Tag: Freestyle

Follow The Leader

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Andy Astfalck, Head Coach, International School Manila, Philippines
astfalcka@ismanila.org

A set I have started using recently and is great for getting the kids to work together as a team.

It’s called Follow the Leader.
A typical set would be 25X100 FR on 1:30.

I have a group of 4 boys who have similar send off times.
The idea of the set is to take turns leading, once you have lead you go to the back of the line. Just like cyclist take turns at the front.The swimmers leave 5 seconds apart which means they work hard for 4 efforts then get to rest then join the group at the back of the line. The reality is they are swimming on a send off of 1:25 for 4 repeats then when they go to the back of the line their send off will be 1:50, they really get into it and wouldn’t dream of stopping or getting out for the bathroom, they work hard so they don’t let down their team.

The P500 Challenge

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

How long does it take you to swim a 500 free at your race pace?

Pick a distance – 50s, 75s, 100s, or 125s. Figure out the pace corresponding to your lifetime best or your goal time. You can use this excel spreadsheet to help you.

Perform the following set:

10 x 50

OR

6 X 75 + 1 X 50

OR

5 X 100

OR

4 X 125

Do the first repeat from a dive. All remaining repeats from a push. Take as much rest as you like between repeats, but they MUST be faster than your target pace. Any swim that does not meet the target pace does not count. No easy swimming in between – stay “in the race.” Time the set from beginning to end. Next time you do this set, try to do it in less time (take less rest, hit your target pace every time, etc.).

The Guessing Game

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

This set is useful for helping distance freestylers refine a sense of pace.

? x 100 freestyle @ coach’s send off

Continue until you achieve 3 points.

Earn 1 point by guessing your time correctly within .5 seconds
Earn 2 points by guessing your time exactly to the tenth of a second
Earn 3 points by guessing your time exactly to the hundredth of a second

Swimmers may swim whatever speed they wish.

I like to use the Guessing Game during taper, typically at the end of practice. Once a swimmer achieves his three points, he warms down and is done with practice.

Tip: Be sure to turn off your pace clock or have the swimmers turn away from the clock when you send them off. You don’t want them looking at it – there won’t be a pace clock at the meet!

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 – #13

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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.

G. I. D.

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

Warm up:600 100 swim/100drill/100 kick/100 swim/100 drill/100 scull

800 free pull B3 9:20/10:10
2 x 400 free pull B3 4:40/5:10
4 x 200 free swim 25 strong/25 perfect technique 2:20/2:35

600 IM 50 swim/50 drill/50 swim 8:00/8:40
2 x 300 IM descend 4:00/4:10
4 x 150 IM, leave out one stroke in IM order 2:05/2:15

400 prime, 50 drill/100 swim/50 ez free @ :10 rest
2 x 200 prime swim, race pattern @ :10 rest
4 x 100 descend by improving turns & underwaters @ :10 rest

Warm down

The Whatchamacallit

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

1000 warmup – 150 free/100 no free

2 x 500 free pull B3 @ 5:50

5 x 200 free swim
#1@ 2:20
#2 @ 2:30
#3 @ 2:10
#4 @ 2:30
#5 @ 2:00

20 x 25 @ :30 prime stroke w/ Tempo Trainer
odd – build to Threshold Tempo
even – ez kick

5 x 200 @ 2:40, middle 50 is fast prime, the rest is ez free

2 x 500 @ 6:15, middle 100 is fast prime

1 x 1000 middle 200 is fast prime

12 x 50 @ 1:30
#1 – 35 m fast, then ez
#2 – 25 y UW kick fast then ez
#3 – 15m fast then ez
#4 – all ez

Boom Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

by Louis C. Cavadini

Ryan: First off I must say that your blog is great….keeping the
swimmers interested in what they are doing in practice is the number
one way to keep people happy and in the pool at the same time. I also
used your blind goal set this week in high school practice. Total
psychological set! After the first 100s, they saw that I wasn’t
playing around with the times. Then they started to go fast and get
them. It was great to see them come out of their comfort zone at
5:30am. So since I took a set, here is one for the blog.

I wrote it at 2am, its the hardest practice I’ve given out, and out of
30 high school kids only one person finished it. 8500 total, with
2200 fly.

400S, 300P, 200K
20×25 drill @ :35, 4 fist, 4 horns, 4 okay, 4 regular, 4 fast

base :45
100: 75 fr @ 1:10 + 25 br @ :30
200: 150 fr @ 2:15 + 50 br @ 1:00
300: 200 fr @ 3:00 + 100 br @ 2:00

base :40
100: 75 fr @ 1:00 + 25 bk @ :30
200: 150 fr @ 2:00 + 50 bk @ 1:00
300: 200 fr @ 2:40 + 100 bk @ 2:00

base :35
100: 75 fr @ :55 + 25 fly @ :30
200: 150 fr @ 1:45 + 50 fly @ 1:00
300: 200 fr @ 2:20 + 100 fly @ 2:00
…might as well keep going…..continue of free base :35
400: 250 fr @ 2:55 + 150 fly @ 3:00
500: 300 fr @ 3:30 + 200 fly @ 4:00
600: 350 fr @ 4:05 + 250 fly @ 5:00
700: 400 fr @ 4:40 + 300 fly @ 6:00
800: 450 fr @ 5:15 + 350 fly @ 7:00
900: 500 fr @ 5:50 + 400 fly @ 8:00
1000: 550 fr @ 6:15 + 450 fly @ 9:00

no break in-between sets. total = 8500

Lemon I.M.s

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

Here’s a fun way to do some IM swims. I call them “Lemon I.M.s” because you are squeezing the strokes together.

