom.
Every 4th length Fly w/ Breast kick.

7 x 50’s of Progressive Pain (w/ Fins)
25 FAST Fly + 25 Free
Do pullouts at the turn as follows:
#1- 2 pullouts #2 – 4 pullouts
#3 – 6 pullouts #4 – 8 pullouts
Then back down 6-4-2 to make 7 50’s
Interval increases by 5 with more pullouts and decreases by 5 as they are
taken out

Zombies in the Grave Kicking – 6/4 x 50’s @ :20 RI (w/ Fins)
25 kick on back with arms straight up in the air shoulder width
apart – Kick like HELL!
2nd 25 of each 50 is Backstroke Swim

Swim – 6 x 100 Insane IM’s & Sanity Free @ :20 RI
Odd 100’s – Insane IM’s. Use different kick for each stroke
Fly w/ Flutter kick
Back w/ dolphin kick
Breast w/ flutter kick
Free w/ Breast kick
Even 100’s – Normal swim to return sanity

Suffocating Pull of Death – 3 x (3 x 50’s Pulling)
1st round: 5-4-3 breaths per 50. Beginners start at 6-5-4
2nd round: 4-3-2 breaths per 50
3rd round: 3-2-1 breaths per 50
Intervals :50-1:00-1:10, 1:00-1:10-1:20, 1:10-1:20-1:30

4/3 x Screamer 50’s @ 1:30 or 2:00
25 easy+25 fast
Let out a blood curdling Scream or witch’s cackle at the turn
Leave after the person in front of you screams

Quality and Technique

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Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach, Parkland Aquatic Club

SCY
We performed this set to get in some high-quality yardage while also spending some time on specific technical elements of our freestyle

20 x 400
odd fastest possible average @ 5:00
even easy @ 6:00
Follow these specific instructions on the easy swims:
#1 and #11 – Breathe every 3 strokes
#3 and #13 – Kick at least 4+ dolphin kicks off every wall
#5 and #15- Open turns with great streamlines
#7 and #17- 25 breathing right/25 breathing left
#9 and #19- Finish every 25 with a perfect touch

For an  I.M. option: Do the fast swims IM  @ 6:00 and go a 300 (instead of 400) easy @ 5:00.

Kickin’ with Wiken #5

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Erik Wiken
Head Coach, Heartland Aquatics

This post is the fifth in a series of posts from Coach Wiken’s Senior/National Team Group.  Look for more to come soon.

7 x 100 @ 2:10 IM Cycle
      -Kick, build each 50 to strong kick
1 x 200 @ 4:50 IM
      -Kick for Time, in SL (1 stroke/turn)
3 x 100 @ 2:10 IM Transitions
      -Kick, build each 50 to strong kick
1 x 200 @ 4:30 IM
     -Kick for Time, in SL (1stroke/turn)
1400 yards, 31 minutes

A Few Favorites

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Dan Harrigan
1976 Olympic Bronze Medalist- 200 Back
Former Coach, Penn State University

Dan counts the great Dick Jochums as his mentor.  Here are a few of Dan’s favorite sets:
10 x 100 free (yds)on 1:15 count strokes for each lap. Each 25 take one less stroke.
This will tend to make you kick more toward the end of each hundred.

10 x 200m back swim/kick by 100s on 2:45 (or an interval that gives you little time to rest, maybe 5 to 10 seconds.)

15 x 100 free on descending intervals (meters):

first five on 1:15

next five on 1:10

last five on 1:05

Kickin’ with Wiken #2

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Erik Wiken
Head Coach, Heartland Aquatics

This post is the second in a series of posts from Coach Wiken’s Senior/National Team Group.  Look for more to come soon.

No Board/in Streamline on back, 1 stroke max into wall
3 x through:
    4 x 100 @ 2:00   
       75Flutter/25 Dolphin, 50/50, 25/75, 0/100
    4 x 25 @ :45 Fly Swim
    ½ Way – 15M ↓H20 kick into sprint swim
    1 x 50 @ 1:00 Easy FR Swim

1650/36 minutes



Kickin’ with Wiken #1

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Erik Wiken
Head Coach, Heartland Aquatics

This post is the first in a series of posts from Coach Wiken’s Senior/National Team Group.  Look for more to come soon.

