Tag: Freestyle

Back in the Water!

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Our team got back in the water yesterday for the first time since March 13. We are limited on time and space, but at least we are swimming. Here is our first practice, 55 minutes in length in a SCY pool, focused on freestyle body position and stroke length.

600 warmup free with open turns and 4 dolphin kicks off each wall

6 x 75 25 flutter kick on R side/25 on L/25 catchup @:10 rest

4 x 3:00 Fartlek @3:30

#1 – 20 flutter kicks on your side and then take 1 stroke

#2 – 16 kicks and same

#3 – 12 kicks and same

#4 – 8 kicks and same

6 x 200 @:20 rest

Odds 25 free min cycle count / 25 back

Evens free descend to 80% effort

100 ez warm down

4 Lanes, 4 Speeds, 1 Freestyle Set

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

This SCY set allowed us to keep the group together on the same 5:00 interval. Each group/lane swam different distances (as indicated at the bottom of the dry-erase board) based on their ability.

We started each new round together. Swimmers were instructed to descend (swim faster) across the three swims even if/when the distance might stay the same.

This set originally appeared on this blog in May 2018.

The Set That Only Went O.K.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

I had our distance group try this set earlier this season. The idea was for them to do 6 swims of indeterminate length on a 9:00 interval. Swimmers could decide their distance using the guide written below. The instructions were to either go farther or go faster from swim #1-3 and again #4-6.

The set ended up just being O.K. The swimmers gave it a good effort, but I didn’t give them enough rest to really do a good job going faster/farther. Next time I would do it differently in one of two ways:

1. Tell them that they need to get at least :40 rest (i.e. be done before the 8:20 mark), or…

2. Swim for a certain amount of time (like 8:00) and have them increase the distance swum 1-3 and 4-6. This would allow them to swim a distance that isn’t a multiple of 25 (stopping mid-pool when coach yells stop at the 8:00 mark) and they could then return to the wall to start the next repeat.

We’ll be better next time!

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Swim and Dryland Hybrid Set

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

SCM. We have the luxury of having a decent amount of deck space and a brushed concrete deck that allows us to safely combine dryland and swimming into hybrid sets like this one. The swimming parts are free and descend BY ROUND 1-3 and 4-6. An “in & out” starts in the water , then climb out and jump back in.

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Pound that IM and Free

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

SCM. This set worked well for us, meaning we got some excellent efforts and good times at the end of the set.

The instructions matched the intervals – the IM swims descend to an all-out 400 IM. The freestyles start off with a very strong 400 free and ascend to a smooth 100.

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Fast Feet to the Wall

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Mike Cook, Mason Makos

For senior prep 11-15 year olds. We notice a lack of effort with our flip turns. Knees in a ball and feet not accelerating over the top. We worked on Monday with them and put them through this set today. The whole time reminding them the focus feet over the top and accelerate into the wall.

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The Freestyle Squeeze

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

SCM. This set really brought on the burn. FPA = Fastest Possible Average. JMI = Just make it. Initially, the 7 x 50 were not written on the board and then were added during the 2nd 200 scull/swim by 25. This added a surprise challenge that they excelled at.

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23 x 1

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

SCM. This set was designed to push to the brink of failure. A few of our swimmers passed that point – all were challenged. Instructions on the first 9 were to make the interval by at least 3-5 sec. The 1×100 @ 2:00 was easy.

Last set of 3 was “just make it”.

Free Get Faster Set

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

SCM. The aim of this free set was to gradually accelerate into some high effort swims.

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Age Group Long Axis and Dolphin Kicking

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

This practice was for our group of 10-12 year-olds. We focused on long-axis efficiency and finished with an emphasis on underwater kicking. The “bang bang” refers to a coach tapping a wrench in the side of the pool to indicate when to take a stroke.

