A Halloween Set during Adaptation Week (for age groupers)

Posted on by rdwoodruff
Clare Labowitch
Head Coach Darwin Swimming Club
Northern Territory, Australia
5k Pre-Halloween Excursion to the Dark Side (10-15 sec RI throughout)
Warm Up
4 x 100 two headed monsters (a variation of top and tail, this has two swimmers stroking with a kicker hanging on to each of their feet)
8 x 50 ghost slider + stealth free (max uw s/l on side, keep upper body very still, lead with one arm other by side,smooth breakout into no splash free with high elbow recovery)
6 x 50 scare tactics (with fins – 25 uw dolphin 25 max sprint)
Pre-Set
600 vampire chase 2 swimmers begin 20m in front of three other swimmers with fins who work as a pursuit team to catch them – once caught roles are rotated. The third swimmer in the line is the catcher which forces the swimmers to work together)
6 x 50 scramble home relay(swimmers s/l under floating mat then swim to and climb over, best they can, a fitness ball to get to the end).
Main
2[6 x 200 medley mashups (change around medley order/distances and even leave out a stroke for each repeat)
    4 x 50 carrying the weight (dolphin kick on back holding up medicine ball)
Cool down
4 x 50 zombie crawl (25 on back swimming feet forwards; 25 swim freestyle backwards)

Aerobic Speed

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Gary Galbreath
Dayton Raiders

We did this set during what I called Aerobic speed week. This was done Short Course Meters.

We gave all swimmers aggressive times to hold.  All said it was the hardest set of the summer.
400/350 Pull @ 5:15
4 x 50 Drill @ 50
——-30——–
1 x 100 Dive Fast @ 2:00
400/350 Pull @ 5:15
4 x 50 Drill @ 50
——-30——–
2 x 100 Dive Fast @ 2:00
400/350 Pull @ 5:15
4 x 50 Drill @ 50
——-30——–
3 x 100 Dive Fast @ 2:00
400/350 Pull @ 5:15
4 x 50 Drill @ 50
——-30——–
4 x 100 Dive Fast @ 2:00
500 Warm-Down (50 Kick-50 Swim)

I.M. a Hokie

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Braden Holloway
Associate Head Coach, Virginia Tech

Aerobic Base IM set for 400 IMers.
Done in SC Yards

350 IM @ 4:45 (50/125/125/50)
3 x 100 FR @ 1:15
400 IM @ 5:30 (75/125/125/75)
400 FR @ 5:00
450 IM @ 6:15 (100/125/125/100)
5 x 100 @ 1:10
500 IM @ 6:45 (100/150/150/100)
600 FR @ 7:00
550 IM @ 7:30 (125/150/150/125)
7 x 100 FR @ 1:05 PULL
600 IM @ 8:15 (125/175/175/125)
800 FR @ 9:00 PULL
Hold entire set 5-6 beats below max heart rate
Total: 6150 yards

The Dayton Raider Mountain

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Gary Galbreath
Dayton Raiders Swim Club

Here’s a set we did Saturday morning. Just as a reminder it’s base building time! We did it SC meters. Everyone was on the same cycle. The Kick part was the chance to catch up if the were struggling with the Times. It’s just a good Aerobic set. Total 8800 meters

25 Kick@ 30
4 x 50 @ 45 Descend 1-4
            Free
75 Kick@ 1:30
4 x 100 @ 1:30 Descend 1-4
            25 Stroke/50 Free/25 Stroke
125 Kick @ 2:30
4 x 150 @ 2:05 Descend 1-4
            Free
175 Kick@ 3:30
4 x 200 @ 3:00 Descend 1-4
            BackStroke
225 Kick @ 4:30
4 x 250 @ 3:15 Descend 1-4
            Free
275 kick@ 5:30
4 x 300 @ 4:30 Descend 1-4
            100 IM/100No Free/100 Free
325 Kick @ 6:30
4 x 350 @ 4:25 Descend 1-4
            Free
375 Kick@ 7:30
4 x 400 IM @ 6:30
            #1 4 x 100 IM
            #2 100IM/200 IM/100IM
            #3 2 x 200 IM
            #4 Reverse 400 IM
                        8800 meters

