Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. We got excellent results on the untethered swims after the 4 x 10 cycles resisted.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Chris Brookover, YBCC Phoenix
This one is simple and could be changed around but it turned out really well. The fly 25’s turned out to be more of a kick set than swim.
A+ had 1:20 Base for the IM, A had 1:25 and B 1:30
6 x 25 @ :35 Fly – Minimum FIVE Kicks
4 x 100 @ 1:20 – 25 FR / 25 BK / 25 BR / 25 FR
Rest :40
6 x 25 @ :35 Fly – Minimum FIVE Kicks
Rest 1:00
8 x 25 @ :40 Fly – Minimum SIX Kicks
3 x 200 @ 2:40 50 FR / 50 BK / 50 BR / 50 FR
Rest :40
8 x 25 @ :40 Fly – Minimum SIX Kicks
Rest :40
10 x 25 Fly @ :45 Minimum EIGHT Kicks
2 x 300 IM @ 4:00 75 Free / 75 Back / 75 Breast / 75 Free
10 x 25 Fly @ :45 Minimum EIGHT Kicks
Rest :30
12 x 25 Fly @ :50 Minimum NINE Kicks
1 x 400 IM @ 5:15 100 FR / 100 BK / 100 BR / 100 FR
12 x 25 @ :35 EZ FREE
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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
SCY

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Ryan Woodruff
We split the group in two, one for the ‘A’ instructions and one for the B. Each set was followed by a 300 ez scull/swim with snorkels.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. Today’s fly set included a bunch of other stuff. On the 8 x 200s, our top flyers did 25fly/175 free on number 1, 50 fly/150 free on #2, and so on up to a 200 fly on #8. The ‘B’ group went up to 100 fly/100 free and then started the cycle over again at 25/175.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this one SCM recently. Pretty tough set but our flyers did a great job with it.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. This fly set was a bit uncomfortable for those swimmers who like to know exactly what is coming. We were doing 8 x 25 @:25, but then I would randomly announce that the distance would change to a 50@:50 or a 100@1:40 for one rep. The set of 25s alone was a good one, bit the introduction of the 50s or 100s was meant to keep them a little off balance mentally and then to challenge them to hold the stroke together physically. We ended up doing 5 rounds — we did 5 rounds with 1 or 2 50s in each round.

I am calling the set “The Magic Bean” because when we would do a 100, I would give one swimmer a goal time to hit — if he or she achieved it (“The Magic Bean”) we would be done with the set. We ended up stopping after the 2nd 100.
Good mentally and physically challenging set.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. We did the 8 x 8 underwater kicks resisted with stretch cordz and SwimSmart Power Harnesses (which we reviewed here). The dolphin kicks were at high intensity. On the eighth repeat, we added 4 cycles of fast fly. The 25s, 50s, and 75s on this one went really well…the 3:1 ratio was just right for our group to do some real good fly while holding onto their rhythm and getting some recovery on the backstroke parts.

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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
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
The idea for this fly Set was to a good amount of “almost fast” fly on the 25s and then put together some good fast 100s. We incentivized the 100s and swam so well that we ended up doing only 1 each round (instead of 1,2,3). Some of the best fly we have done this early in the season!
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Greg Johnson, Team Lead Coach, Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club
Here is one we conquered this morning. This was with our Senior group. This was taken from Paul Yetter:
50 x 50 (O=free E=fly)
20 @ 45 (P200 +2)
20 @ 50 (P200 +1)
10 @ 1’00 (P200)
P200 = 200 yard/meter race pace
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
LCM
Do not attempt unless you are a butterfly BEAST!!!
Instructions refer to the “first” and “last” 25 or 50 of EACH SWIM, not the entire set.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY This one is just a little fly mixed into some freestyle.