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IM/Free Ascend/Descend Set with Cornell University

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Jake Lichter, Assistant Men’s Swim Coach, Cornell University

This was a great workout because our guys attacked the first 200 like it was the only one. We had a hand full of swimmers go sub 2:00 with the fastest guy going 1:55.8. It was a challenge for them to maintain the effort as they Ascended because we limited by how much they could slow down. By the time they got to #8 & #9 they were able to recover enough to be able to give a best effort on the final 200 free with most guys under 1:50 and a 1:43.4 as the fastest. OTB = Off the blocks

15:00 Dynamic Dryland

Warmup:

400 Fr-IM
4 x 100 IMO Drill on 1:30
8 x 50 on :50
fly/back
back/breast
breast/free
free/back

16 x 25 IMO Dec 1-4 on :30

20 x 50 kick on 1:00
4 hard 4 ez
3 harder 3 ez
2 harder 2 ez
1 hardest 1 ez

6 x 75 on 1:10
fly/back/breast
back/breast/free
free

10 x 200 on 3:00
Odd: IM Ascend 1-5
#1: OTB For Time #2: No more than 10 seconds Slower #3: No more than 5 seconds slower
Even: Free Descend 1-5
#10: OTB for Time
200 loosen

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Working Toward the 500 Free with Derek Young

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Derek Young, Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club

Senior Performance –Friday January 10, 2020 (500 freestyle)

1 x 200 (315) w/ snorkel + 12 x 50 (45) FR/BK x 25 (max UWKs) + 3 x 100 (150) kick, descend 1-3

1 x 200 (315) w/ paddle head + 4 x 100 (145) R/L/6 kick switch/swim x 25 + 6 x 50 (130) kick, fast

9 x 50 (115) deadstart sprint FR/stroke x 25 w/ fins

3 x 50 (1) drill + 1 x 50 (55) 500 pace + 2

3 x 50 (55) drill + 1 x 50 (45) 500 pace + 1

3 x 50 (50) drill + 1 x 50 (35) 500 pace

1 x 200 2ABD

 

6 rounds:

1 x 125 (215) red

1 x 50 (50) 500 pace

1 x 25 (45) easy (+1 x 25 each round)

 

3 x 150 (3) FR, FR/BK x 75, BK x 150

 

Broken “500” as

                100 + 50 + 100 + 50 + 100 w/ personalized rest

 

1 x 200 social kick w/ friends

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4-part Freestyle Set

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

We did four rounds of this set with the same basic structure, changing the intervals and instructions a bit each round. FPA = Fastest Possible Average. SCY.

What did your team do at practice today? Would you be willing to share it with our readers? If so, please email it to me at swimmingwizard@gmail.com.

Swimming is the #FunnestSport, Particularly when Shared

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Morgan Cordle, 757 Swim

Jonathan Kaplan, Chris Bushelman, Jessica Laird, and Steve Medei, SwimRVA

This past Saturday, we brought our three teams together in Richmond, VA for a combined long course practice. We had three groups (Sprint, IM/Stroke, and Distance).

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Chris Bushelman led the warmup, which allowed everyone to make a new friend and get to know each other:

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Coach Morgan Cordle led the IM/Stroke Group:

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Coach Jonathan Kaplan led the Sprint Group:

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Initial Speed for 50 free

4 x HVOs

4 x Dive 30m sprint w specific breath placement

*count breaths to come on bottom

*150 easy after each and rest 1:30-2:00

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Sustained Speed for 50 free

(Cone at approx 20m)

With fins, Swim medium tempo no breath to the cone, take a breath, and then sprint 10 cycles no breath, take a breath then finish to the wall. 150 easy after each and rest 1:30-2:00

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100 Finish Speed and Tempo

3 rounds of Countdown Sprints w/Fins

followed by 4 x 25 breath restrictions (breath count goes lower each round)

For an explanation of countdown sprints, check out this article from SwimSwam featuring Coach Jonathan

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Coach Ryan Woodruff led the distance group:

After the workout, we had breakfast together at the pool and had some time for socializing.

Thank you SwimRVA for hosting us all! This was a great idea.