The Dirty Thirty

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Lauren Harrington
Loyola University

Warmup
300 free
200 IM drill/swim
100 pull
12×25 12 1/2 yards fast, getting the heart rate up
4x50s from mid-pool (stroke)
4x50s from mid-pool (free)


Main Set – “The Dirty Thirty”
30x100s

  • 10x100s on 1:30/1:35 (may adjust interval for swimmers, but these are the two we used for the women’s team)
  • 10x100s on 1:20/1:25
  • 10x100s on 1:10/1:15

The point of the set is to hold the same pace throughout…so you start out on 1:30/1:35 going as fast as you would to make a 1:10/1:15 pace. Obviously, you get a lot more rest at the beginning, but that’s the point. It’s a test of endurance, and it’s always fun to see where the swimmers are at the beginning of the season doing this set vs. the end of the season. It’s a good benchmark for where they’re at.

EASY 100 Stretch it out

6x100s 50 catch-up drill/50 swim freestyle to regain stroke and make sure swimmers are not just spinning their wheels after a set like that…@ 1:30

200 Warm Down

My Favorite Practice

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Ryan Woodruff

This set was one of my favorites from my time training for open water races.
SCY
10 x 500 @ 6:00 Slight descend #1-5, Hold #6-10 strong & steady
200 ez backstroke
10 x 300 @ 3:40 Hold 2 sec per 100 faster than on the 500s
200 ez backstroke
10 x 100 @ 1:20 Fastest possible average, shoot for 4 seconds faster per 100 than pace on the 300s.
200 ez backstroke

9600 yards

Set #2 From Down Under

Posted on by rdwoodruff
Clare Labowitch, Darwin Swimming Club
Northern Territory, Australia

We are in an endurance phase at the moment the what follows is the second of two Wednesday morning aerobic endurance sets which the swimmers handled particularly well.

Warm Up
4 x100 as 50 reverse IM order, 50 free on 1.35
4 250 as 200 free D1-4 to 85% + 50 form 20 sec RI
8 x 50 choice on 65 as 35 drill, 15 race finish
Kick Swim Drill
4 x 200 as 100 6 kick switch with one stroke to change + 100 slow arms fast kick on 3.20
Main – A1-A2
8 x 200 free as
 #1          200PB +35
#2-3       200PB +30
#4-5       200PB +25
#6-7       200PB +20
#8           take 2-3 secs off last swim
Fins
4 [ 4 x 50 as
Round 1- form on 50
Round 2- 25 form, 25 free on 45
Round 3- free on 40
Round 4 –choice on 35 – (one swimmer chose to do this round in fly)

200 easy backstroke and out

A Set from Down Under

Posted on by rdwoodruff
Clare Labowitch, Darwin Swimming Club
Northern Territory, Australia
I am an unashamed magpie when it comes to collecting swim sets and often mix and match different components. My squad is an age group one.
We are in an endurance phase at the moment the what follows is the first of two Wednesday morning aerobic endurance sets which the swimmers handled particularly well.
Warm Up 10 sec RI
400 free; 300 Claytons IM (25 fly 50 free, 25 back 50 free etc); 200 backstroke; 4 x 50 main stroke – stroke count D1-4 on 60
Main – Quality Endurance
2 x [ 4 x 200 free on 2:45 + 10 x 50 form on short rest cycle] as
                200 free + 1 x 50 form
                200 free + 2 x 50 form
                200 free + 3 x 50 form
                200 free + 4 x 50 form 
What I appreciated about the main was that the swimmers set their own cycle for the 50s and all of them challenged themselves
Fins
20 x 50 as 1-3 technique 4 pace

Triathlete/Masters Practice #4

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Ryan Woodruff

LCM
Warmup-500 smooth swim

100 pull @ 1:30/1:45/2:00
10 x 50 kick with fins @ 1:00/1:10/1:20
200 swim free @ 3:00/3:30/4:00
8 x 50 stroke (no free) @ 1:00/1:15/1:30
300 pull @ 4:30/5:15/6:00
6 x 50 kick @ 1:00/1:15/1:30
400 swim free @ 6:00/7:00/8:00
4 x 50 stroke (no free) @ 1:00/1:15/1:30
500 pull @ 7:30/9:00/10:00
2 x 50 FAST! @ 1:30

300 Warm down

3800m Total

Masters Practice #3

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

SCY
This practice is meant to be adapted for three different ability levels.  The first interval or distance is meant to be for the advanced swimmer, the second for intermediate, etc.  (i.e. 500/400/300 @ 8:00/9:00/8:30 means advanced swimmers do 500 yards @ 8:00 and so on).

