Free Swimming Workouts, Sets, Ideas, and Dryland Exercises from Professional Coaches Around the World
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
SCY
This kick set with fins (kickboard optional) will demand an intense effort, even from senior-level athletes who are good at kicking:
6x:
50 kick @ 1:00
75 kick @ 1:00
100 kick @ 1:00
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Using streamline sticks set at 12.5 yards:
1 x 25 swim (must kick to 12.5 yards) @ :30
2 x 25 kick @ :30
3 x 25 swim @ :30
4 x 25 kick @ :30
5 x 25 sprint + 20 frog jumps @ :50
4 x 25 kick @ :30
3 x 25 swim @ :30
2 x 25 kick @ :30
1 x 25 swim @ :30
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
LCM
Use Streamline Sticks at 10m distance from each wall. Put two at each location, effectively blocking off the entire lane. Swimmers have to kick out 10m off the wall, swim 30m, and then kick the final 10m underwater. Do an open turn and do it again! Feel free to change up the underwater distance for a more or less challenging set.
Chris Plumb, Carmel Swim Club
chris@carmelswimclub.com
Here is a set we did this morning with kick-out bouys in past the flags
2 x 7 x 150
The 150 is always on a total of 2:00
#1: 50 on :30 100 on 1:30
#2: 50 on :35 100 on 1:25
#3: 50 on :40 100 on 1:20
#4: 50 on :45 100 on 1:15
#5: 50 on :50 100 on 1:10
#6: 50 on :55 100 on 1:05
#7: 50 on :60 100 on 1:00
Rest :60
For the second round, go backwards through set, starting with 100 on 1:00 etc.
Related Posts:
Yota Kick-Out Sticks
More Kick-out sticks
Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 #14
Streamline Sticks Progression
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
This is a very simple exercise. You can do this drill for any distance, and instruct your athletes to trade positions at specific intervals or whenever they wish. Here is what it looks like properly executed:
Ryan Woodruff
Lynchburg YMCA
Here is the set that I used to define the underwater kicking speeds in The Swimming Calculator:
10x through @ 3:00 per round:
12.5 Fast UW kick/ 12.5 ez kick – Timed to the tenth of a second to the athlete’s head crossing the line.
75 – 25 kick/25 drill/25 swim
Do 3 rounds dolphin kick face down, 3 rounds dolphin kick on back, 3 rounds dolphin kick on side or breaststroke pullouts, and the last round is choice.
We do the UW kicking in lane 1 with an athlete leaving every 10 seconds. This allows the coach to rapidly time every athlete to 12.5 yards. Upon completing the 25, the swimmer moves to lane 2 or 3 for the 75. This helps the keep the lane clear for the underwater kickers. For purposes of the The Swimming Calculator, I have defined the levels of kicking ability for senior swimmers as the following times to 12.5 yards.
For Men:
4.6 seconds or faster – World Class
4.7-5.2 seconds – Elite
5.3-5.8 seconds – Great
5.9-6.6 seconds – Good
6.7-7.4 seconds – Average
7.5-8.2 seconds – Poor
slower than 8.3 seconds – Awful
For Women
5.4 seconds or faster – World Class
5.5-6.0 seconds – Elite
6.1-6.6 seconds – Great
6.7-7.4 seconds – Good
7.5-8.2 seconds – Average
8.3-9.0 seconds – Poor
slower than 9.1 seconds – Awful
Note: These “Kick-out Sticks” or “Streamline Sticks” have been a topic of discussion since Streamline Sticks was published. Coach Onken has the best design we’ve seen so far presented below.
Chad Onken, YMCA of the Triangle Area (YOTA)
Picture #1 – pic of the end of the PVC pipe, with the male end super glued onto the edge of the PVC pipe. A divot was drilled into the male end to allow a slit where the lane rope cord will be.
Picture #2 – pic of the female end (male/female part is bought together)
Picture #3 – the three components of the kick-out stick: the PVC insulation (black), the female piece which is threaded to fit the male piece that is super glued to the top of the PVC pipe.
Picture #4 – picture of the female/male pieces screwed on together (with PVC insulation around the rest of the PVC pipe
Picture #5 – the final product at work (very close to the wall).
What makes this (soon to be patented – hahaha) product so great is that it allows for two way swimming in and out of walls and it is also completely moveable to different differences from the wall. You can make it as easy/challenging as you want it. The sticks are designed to take a beating, we have a few kids that consistently run into them all the time. And the best part is that they are very cheap – we were able to buy the supplies needed for a 6 lane pool for around $16.
