Can You Spot Me?

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach, Lynchburg YMCA

This set uses yesterday’s Sweet Spot Test

Warmup w/ fins
400 smooth swim B3
4 X 100 build @ :20 rest
4 x 50 choice 15m sprint then ez

Main set using a Tempo Trainer

3x through:

1 x 50 @ 1:20 in sweet spot range
1 x 100 build @:10 rest
1 x 100 ez @ :10-:20 rest (leave on next multiple of 10)
1 x 50 @ 1:20 in sweet spot range
1 x 50 @ 1:10 in sweet spot range
1 x 100 JUST GO FAST @ :10 rest
1 x 100 ez @ :10-:20 rest (leave on next multiple of 10)
1 x 50 @ 1:20 in sweet spot range
1 x 50 @ 1:10 in sweet spot range
1 x 50 @ 1:00 in sweet spot range
1 x 100 JUST GO FAST @ :10 rest
1 x 300 25 drill/25 swim

On the JUST GO FAST parts, use the Tempo Trainer as a guide, but do not worry if you cannot hold it.

Find Your Sweet Spot

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
@WoodruffRyan

This set was adapted from SwimSmooth.com‘s Ramp Test

The Sweet Spot Test Set

Using a Tempo Trainer
12 x 50 LCM @ 1:20
Begin at a tempo you know you can hold (if you are doing freestyle, try something between 1.50 and 1.80). Hold that tempo as precisely as possible for the entire 50m. Have a friend or a coach count your cycles and record that info using this worksheet. On each subsequent 50, lower your tempo by .10 until you reach a tempo that you are unable to hold. After that failure point, take your tempo back up to near where it started, and bring it down again. Also make note of your effort level on a scale of 1-10.

At the completion of the set, you should have a range of tempos, cycle counts, efforts, and times. Look for effort levels in the 8 or 9 range. If you are in shape, these should roughly approximate 200 pace. The range of data that you find will be your “Sweet Spot.” Train in and around this sweet spot as often as possible to improve your ability to sustain this pace or even to improve upon it.

The Dolphin Maker

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

Want to have a killer underwater kick in your arsenal for the end of a race? You had better practice kicking hard and fast under fatigue! Try this one:

5x through:

4 x 100 free w/ fins 1 @ 1:10, 1 @ 1:05, 2 @ 1:00
This initial set of 100s is intended to put the athlete in a fatigued state. Then immediately go into:

2 x 25 w/fins @ :30 #1 All UW dolphin kick, #2 Max UW kick and then sprint
Max UW kick means the athlete should go as far as possible (up to 15m) as long as he can maintain high velocity and sprint the remaining distance.

FINS OFF
4 x 25 @ :40 #1 All UW dolphin kick, #2 Max UW kick and then sprint
:30 rest to put fins back on

Race Pace Under Fatigue

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

This set will help swimmers learn to swim at race pace under fatigue.
SCY
10x through:
Selected dryland exercise @:20
1 x 50 @ :40 beat P200 from a push
1 x 50 @ :40 smooth swim of the same stroke, hold great technique
1 x 50 @ 1:00 ez swim

Selected dryland exercises:
#1 – 10 pushups
#2 – 10 frog jumps
#3 – 12 pushups
#4 – 12 frog jumps
#5 – 14 pushups
#6 – 14 frog jumps
#7 – 12 pushups
#8 – 12 frog jumps
#9 – 10 pushups (hold your breath)
#10 – 10 frog jumps (hold your breath)

Ping Pong Butterfly

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

This butterfly mini-set will encourage them to swim with long strokes and work their underwater kick-outs. It is best done with one or two people in the lane.

LCM

Push off of the wall and perform 1 cycle fly. Open turn mid-pool, kick on back to the wall, then immediately push off and perform 2 cycles of fly. Keep repeating with 3 cycles, 4 cycles, 5 cycles, etc until they cover the entire 50. Upon completing the 50, rest :05 and then sprint a 50 fly for time. No underwater kicking beyond 15m allowed.