Warmup
500/400/300 smooth free swim

3 x 300 Kick/Drill/Swim by 100 @ 5:15/6:00/6:45

Pull Set
100 EZ @ 1:30/1:45/2:00
200  (100 EZ/100 Moderate) @ 3:00/3:30/4:00
300 (100 EZ/100 Moderate/100 Fast) @ 4:30/5:15/6:00
200  (100 EZ/100 Moderate) @ 3:00/3:30/4:00
100 EZ @ 1:30/1:45/2:00

3 x 300 IM or Stroke (50 drill/25 fast) @ 5:15/5:45/6:15

Warm Down
6 x 100 freestyle, Descend cycle count per 25 each 100 @ 1:40/1:55/2:15

Total yardage: 3800

Beat Your Best With Fins

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Ryan Woodruff

LCM – We performed this set 3x through. The goal for each swim with fins & paddles is to beat your lifetime best 100m time. This set works for any stroke, and it may work best for some butterflyers to do it without paddles.

100 with fins & paddles + 100 ez swim @ 3:00
100 with fins & paddles + 200 ez swim @ 4:30
100 with fins & paddles + 300 ez swim @ 6:00

Handicapped 150s

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Ryan Woodruff

LCM – This set provides some good competitive incentive. It will also help your slower swimmers get more comfortable swimming from the front and help teach your faster swimmers how to race from behind.

? x 150s (do as many as you like) All are handicapped to a swimmer’s best 200m time. The coach starts counting down..3:00…2:59…2:58, etc. and swimmers start when they hear their best time. First swimmer to the wall wins, and the fastest 2-4 swimmers (depending on the size of your group) get to do an ez 50 instead of a 150 on the next repeat.

The Towson Tune-up

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Jeb Beaver, Assistant Coach
Monocacy Aquatic Club/ Towson University

Let me start off by saying that I really enjoy the website!

SCM
500 Twitch (25 free/25 non-free)
10 x 100 (50 Kick/50 Drill) 2:00  
Hypoxia:  10 x 50 Fins (25 underwater Fly (10secs rest at wall), 25 sprint Free no breath) 1:20
Easy 100
4 x 50   (backstroke 15 meters, flip into boat skull to the wall) 10 sec rest per 50.
Main Set
100’s Breaststroke
150’s 25 free, 50 fly, 25 bk, 25 br, 25 free (rotate per round) (2nd round 50 bk)
200 Free
Bold = SPRINT!

100
100
100
100
100
150
150
150
150
150
200
200
200
200
200

4 x 50   (backstroke 15 meters, flip into boat skull to the wall) 10 sec rest per 50.

Swim For Maximum Distance

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Ryan Woodruff

This test set is useful when you have a large group of swimmers performing different strokes at different speeds in only a few lanes. Bang a lane wrench on the inside of the pool gutter to notify the swimmers when it is time to stop.

2:00 swim for maximum distance
300 ez drill breaststroke
4:10 swim for maximum distance (Goal: double your 2:00 distance)
300 ez drill backstroke
8:40 swim for maximum distance (Goal: double your 4:10 distance)
300 ez drill fly
1:00 swim for maximum distance (Goal: 1/2 of 2:00 distance +5m)
200 ez drill breaststroke
2:05 swim for maximum distance (Goal: 1/2 of 4:10 distance +10m)
200 ez drill backstroke
4:20 swim for maximum distance (Goal: 1/2 of 8:40 distance +15m)
200 ez drill fly