Abby Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachabby@ncacswim.org
Here's an age group practice emphasizing good habits with some fast
100's freestyle at the end:
600 (100 Free – 50 Breast)
8 x 100 (25 Fly – 50 Back – 25 Free) on 2:00
#1: 5 dolphin kicks off each wall
#2: 6 dolphin kicks off each wall
#3: 7 dolphin kicks off each wall
#4: 8 dolphin kicks off each wall
10 x 50 with fins on 1:00
Odd: UW dolphin kick as far as possible, then sprint fly or back to wall
Even: Streamline dolphin kick on back
3 x 300 Free – breathe every 3, no breaths off wall – on 5:00/5:15/5:30
2 x 100 Free on 1:40/1:50/2:00 Free FAST
2 x 300 Free – breathe every 3, no breaths off wall – on 5:00/5:15/5:30
4 x 100 Free on 1:50/2:00/2:10 Free FAST
1 x 300 Free – breathe every 3, no breaths off wall – on 5:00/5:15/5:30
6 x 100 Free on 2:00/2:10/2:20 Free FAST
100 Easy
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
Throughout this set, every time you reach the wall, perform vertical dolphin kicking until your interval comes up for an extra aerobic boost.
300 fly swim @ 6:00
Swim fly as long as you can hold your technique together (i.e. hold you count and rhythm). When you fall off, kick a 25 dolphin kick and then resume fly swimming. Continue until you have reached 300 yards total of fly swimming (it may be a 325, 350, 375 etc. total)
3 x 200 fly
#1 – 12.5 kick/12.5 fly clap drill @ 3:30
#2 – 12.5 triple kick drill/12.5 swim @ 3:00
#3 – 15m swim/~10y no breath fly swim @ 3:00
20 x 50 @ 1:00
#1 – breathe every stroke
#2 – breathe every 2nd stroke
#3 – breathe every 3rd stroke
#4 – fast swim, choice breathing pattern
Louis Cavadini
Here’s one more modified wizard set we did last week–another version of blast-offs (See The Shallow End Kick Set)
In the deep end of the pool we did blast-offs but here is the twist: They are time controlled. The group starts together and goes to the bottom on the Coach’s “go”. They stay down for about 5 seconds and then blast up, catch a breath as they come out and then fall straight back to the bottom. We repeated this about 5 times and then took a break. We didn’t start the watch until everyone had returned to the bottom of the pool.
5x (5x :05 under deep-end blast-offs)
If I had kids that spent too much time above water after each one, I sprayed them with the hose in order for them to get back under quickly. After a couple rounds, we did the final one a bit different…adding 5 seconds per dive, going till the last person couldn’t go any longer:
1x :05 under deep-end blast-off
1x :10 under deep-end blast-off
1x :15 under deep-end blast-off
1x :20 under deep-end blast-off
1x :25 under deep-end blast-off
1x :30 under deep-end blast-off
(that’s as long as they could go)
(you’ll spend a lot of time underwater)
Louis Cavadini
Widths underwater continuous, take a breath at walls with an open turn, then go back under. We did these in two groups, so the group that just went could catch their breath. We had lane lines in so it worked better to help prevent kids coming up in the middle of the pool:
1:00 widths underwater
2:00 widths underwater
3:00 widths underwater
4:00 widths underwater
100 EZ
10:00 widths underwater!
*The 10 minute widths under got a bit boring, might want to break it
up a bit. This set made for a great Monday morning leg workout.
Louis Cavadini
Here’s a little twist on your Modified 15-minute kick set.
1:00 kick fast for distance
:30 tread water
2:00 kick fast for distance
:30 tread water
3:00 kick fast for distance
:30 tread water
4:00 kick fast for distance
100 ez
10:00 kick fast, beat total distance from above
Rick Shipherd, La Mirada Armada
This set was mentioned in Coach Shipherd’s 2009 address at the ASCA World Clinic. He credited Coach Terry Stoddard for the idea.
16 x 25 Underwater Dolphin Kick @ :25
Kick the entire way underwater. If you miss the interval or fail to make it the entire length, rest for two repeats (1:00) and then continue until making a total of 16. Get your time on each and record your time on your slowest 25.
Dani Caldwell
St. George, Utah
4 x 25 FR @:45 – NO BREATHERS
4 x 75 FR @2:15, taking two breaths per length, at same locations each 25 (helps if you do kick counts and SL!)
4 x 25 CH @:45 – NO BREATHERS (No Backstroke, for obvious reasons)
4 x 75 CH @2:15, taking two breaths per length (3 for BR), at same locations
4 x 25 FR @:30 – NO BREATHERS
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Just a drill we did the other day at practice, working starts, underwater kicking, streamlined pushoffs, sprint freestyle, and flip turns in one exercise. It was fun too! Do it with a little more intensity for a great workout!
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
#14 – Fun with Streamline Sticks
You’ll need four lanes to do this. Position one set of Streamline Sticks in each lane in such a way that the swimmers swim a “snake” pattern – down the pool in lane 1, back in lane 2, down in lane 3, back in lane 4.