The swimmers will quickly figure out that when they get up to a number of cycles that they can make the 50m, they will perform their best dolphin kicks, and then hold long strokes for the entire 50, some even going 4+ fewer strokes than normal. Grabbing that short rest and then going the 50 sprint for time is a challenge, but they will usually step up and swim well.

Surge Speed

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Gary Galbreath, Dayton Raiders

This set is designed so swimmers can have some surge speed in the mile or 800. To break away or to run with someone that tries to break away.
 
Short Course Meters
2 x                                                                                              

500 Fast + 3 x 50 Fast Dive     + 100 EZ         @ 11:30

400 Fast + 3 x 75 Fast Dive    + 75 EZ            @ 11:30

300 Fast + 3 x 100 Fast Dive  + 100 EZ          @ 11:30  
Swimmers can decide how much rest to take before dive swims.
All Dive Swims Need to be 400 Free Speed or Faster

Carmel Workout

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Chris Plumb, Carmel Swim Club

4x:

1 x 50 Fast @ :30
1 x 50 Ez @ 1:00
1 x 100 Fast @ 1:00
1 x 50 Ez @ 1:00
1 x 50 Fast @ :30
1 x 50 Ez @ 1:00
2 x 100 Fast @ 1:10
1 x 100 Ez @ 2:00
1 x 50 Fast @ :30
1 x 50 Ez @ 1:00
3 x 100 Fast @ 1:20
1 x 150 Ez @ 3:00

72 minutes, 4800 yards

The No-Free Mixer

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

400 25 free/25 no free 5:25
12 x 100 no free descend 1-4 to best 100 + 10 seconds @ 1:25
6 x 50 kick @ :55
#1 – 25 fast/25 ez
#2 – 25 ez/25 fast
#3 – all fast

400 same
12 x 75 no free descend 1-4 to best 100 – 7 seconds @ 1:05
6 x 50 same

400 same
12 x 50 no free descend 1-4 to 1/2 of best 100 +2 seconds @ :45
6 x 50 same

400 same
12 x 25 no free RACE!!! @ :30
6 x 50 same

Get out of the Box

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Gary Galbreath, Dayton Raiders

So many kids train in the comfort zone! This set is to get them out of that box, to feel uncomfortable. That uneasy feeling they all feel at the end of a race.
 
Short Course meters
 
4 x 200 Free     2:25   
4 x 50 (25Fly/25Back)      40     
4 x 150 Free     1:50
4 x 100 (50 Back/50 Breast)   1:30
4 x 100 Free     1:10
4 x 150 (75 Breast/75 Free)   2:10
4 x 50 Free        35
4 x 200 (100 Free/100 IM)   2:35 

#avg_ls_inline_popup { position:absolute; z-index:9999; padding: 0px 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 240px; overflow: hidden; word-wrap: break-word; color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; line-height: 13px;}

Time to Cinco or Swimo

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

How many 5’s can we squeeze into one set?

500 free @ 5:55
5 x 200 prime stroke @ 2:45 Descend 1-4, hold 5
500 free @ 5:55
5 x 150 prime stroke @ 2:05 Descend 1-3, hold 4,5
500 free @ 5:55
5 x 100 prime stroke @ 1:25 Descend 1-2, hold 3,4,5
500 free @ 5:55
5 x 50 prime stroke @ :45 fastest possible average
500 free @ 5:55

Descend 500s 1-5. Kick 5 yards underwater off every wall.

Total distance = 5,000 yards

Finish the Freakin Race

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Gary Galbreath, Dayton Raiders

This set was done SC meters
400 IMer's and Distance free
Get the time on the fast swims. Be faster the second time around. The goal is to hold speed throughout the fast swims(ie: 1:05=100, 2:10=200, 3:15=300, 4:20=400), cycles are fastest enough that the can't back off the IM.
2 x
400 IM or Back @ 5:45
400 (300 IM  :15 rest + 100 Free Fast) @ 5:35
400 (200 IM  :15 rest + 200 Free Fast) @ 5:25
400 (100 IM  :15 rest + 300 Free Fast) @ 5:15
400 Free Fast @ 5:05

Luke and Mariel Liked this I.M. Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

This set is a follow-up to the I.M. Transition Set from last week. Its purpose is also to work on transitions, though it does not depend on the rest from that set’s broken swims.

