Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. We went with a big interval on this set to allow time for extra instruction and for swimmers to catch their breath after a very underwater-heavy swim.
3K-1P = 3kicks and 1 pull (br drill)
1 pullout 1 cycle — repeat this sequence for the whole 50
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This is part of a practice I did recently with our top 11-12s. Our main focus was on underwater kicking. Our pool has a black line across the bottom approximately 9 yards from the wall.
For the 1:00 vertical kick and rotate, we were flutter kicking with our arms folded across our chest, performing a 90 degree rotation about every 5 seconds accompanied by my demonstration.
Texas 25 = push off and streamline underwater kick to the black line, flip, 4 underwater kicks, sprint back to the wall, turn, 4 underwater kicks and sprint to the opposite end. Texas 25 = 45 yards (everything is bigger in Texas).
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Gary Galbreath, Columbia Swim Club
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We used stretch cords on the first part of this set with a partner wearing a belt attached to each end of the cord. This allowed them to provide resistance for each other (one person at the wall while the other one swims) without climbing out or having to take off the belt until the 100s.
Ryan Woodruff
This set was intended to focus on the middle part of our IM swims. Every swim has a 100 back/100 breast in the middle. That 200 is the focus of the set, and we aimed to descend that 200 across the 8 swims. Any distance before or after that 200 is freestyle. We did this in a SCM pool.
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Ken O’Reilly, Scarlet Aquatics
For this workout, there are about 24 athletes in 4 lanes. In order to facilitate competition during practice, we have 3 swimmers start from each end of the pool in each lane and put a cone on both sides at the middle of the pool. This allows kids starting from opposite ends to race — whomever passes the cone first as they go in opposite directions is winning.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
A “fartlek” is a continuous swim where we change speeds or points of emphasis.
During the 10:00, I would occasionally bang a metal wrench on the side of the pool, signaling an all-out sprint to the next wall followed by continuation of the swim.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Coach Mike Cook, Mason Makos
For the backstrokes and breast strokers with IM to finish the day off
Our warm up has included these 20 underwater dolphins for the last three weeks. With the goal being 12.5 on odds and 10 meters on evens. Last 4 are always to 15 meter mark. Kids really feel it is improving their turns
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY. We used this breaststroke set to get some good technical work. On the 300, they held their line in the glide phase of the stroke for 3 seconds. In the 200, they held it for 2 seconds. The 100s were intended to be kept at a fixed level of effort, swimming with best technique and maximum efficiency. Got some good results!
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We had a few minutes left at the end of practice the other night, so we finished with a little bit of breaststroke for everyone.
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Chris Brookover, YBCC Phoenix
10 pounds of stuff in a 5-pound bag.
Fall 2018 Warm Up
1 x 400 @ 6:00 Loosen
4 x 50 @ :45 Drill w/ Forearm Fulcrums
4 x 100 @ 1:30 Descend 1 – 4
Aerobic
#A+
1 x 600 @ 8:00
1 x 500 @ 6:30
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:00
1 x 300 @ 3:40
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:20
1 x 200 @ 2:25
1 x 100 @ 1:10
#A
1 x 600 @ 8:15
1 x 500 @ 6:45
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:15
1 x 300 @ 3:50
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 1:55
1 x 200 @ 2:30
#B
1 x 600 @ 8:30
1 x 500 @ 7:00
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:30
1 x 300 @ 4:00
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 200 @ 2:35
Kicking:
#A
3 x 200 @ 3:20 Kicking W/ Fins
3 X
6 x 25 @ :25
Rest :30
#B
3 x 200 @ 3:30 Kicking W/ Fins
3 X
5 x 25 @ :30
Rest :30
Stroke – Perfect Technique – Intervals not that hard – thus you can think.