Lane 1 – Streamline Sticks at 5 yds
Lane 2 – Streamline Sticks at near 15 m mark (about 7.5 yards from the wall)
Lane 3 – Streamline Sticks at 12.5 yards
Lane 4 – Streamline Sticks at 15 m
20 x 25 @ :30
Do freestyle, backstroke, or freestyle in groups of 4 x 25 at a time. Descend 1-4.
#1 – in lane 1
#2 – in lane 2
#3 – in lane 3
#4 – all out fast in lane 4
After #4, take an additional 30 seconds rest to migrate back to Lane 1.
Ryan Woodruff
Here’s a look at one of my favorite homemade training aids:
To make your own Streamline Sticks:
1. Cut a piece of 1″ PVC tubing to match the width of your lanes.
2. Thread a piece of 1/8″ diameter rope through the PVC, leaving about 1′ of rope hanging out either way.
3. Tie a 1-pound weight (SCUBA weights work well) to each end of the rope. These weights will drape over the lane lines to hold the Streamline Stick in place.
4. You are ready! Position them on the lane ropes (put a traffic cone on the pool bottom so that swimmers can judge the Stick’s location) and away you go!
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
#11 – Dolphin Sprint Cycles
20 x 25 back, fly, or free @ :30
4x:
#1 – 4+ dolphin kicks and sprint 1 cycle
#2 – 6+ dolphin kicks and sprint 2 cycles
#3 – 8+ dolphin kicks and sprint 3 cycles
#4 – 6+ dolphin kicks and sprint 4 cycles
#5 – 4+ dolphin kicks and sprint 5 cycles
Click below to see previous posts from this series:
#10 – The Race Pace Spectrum
#9 – Hypoxic Freestyle Speed
#8 – Backstroke Tempo & Kick
#7 – Individual Medley Speed
#6 – Improving Breaststroke Tempo
#5 – Dryland Strength and Aquatic Speed
#4 – Developing Devastating Underwater Kicks
#3 – Improving Breaststroke Distance Per Cycle
#2 – Race-pace Swimming for the 500
#1 – Improving Attention to Underwater Kicks
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Focusing on good IM efforts interspersed with aggressive freestyle swims. Everything in the main set is descend, then working specific underwater skills in the second set.
3 x 200 IM descend @ 2:30
4 x 75 free descend @:55
3 x 200 IM descend @ 2:35
3 x 75 free descend @ :50
3 x 200 IM descend @ 2:40
2 x 75 free descend @ :45
3 x 200 IM descend @ 2:45
1 x 75 free @:40 MAKE IT!
500 Free pull B 3-5-7-5-3
1 x 100 fly @ 1:10
1 x 25 all out backstroke, UW kick to 15m @ 1:00
1 x 100 back @ 1:10
1 x 25 all out breaststroke w/ double pullout @ 1:00
1 x 100 breast @ 1:20
1 x 25 all out freestyle, UW kick to 15m @ 1:00
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Don’t be a square. Try it!
This is best done if you have the whole pool for your one workout group. Start one at a time, swim 25 yards in Lane 1. Then push off from the side of the pool and streamline dolphin kick across the pool width, underneath the lane ropes to the last lane. Swim 25 yards back to the starting end and kick width-wise again to return to where the rectangle began. Do as many revolutions as you like.
For extra motivation for your swimmers to complete the entire width without surfacing, do this set while all of the lanes in the middle of the pool are occupied with swimmers working out.
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Developing Devastating Underwater Kicks
20 x 25
Put cones or other markers at 5-yard intervals on the pool bottom
#1 – underwater dolphin 5 yards fast then ez swim @:30
#2 – underwater dolphin 10 yards fast then ez swim @:30
#3 – underwater dolphin 15 yards fast then ez swim @:30
#4 – ez freestyle @:20
#5 – max speed 25 yard underwater kicks @ 1:00
repeat up to 20
To make this set even more effective, you can do the following:
1) Use a tempo trainer for the dolphin kicks. Suggested tempos: 0.50 for round 1, 0.40 for round 2, 0.30 for round 3, self-selected tempo (no device) on round 4. Only very good kickers will be able to hold 0.30 and still kick efficiently.
2) Time all of the kicks or just #5. If the athlete sticks to the tempos, these should give you an idea of the most efficient tempo for the athlete to be kicking at.
3) Do it all with a parachute on. That sounds like fun!
4) Do it fins on. Or fins and a parachute. Or running shoes!
Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
Every set has a different purpose.
SET #1 – Improving Attention to Underwater Kicks
This set could be done backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, or any combination thereof, but stick with one stroke for at least 10×25.
1-10 @ :30
11-20 @ :20
#1 >1 dolphin kick off the wall
#2 >2 dolphin kicks off the wall
…
#10 >10 dolphin kicks off the wall
repeat for second set of ten on a faster interval.
Always make the breakout cycle aggressive to avoid sloppiness.
The Swimming Wizard 