The Century Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

LCM or SCY
100 x 50
1- Fast from a dive @ 1:00
2- Smooth swim at cycle count -1 @ :50
3- Descend 1-3 to P200 @ :50
4- Smooth swim at cycle count -2 @ :45
5- 25m sprint/25 ez work on breakouts @ 1:00
6- Descend 1-3 to P200 @ :50
7- Steady swim @ :40
8- Kick 4 @ 1:00, 2 @ :55, 2 @ :50
9- Descend 1-3 to P200 @ :50
10- Fastest possible average @ 1:30
9- Ascend 1-3 to P200 @ :50
8- Kick 4 @ 1:00, 2 @ :55, 2 @ :50
7- Steady swim @ :40
6- Ascend 1-3 to P200 @:50
5- 25m ez/25 sprint to perfect finish @ 1:00
4- Smooth swim at cycle count -2 @ :45
3- Ascend -3 to P200 @ :50
2- Smooth swim at cycle count -1 @ :50
1- Fast from a dive @ 1:00

Triple Crown Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

This set comes from Coach Sean Quinn, former head coach of the North Carolina Aquatic Club. He had his swimmers perform it once a season:

3x through (all swims fast for time):
1,000 free @ ~16:00
500 free @ ~10:00
400 IM @ ~10:00

Record all times. Fastest total time wins the “Triple Crown!”

Turn Test Set

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Ryan Woodruff
Lynchburg YMCA

SCY This set is intended to test an athlete’s turning ability as well as encourage him or her to improve this all-important skill. It works for open turns with fly or breaststroke swimming. If you have touch pads that can measure turn time, this set could also be good for back or free.

Swimmer performs 1 x 200 for time. Coach times the swimmer’s turns (from hand touch to feet leaving the wall) cumulatively using the start and stop buttons on the watch. Record swimmer’s total turn time and average turn time. For instance, a good total might be 7.00 seconds, average turn time of 1.00 seconds per turn.

Swimmer then performs fast 50s on a moderate interval (perhaps a 1:1 work:rest ratio). If the swimmer’s total turn time was 7 seconds, then he does seven 50s. If it took him 10 seconds, he does ten 50s. During the 50s, the coach times the swimmer’s turn. Swimmer must beat his average turn time by .2 seconds and give a good effort on the 50 for it to count.

If doing this set in a group setting, divide the swimmers into teams, each swimmer with a partner on the opposite team and a stopwatch per partnership. Team with the least # of 50s to do wins.

Solo Distance Training Set

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Anonymous Submission

Here is a progressing series of sets I use to train for long distance open water racing.

 

Week 1 –

   Day 1 – 4 x 500 first 100 fast, 50 easy, balance at race pace 3 min rest between reps

  Day 3 – 5 x 500 first 100 fast, 50 easy, balance at race pace 3 min rest between reps

   Day 5 – 6 x 500 first 100 fast, 50 easy, balance race pace 3 min rest between reps.

 

Each week I start back at 4 reps but increase the distance by 100 total per rep and increase the fast part by 50 per rep. so Week 2, Day 1 would be 4×600, 150 fast, 50 easy, balance at race pace Week 3 Day 1 would be 4×700, first 200 fast, 50 easy, balance race pace. and so on. I do this for a 5 week cycle. It is important to focus on going really fast for the first part of each rep and returning back to race pace for the balance of each rep. The goal of these sets is to improve ability to swim long distances at a fast pace and to get used to going out fast. In open water swimming this will help you to get out with the front pack and free from the crowds. As you can see I do this set three times a week. On days 2,4 and 6 each week I do sprint and technique work.

Blast From the Past #2

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Chris Webb, SwimMAC Carolina

This post is the second of two submissions by Coach Webb detailing workouts from past stops in his coaching career (Click here for #1).  This set originally was a creation of Chris Plumb of the Carmel Swim Club from 2008.

15×200 on 3:00-3:30 choice
If the swimmer is within 10 of their best time they skip two 200’s. If they are within 15 of their best they skip one. 16+ they skip none. So the set could be 5×200’s on 9:00 or it could be a whole lot of painful 200’s 16 over your best. This set rewards performance.

