Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
Tag: Breaststroke
Back or Breast Descend and Tech Work
Back or Breast?
Options
Challenging Set for Back or Breast.
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
The day we performed this set, we had only 2 swimmers per lane, which allowed us to have very individualized intervals. We did this set in a SCM pool (our normal training location) using our SCY best times. Most of our swimmers were able to make their goal by 7-8 seconds and were able to push themselves pretty hard on short rest. This set could be used for freestyle or butterfly as well, we were just looking for some back and breast work.
Breaststroke Set #4,038
Breaststroke Precision Set
"Groove Set Plus" for Breaststroke
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set last week. We used our Breaststroke Groove Set and then followed it up with the 6 x 200s. Breaststroke group like it and had some good swims.
Ascending/Descending 75s
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set recently and for whatever reason we got some surprisingly good results. I was even encouraging swimmers to slow down as they ascended the odds, and they put up some impressive times by the end.
The up arrow means to ascend the time on the odds (start fast, finish slower) and the down arrow means descend the evens (start slow, finish fast).
Groove Set for Breaststroke
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
The idea is to use this set to get your stroke feeling technically sound and in flow. Use before a race or before a challenging breaststroke set and adjust the number of repetitions as needed/desired.
Gotta Hit Those Walls
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
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.
Backstroke and Breaststroke Drills and Swim for Distance
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
Back/Breast and Zeroing in on 200 pace
Sometimes You Gotta Split the Group
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
Split into two groups – breaststrokers and non-breaststrokers
Breaststroke and Backstroke with Coach Brookover
Chris Brookover
YBCC Phoenix – Head Coach
Director of Competitive Swimming
Another set that turned out really well.
1×400 3kick 1 pull @ 5:30
3 x 8 x 25 @:40 Drill
1- 3 second 7 squeeze
2- Brst pull / Free Kick
3- Catch isolation
6×150
75 FR @ 1:10 75 Brst @ 1:30
6×125
75 FR @ 1:05 50 Brst @ :55
6×100
75 FR @ 1:00 25 Brst @:25
1X500 KICK @ 7:00
3 x 8 x 25 @:40 Drill
1- 6 SECOND SIDE TO SIDE
2- R ARM, L ARM
3- SPIN DRILL
6×150
75 FR @ 1:10 75 BK @ 1:20
6×125
75 FR @ 1:05 50 BK @ :50
6×100
75 FR @ 1:00 25 BK @ :25
How to Do an Awesome Breaststroke Pullout
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
Did some drawing before teaching our youngsters the basics of breaststroke pullouts today. The mention of food at the bottom is a timing device I learned from Martyn Wilby during my time at the University of Florida.
PUSH OFF THE WALL…”Apples, peaches, pumpkin pie”…PULL DOWN…”Strawberry Shortcake”…KICKOUT AND SWIM!
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Breaststroke hypoxic with drills
Backstroke Parachutes Set with Back/Breast Follow-up
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
This workout goes back to 2009. It was written for SCY for an athlete who was an Trials-caliber backstroker and IMer. The focus was on underwater kicking and backstroke strength. The “yellow” parachute was rather small and the “1st black buoy” refers to 15m mark from the opposite end of the pool.
Back and Breast Options
Middle IM awareness set
Is Breaststroke your Best stroke?
Bk & Br Fartleks
Fourth of July Breaststroke Set (7/4)
Breaststroke Build-up set
Choose your weapon — back or breast
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
LCM. Wanted to get some good swimming of both of these strokes in today. Being within the best+30 goal on the 200s wasn’t a problem for most, and the conscientious ones were able to be within 20 for the most part. Rest intervals allowed for good flexibility on lane assignments and stroke choices. Swimmers had to stick with either stroke for a round before switching.
Choose Your Descend with Coach John Ravestein
John Ravestein
TYDE Coach – National Team
YMCA of Northwest North Carolina
We did this yesterday, I liked it because it gave the kids some freedom of what they wanted to descend but the intervals were still hard enough that they couldn’t slack on the other part. I also played a game to see if I could pick which one they descended based on their effort. You can also have them pick it before they start to give them ownership of the set.
10x50s on :50