Coach Doug Russell, Austin Trinity, Austin Texas
We got this base set for under-waters from the women’s program at the University of Arkansas several years ago and we use it often with variations. We call it Soo-E-Pig.
We almost always use it as a fin set. We train in a 25 meter pool. The basic set is 4 under – 1 recovery (we call it “over”) , 3 under – 1 recovery, 2 under – 1 over, 1 under – 1 over. We usually repeat it 4 times though. Today we went with a variation to work our butterfly and up tempo our Freestyle.
Soo-E-Pig
1 6 dolphins – 3 strokes Fly – if not at wall back under water and work finish.
2 5 dolphins – 4 strokes Fly – same
3 4 dolphins – 5 strokes Fly – also
4 3 dolphins – 6 strokes Fly – again
As they work through the set they drop a round in sequence.
Set:
Round 1 Soo-E-Pig > :40
Swim 6 x 50 Free > :40 (Descend 1 – 3, 4 Negative Split, 5 Build, 6 Faster than first three)
Round 2 Soo-E-Pig > :35
Swim 6 x 75 Free > 1:00 (Descend 1 – 3, 4 Ez-Ez-Fast, 5 Ez-Fast-Ez, 6 Fast-Ez-Ez)
Round 3 Soo-E-Pig > :30
Swim 6 x 100 Free > 1:20 (Descend 1 – 3, Descend 4 – 6)
Round 4 Soo-E-Pig > :25
Swim 1 x 200 Free > Goal Time for 200 Free LC minus 3 – 6) They have fins on!
Total 2650 meters SC
Editor’s note: This set was first posted to this blog in June 2014.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
LCM
3 x 100 @ 1:30 25 sprint fly/75 free B3
1 x 300 5 cycles fly/5 cycles breast @ 6:00
3 x 150 @ 2:10 50 sprint fly/100 free B3
1 x 200 5 cycles fly/5 cycles breast @ 4:00
3 x 200 @ 2:50 75 sprint fly/125 free B3
1 x 100 5 cycles fly/5 cycles breast @ 2:00
100 easy free
20 x 50 fly, breathing 1 up/1 down
Put cones or markers on bottom 10m from the finishing wall. No breathing after the cone. Try to keep time consistently strong on all 20.
4 @ 1:00
3 @ :55
2 @ :50
1 @ :45
Editor’s note: This set was originally published to the blog in July 2012
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Climb that 200 fly mountain and then be faster coming back down!!!

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Gwen Babcock, Dallastown Swim Club
I do a set called GI Joes. It’s like stations with dry land in between. Fun, quick yardage that is easy to get in, and it’s always changing so there is no reason to get bored. Warm up for that, could be 4×200 Swim/Drill or 3×300 Swim/drill/kick. You get the idea.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set made use of a few long course lane lines and our diving well.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This was part of our practice the day before our meet this weekend. Aim was to get some aerobic (with a touch of speed) fly and back with sound technique. Seemed to get the job done.
LCM

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Interval was 4:00. We snaked across 3 lanes (1st 50 in lane 1, 2nd 50 in lane 2, 3rd 50 in lane 3) so that we could swim fly without doing any one-arm dodging.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set as a fun twist on our tradition of doing a fly Set today. The secondary goal was to expand their knowledge of times (and encourage them to memorize theirs).

One swimmer picked a category and distance. I then asked them for the correct question (this is Jeopardy, remember) to go with my answer.
For instance, if a swimmer picked “Your best times (SCY)” for 200, I gave the answer “this is your best time in the SCY 200 IM. Swimmer would say “What is 2:01.26.” If he was within the range mentioned in the picture above, the group performed the 200 as 50 kick/100 drill/50 swim all fly. If he was incorrect, we did the 200 fly fast for time and a 100 ez free.
This picture below shows which swims we ended up doing fast (red X) and which we did as 1/4 kick, 1/2 drill, 1/4 swim. The swimmer who was the contestant selected the member of the group who went next.

There are of course tons of variations you could do on this theme. I printed up our best times, team records, and world records ahead of time, but I imagine this could also be fun to do with swimming trivia.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