With Board or in Streamline (1 stroke max into wall)
4 x 100 @ 2:00 FR Strong Kick
4 x 25 @ :45 FR All Out Kick
3 x 100 @ 1:55 FR Strong Kick
4 x 25 @ :45 FR All Out Kick
2 x 100 @ 1:50 FR Strong Kick
4 x 25 @ :45 FR All Out Kick
1 x 100 @ 1:45 FR Strong Kick
4 x 25 @ :45 FR All Out Kick
1 x 100 @ — Easy Moderate FR Swim
1500/35 minutes

Flyin’ at Heartland

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Workout notes:
 -Only had 90 minutes on this particular day so things were a bit more condensed than normal. Was fortunate enough to have a couple of college guys back to train with my best 14 & under flyer. The goal was for her to do the set without breaking stroke and preparing for a great 200 fly without doing a TON of fly.
-The Short fins set was the speed work for the day, with the mindset of finishing a 100 fly really fast (fins were there to ensure holding stroke after the main set, aside from generating max speed). The underwaters were a hypoxic recovery and a mental challenge to use a whole body kick after the 100s on both rounds.
 – This was a good workout for the guys and an awesome challenge she rose up to on that day (not a typical daily workout, we were going into winter break, I believe there was no full day of school afterwards so she could recover fully). She channeled this memory about a month later into a PR in the 200 fly by about 5 seconds. 
Warm-up:
5:00FR Swim @ 1:00 Rest
8 x 25 @ :30 IM Order by 2s, fast in the deep end
(IMO by 2s: 1-2:Fly 3-4:BK …. Essentially Odds: EZ/FAST Evens: FAST/EZ)
2 x Wall Series (SEE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG POST)

Main Set: 

2x through…
1 x 250 @ 3:20
1 x 200 @ 2:40
1 x 150 @ 2:00
1 x 100 @ 1:20
1 x 50 @ 1:00
1st Rd: finish each swim with 25 fly (example: 250 = 225FR 25Fly…. 50 = 25FR 25Fly)
2nd Rd: finish each swim with 50 fly

1 x 50 @ 1:40 Easy Swim

Repeat all of that again.

+ 1:00 Rest to put on short fins..

2x
3 x 100 @ 1:40 50FR/50Fly
-Negative Split
4 x 25 @ :45 Underwater dolphin kick

Warm-down:
200FR 100IM Drill 
Wall Series: “Stolen” from Tom Beck at GOAL, modified to current form. Finish each warm-up with this mini set:
The following 7 steps are one time through, we finish each warm-up session twice through…
1. Streamline for distance* (goal; reach mid pool & beyond without propulsion)
2. From 1st red float back to start wall, submerge for underwater accelerator dolphin to wall, last few yards should be sprint. (swim back out to about 10 yards out)
3. FR race pace turn
4. 2 Reverse tucks from a horizontal & stationary position (working on quick knees & shoulders on open turn)
5. Fly or BR open race pace turn
6. Back race pace turn**
7. Accelerator at surface into choice race finish 
*The second round the streamline for distance is from the blocks. No kick, just gliding.
**The second round we substitute the BK turn on the 2nd round with a BK/BR crossover turn.

Burning Both Ends of the Candle

Posted on by rdwoodruff
First time I ran this, kids had never heard of the phrase before and didn’t understand why I would call this set that name. After 20 x 25s, they knew why…
 
1. Partner Up:
-You will need 1 Buoy & 1 Kickboard per tandem, both with center-mount snorkel (HIGHLY recommended)
2. 20 x 25 @ 1:00 (interval & # of repeats according to ability)
(want to make it longer?, suggest breaking @ 1/2 or 1/3s with a 50 easy on same interval)
One person does a 25 sprint scull (hands out in front of snorkel), head in line
 
The other person does a 25 sprint FR tombstone kick**, head in line
Rotate equipment after each 25
**Tombstone Kick: Stand board on end, grab a 1/2 way and stick bottom half in the water. Board stays vertical.  (We also do tombstone kick sets where the last repeat (usually 25s) we “bury it”, board is vertical and totally submerged.)