#Back
6 x 100 @ 2:00 W/ Fins & Fulcrums
6 x 100 @ 1:45 Back Swim – Build Each – Best Average
6 x 50 @ 1:15 Cup Head Drill Back Stroke
6 x 50 @ :50 Back Swim [2nd 25 Faster / Minumum 5 Kicks off wall]
6 x 25 @ :50 Spin Drill Backstroke
2 X
6 x 25 @ :45 Back Swim – All Out Sprint
Rest :30
#Breast
6 x 100 @ 2:00 Breast 4 Kick / 1 Pull – Double Pull Outs
5 x 100 @ 2:00 Breast Swim – Build Each – Best Average
6 x 50 @ 1:10 Free Kick no Board – Triple Pull Outs
6 x 50 @ :55 Breast Swim [2nd 25 Faster / Minumum 5 Kicks off wall]
6 x 25 @ :50 Spin Drill Breaststroke – [Breast Pull / Free Kick – Not Swim]
2 X
6 x 25 @ :45 Breast Swim – All Out Sprint
#Fly
6 x 100 @ 1:45 – Fly Kick On Back w/ Fins
8 x 25 @ :40 Swim Fly [Boys 6 Kicks 5 Strokes, Girls 6 Kicks 7 Strokes]
Rest :40
8 x 25 @ :40 Swim Fly [Boys 5 Kicks 6 Strokes, Girls 5 Kicks 8 Strokes]
6 x 100 @ 2:00 – Fly Kick Underwater – Streamline Position
8 x 25 @ :45 Swim Fly Fast – Horsehoe Finish
1 x 100 @ 3:00 EZ Free
8 x 25 @ :50 Swim Fly Fast
Swim Down
4 x 75 @ 1:30
3 x 50 @ 1:00
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
On days when we do what I call “quality sets” (generally fast swims off the blocks or race-pace swims from a push) I have noticed that our breaststrokers sometimes have difficulty getting up to full speed, even after a full warmup. This set was designed to get their engines going before today’s quality set.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set was originally published here in 2016
So much of performing good turns in short course fly and breaststroke swims comes from spacing the cycles out correctly. The key is that swimmers hit the wall at the conclusion of a full cycle, and not on a short stroke or a long glide. This set is simple but demands exactly that.
6 x 25 Breast @ :35 — Hit the wall correctly at specified cycle count or it doesn’t count (take :20 extra rest and then continue
100 ez free
6 x 25 Breast @ :30 — same instructions as above
100 ez free
6 x 25 Breast @ :25 — same instructions above.
100 ez free
200 Breast odd 25s at min cycle count, even 25s 15m speed drill, 10m long and smooth strokes
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Our breaststrokers enjoyed this one. The vertical kick was “eggbeater style.” In the 200, swimmers did 3kicks-1pull-2kicks-1pull-1kick-1pull where they focused on getting Distance per Stroke. The 6 x 50 with the squats was a great leg workout and we saw some pretty decent early-season times at the end.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
LCM
9 x 100 Breast @:20 rest
#1 – 2 cycles max kicks/2 cycles max DPS
#2 – 50 br with flutter kick/50 br build
#3 – minimum cycle count swim
100 ez backstroke
6 x 100 breast @2:00
must descend 1-6 to all out
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
“Stroke” parts were backstroke or freestyle
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Editor’s note: This set was originally published to this blog in June 2014.
Keith Haynes
Head Coach
Caradon Swim Club
Below is a Breaststroke set I ran this evening with my age group swimmers – although I think age group is different in the US, so 11 – 14 year olds. They said they really liked it and that it was easy! Outrageous.
I love doing descending work with this age group, as when it comes to a race situation they really understand the concept of applying more effort throughout a race to maintain speed even though they are getting tired. Just like when we do descending work in training!
Clearly I was too generous with the turnaround times, but I will get them back on Tuesday and Friday. So adjust turnaround times to suit your swimmers capabilities or where they are in their training programme…
1 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00
4 x 25 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 45
2 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00
4 x 50 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 1.30
3 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00
4 x 75 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 2.15
3 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00
4 x 50 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 1.30
2 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00
4 x 25 BR/S Descend 1 – 4 to sprint speed on 45
1 x 100 as 50 F/S – 50 BK on 2.00
Editor’s Note: This set was first published to the blog in June 2014.