Miler 25s

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Gary Galbreath, Dayton Raiders

Did this set early during taper for the Distance Group
Repeat Set 3 Times.  All 25s are to a hand touch.  Do Not Flip.
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 20 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 19 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 18 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 17 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 16 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 15 Fast

 

Blast from the Past #1

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Chris Webb, SwimMAC Carolina

This is the first of two submissions from Coach Webb of sets that he used at a past stop in his coaching career.  This first one is from the 2001 Team Pittsburgh Distance group

3×200 fr on 2:10
2×200 fr on 2:05
1 min rest
1×500 on 5:30
3×200 fr on 2:15
2×200 fr on 2:10
1 min rest
1×500 on 5:20
3×200 fr on 2:20
2×200 fr on 2:15
1 min rest
1×500 fr on 5:10

IM Overload Loop

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Eric Talsma, Hamilton (MI) Swimming

Another set we like for a good IM practice SCY:
IM Overload Set:
4 x (16 x 50 on :50/:60/1:10)
 Odd 50’s are Overload Stroke
 Even 50’s are Broken 400 IM
So first time through looks like this
1-Fly
2-Fly
3-Fly
4-Fly
5-Fly
6-Back
7-Fly
8-Back
9-Fly
10-Breast
11-Fly
12-Breast
13-Fly
14-Free
15-Fly
16-Free
Second time replace Fly on the odds with Back, third time they’ll be Breast and fourth they’ll be Free. I got this set from someone but I can’t remember who for the life of me. We’ve been using it for quite a while.

FOWLI Set

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Eric Talsma, Hamilton (MI) Swimming

This is a fun set that we do. Or we use it as part of a larger set. Great for getting the kids to push each other and make each other suffer a bit.

We call it simply FOWLI which stands for First Out When Last In. No time interval, they just leave based on how fast those around them are swimming. We usually do it as 25’s but you can do it for any length repeat.

Generally set up with between 3 and 6 swimmers per lane. The fewer the swimmers the tougher the set.

When the last swimmer touches the wall, the first swimmer leaves. We want them to be leaving at about :02 intervals so they are really pretty close to each other. We encourage them to pass if they can but they must hang on to the feet of the person in
front of them.

Each swimmer leads between 1 and 4 repeats. The fewer repeats before rotating the lead the tougher the set. After the leader is done they go to the back of the lane, giving them between 6 and 12 seconds extra rest, everyone else moves up one spot shorting them on :02 or so of rest.

Some variations that we like: w/ zoomers or fins, pulling, stroke, IM order rotating lead every 4, as a lead in to a set, in the middle of a set, at the end of a set, etc. We like to mix it in to a workout once a week or so. We encourage them to push each other and steal their lane-mates rest.

Hope you like it. Let me know if you have any questions.

I’ll try to get you some others that we like to do. I really appreciate the site. It has spurred some good conversations and some good thinking on workout ideas.

Tricep Fire

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

You guessed it… this one will burn!

SCY
30 x 50 done in ten sets of 3. After each set of three, perform 8 press-outs on the edge of the pool, adding :10 seconds to the interval on the 3rd 50.
Set #1,#4,#6 and #9: descend 1-3 to P200 or faster @ 1:00
Set #2 and #7: 1 ez, 2 at P200 or faster @ :50
Set #3 and #8: moderate, descend cycle count @ :40
Set #5 and #10: Fastest possible average @ 1:00

Free/Back Workout

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

SCY
500 free @ 6:20 (1:16)
10 x 75 choice odd kick @ 1:20, even swim build @ 1:00
500 free @ 6:10 (1:14)
10 x 50 free, 1 @ :50, 2 @ :45, 3 @ 40 4@:35
500 free @ 6:00 (1:12)
10 x 25 back odds ez swim @:30 even uw dolphin kick @:20
500 free @ 5:50
10 x 25 free odds ez @ :30 even sprint no breath @:20
500 free @ 6:00
10 x 50 back odd @ :50, even @ :35
500 free @ 6:10
10 x 75 choice odd kick @ 1:20, even swim build @ :55
500 free @ 6:20
TOTAL: 6500 yards