6 x 100 50 fly/50 back
3 @ 1:20
2 @ 1:25
1 @ 1:30

3 x 200 IM descend @ 2:40

6 x 100 50 back/50 breast
3 @ 1:25
2 @ 1:30
1 @ 1:35

2 x 300 IM descend @ 4:00

6 x 100 50 breast/50 free
3 @ 1:25
2 @ 1:30
1 @ 1:35

1 x 600 IM all out for time

Put a strong emphasis on the final 10 yards of each stroke and the first 10 yards of the next stroke.

Friday Fly Day in May

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

SCY
60 x 50
4x:
1 – Fly kick @ :50
1 – ez free swim @ :40
2 – Fly drill @ :45
1 – ez free swim @ :40
3 – Fly swim @ :40
1 – ez free swim @ :40
2 – Fly swim @ :35
1 – ez free swim @ :40
1 – Fly siwm @ :30

+ 4 Fly swim fastest possible average @ 1:00

I.M. Transitions

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

SCY
The purpose of this set is to improve the swimmer’s ability to swim quality backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle while dealing with the residual fatigue from butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke, respectively. After each initial swim, the :05 rest allows the swimmer just enough time to catch a breath or two so as to allow for high-quality technique on the subsequent 100 yard swim. Descend the three 100s back (and breast, and free). Descend the three 200 IMs. Lay it all on the line for the broken 400 IM, being sure to swim each stroke completely (don’t glide into the end of each 100).

100 Fly (:05 rest) + 100 Back @ 2:40
150 Fly (:05 rest) + 100 Back @ 3:20
200 Fly (:05 rest) + 100 Back @ 4:00

200 IM @ 3:00

100 Back (:05 rest) + 100 Breast @ 2:50
150 Back (:05 rest) + 100 Breast @ 3:30
200 Back (:05 rest) + 100 Breast @ 4:10

200 IM @ 3:00

100 Breast (:05 rest) + 100 Free @ 2:40
150 Breast (:05 rest) + 100 Free @ 3:20
200 Breast (:05 rest) + 100 Free @ 4:00

200 IM @ 3:00

100 ez @ 2:00

Broken 400 IM (:10 rest every 100)

Prime Time

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

LCM
Prior to this set, perform a 1,000m swim for time of your prime non-freestyle stroke.

3 x 100 at P1000 @ 1:50
2 x 50 at P100-2 @ 1:00
1 x 100 ez free @ 2:00

3 x 100 at P1000 @ 1:50
4 x 50 at P100-3 @ 1:00
1 x 100 ez free @ 2:00

3 x 100 at P1000 @ 1:50
6 x 50 at P100-4 @ 1:00
1 x 100 ez free @ 2:00

3 x 100 at P1000 @ 1:50
8 x 50 at P100-5 @ 1:00
1 x 100 ez free @ 2:00

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 – #20

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

#20 – Climb-out kicks
SCY
All are @ :30
2x:
1 ez swim
1 fast kick
1 ez swim
2 fast kick
1 ez swim
3 fast kick

#19 and #20 – Fast streamline underwater kick

All 25s are from a dive. Swimmers must climb out and be prepared to dive within the interval. This is what truly makes the set challenging!

Drill: Rotisserie Kick

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

This drill is to help with body awareness, core body control, and balance in the water. Rotisserie kick is simple: Get in a streamlined position, squeezing your head between your arms, and flutter kick face-down. When you need a breath, roll onto your back, keeping your streamline intact. When you have concluded your breath, roll in the same direction onto your front again. Repeat and continue as you need each breath. This is best done with fins.

The Bear

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

LCM
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
1 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
2 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
3 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
4 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
5 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00

This set takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete. 800s are fastest possible average, and 35m sprints are all-out timed to the head crossing the line. Record all times.