Free Swimming Workouts, Sets, Ideas, and Dryland Exercises from Professional Coaches Around the World
Dani Caldwell
SUSA Stingrays, St. George, Utah
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
To do this set, make sure you know your tempo, cycle count, and P200 time
LCM
60 x 50
2 x 50 @ 1:20 at tempo, cycles, and time
2 x 50 @ 1:10 same
1 x 50 @ :10 rest
1 x 50 all out – don’t worry about the tempo
Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA
Today’s set utilizes the cycle count and tempo you can find with the Find Your Sweet Spot set. You’ll need a Tempo Trainer. This set can be performed any stroke.
1 x 200 build each 50 up to your tempo @ :20 rest
1 x 150 25 at tempo, 25 ez swim or drill @ :20 rest
1 x 100 25 ez, 50 at tempo, 25 ez @ :20 rest
1 x 50 at tempo and cycle count @ :20 rest
1 x 300 swim ez at cycle count @ :30 rest
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.
Coach Ryan Woodruff
Ever wonder how much faster your swimmer would be if he would just fix his turns? Curious about the combination of tempos and cycle counts that will lead to the fastest time for your swimmer?
This is the tool for you.
The Swimming Calculator (click to download the excel sheet)
Toy around with it a bit and let me know what you think. I am interested to hear any suggestions, and if anyone knows how to set this up in an html format, I would love to be able to put it on the web to eliminate the cumbersome excel download.
The Swimming Calculator can also henceforth be found in the Tools for Coaches section in the menu above.
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Here’s a workout for when you only have 30 minutes.
300 smooth swim for warmup
? x 50 @ :50
Using a dry-erase board, give the swimmers a different set of instructions for every 50, erasing the old instructions and writing the new one while they swim. Mix it up, changing speeds, strokes, drills, breathing patterns, etc. Don’t let the swimmers know what is coming beyond the next 50. All swims are choice unless the stroke is specified. Here’s an example:
#1- P200+5
#2- P200+3
#3- P200+1
#4- P200-1
#5- EZ free B3
#6- Free B5
#7- Free B7
#8- At count
#9- Race!
#10- At cycle count -1
#11- 25 underwater dolphin kick/ 25 sprint
#12- 25 sprint/25 underwater dolphin kick
#13- 25 race/25 ez kick
#14- Fly B 1 up/1 down
#15- Fly B 1 up/2 down
#16- Fly B 1 up/3 down
#17- Fast fly
#18- EZ breaststroke
#19- Race!
#20- At cycle count -2
#21- 12.5 fast/12.5 ez of same stroke as #20
#22- At cycle count
#23- Breast with dolphin kick
#24- Backstroke 12.5 spin drill/12.5 swim
#25- P1650
…
The set could go on for as long as you like. The changing up speeds and instructions every 50 keeps the swimmers alert and the set fresh and interesting. What other interesting instructions can you come up with?
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Try this set for a little tempo and technique work. Tempos should work well for free, back, or fly.
4 x 25 at threshold tempo @ :10 rest
100 ez swim at normal cycle count
4 x 50 at threshold tempo +0.20 @ :15 rest
100 ez swim at normal cycle count
4 x 75 at threshold tempo +0.30 @ :20 rest
100 ez swim at normal cycle count
4 z 100 – 25 at threshold tempo/50 at cycle count/25 at threshold tempo @ :20 rest
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
#13 – The Cookie Cutter Set
? x 25 Any stroke @ :30
Keep doing them until you achieve 20 in five successful sets of 4. The coach times each 25 to the tenth of a second. To perform a successful set of 4, all swims must be in a range of .2 seconds. Try to do everything the same each time – same streamline, same underwater kicks, breakout, cycles, and finish. If one of your 4 swims falls outside the range, those do not count. Start a new set of 4. You are done when you have achieved five sets of four.
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Warmup
600 RIM 50 kick/drill/swim (RIM = Reverse I.M.)
100 IM @ 1:30
200 RIM @ 3:00
300 IM @ 4:30
200 RIM @ 3:00
100 IM @ 1:30
200 Breast, max speed holding race cycle count
100 ez freestyle @ :30 rest
100 IM @ 1:25
200 RIM @ 2:50
300 IM @ 4:15
200 RIM @ 2:50
100 IM @ 1:25
300 Breast, max speed holding race cycle count minus 1
100 ez freestyle @ :30 rest
100 IM @ 1:20
200 RIM @ 2:40
300 IM @ 4:00
200 RIM @ 2:40
100 IM @ 1:20
400 Breast, max speed holding race cycle count minus 2
100 ez freestyle @ :30 rest
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Every set has a distinct purpose.
#3 – Improving Breaststroke Distance Per Cycle
20 x 25
#1-#3 Swim breast, count cycles
#4-#6 Swim breast, descend cycle count from #1-#3
#7-#9 Descend time, all at cycle count from #6
#10 Smooth freestyle swim
Repeat for #11-20
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
Jump right in. It’ll take your breath away.
B5 = Breathing pattern of once every 5 strokes
Warm up:
20 minutes 100 swim/100 drill/100 kick continuously
Freestyle Pull Set – paddles & buoy (buoy is used only for 300s)
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 75 @ 1:00 #1 – 25 strong B3/25 NO BREATH/25 strong B3, #2- EZ
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 50 @ :40 #1- 25 strong B3/25 NO BREATH #2 – EZ
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 25 @ :20 #1 – 25 NO BREATH #2 -25 ez
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 50 @ :40 #1- 25 strong B3/25 NO BREATH #2 – EZ
300 B5 @ 3:40/3:50/4:00
2 x 75 @ 1:00 #1 – 25 strong B3/25 NO BREATH/25 strong B3, #2- EZ
100 ez
Mini-Maxi Set – 3 x through
16 x 25 choice @ :30 odd minimum cycle count, even max speed
100 ez @ 2:00
Loosen down 400 freestyle at minimum cycle count
The Swimming Wizard 