For instance, a 200 IM could look like this:
175 fly, 8 back, 8 breast, 8 freestyle (for simplicity’s sake, we’ll equate 8 yards to 1/3 of a pool length). The swimmer simply changes strokes rapidly mid-pool.

Or a 200 IM could look like this:
8 fly, 8 back, 8 breast, 175 freestyle.

You get the idea… “Squeeze” two or three strokes together into a 25 or a 50, and leave one stroke out to swim the majority of the distance. It provides some variety for the swimmers, and those mid-pool transitions are really something to watch!

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 #11

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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

Friday the 13th I.M. Set

Posted on by rdwoodruff

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

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 – #9

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

#9 – Hypoxic Freestyle Speed

The ability to swim fast while using little oxygen is a vital skill for sprinters. This set aims to improve that ability. For a little variety, do it with paddles and/or a buoy and fins. For a bigger challenge, do all max speed swims at your Threshold Tempo with a Tempo Trainer.

20 x 25
2x:
#1 – ez with 3 breaths or fewer @:30
#2 – max speed with 3 breaths or fewer @:20
#3 – ez with 2 breaths or fewer @:30
#4 – max speed with 2 breaths or fewer @:20
#5 – ez with 1 breath or fewer @:30
#6 – max speed with 1 breath or fewer @:20
#7 – ez no breathing @ :30
#8 – max speed no breathing @ :30
#9 – max speed unlimited breath @ :30
#10 – max speed no breathing @1:00

Disclaimer: Use caution when performing hypoxic restricted breathing sets. Do not push yourself too far or you risk blacking out. Do not hyperventilate in preparation for a swim. Only perform this set under the direct supervision of a coach trained in rescue techniques.

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 #7

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

#7 – Individual Medley Speed

20 x 25

#1-4 Descend butterfly @:30,:25,:20,:15
#5 Max speed backstroke @ :30
#6-9 Descend backstroke @:30,:25,:20,:15
#10 Max speed breaststroke @:30
#11-14 Descend breaststroke @:35,:30,:25,:20
#15 Max speed freestyle @:30
#16-19 Descend freestyle @:30,:25,:20,:15
#20 Max speed butterfly NO BREATH & RACE!!!

Try repeating this set with fins on and drop the intervals by 5 seconds. Yes, that means you have a 25 fly, back and free @:10. Do it!

Aerobic Tempo Set

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

In order to do this set, you should have already established your Threshold Tempo. This set will help you train your neuromuscular abilities while enhancing your overall aerobic fitness. For your “prime stroke,” choose whichever stroke you would like to work. I particularly recommend this workout for backstroke, freestyle, and butterfly.

T-Tempo=Threshold Tempo

6 x 600 @ :20 rest
#1,3,5 – 25 prime stroke at T-Tempo/25 prime stroke drill/50 ez freestyle swim
#2,4,6 – 25 prime stroke smooth swim/25 prime stroke at T-Tempo/50 ez freestyle swim

This set requires significant discipline on the part of the athlete to hold the tempo under fatigue.

Masters Freestyle Workout

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

Intervals are written for LCM

WARMUP
400 FREE
200 IM DRILL

6 X 100 FREE @ 1:30/1:45/2:00
SNORKELS, FINS & PADDLES
DESCEND 1-3, 4-6

MAIN SET
PURPOSE: INDUCE A LITTLE FATIGUE WITH THE THREE 50s AND THEN HOLD A STEADY PACE UNDER THAT FATIGUE. AN IMPORTANT SKILL FOR RACING AND A GREAT FITNESS BOOSTER! PULLING EQUIPMENT OPTIONAL THROUGHOUT THE SET. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN EVEN BIGGER CHALLENGE, SUBSTITUTE STROKE FOR FREE DURING THE 50s!

3 X 50 FREE FAST @ 1:00/1:10/1:20
3 X 100 STEADY & STRONG @ 1:40/1:55/2:10
1:00 REST

3 X 50 FREE FAST @ 1:00/1:10/1:20
3 X 200 STEADY & STRONG @ 3:20/3:50/4:20
1:00 REST

3 X 50 FREE FAST @ 1:00/1:10/1:20
3 X 300 STEADY & STRONG @ 5:00/5:45/6:30
1:00 REST

WARM- DOWN SET W/ FINS
6 X 100 @ :30 REST
SPRINT 15m, EZ FOR 85m

TOTAL 4,050m

I.M. Set #1,364,821

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

100 IM
3 x 150 Prime stroke descend to fast
100 IM
2 x 150 Prime stroke descend to fast
100 IM
1 x 150 Prime stroke descend to fast
200 IM
3 x 100 Prime stroke descend to fast
200 IM
2 x 100 Prime stroke descend to fast
200 IM
1 x 100 Prime stroke descend to fast
300 IM
3 x 50 Prime stroke descend to fast
300 IM
2 x 50 Prime stroke descend to fast
300 IM
1 x 50 Prime stroke descend to fast

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 – #2

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

Every set has a distinct purpose.

#2 – Race-pace training for the 500 free.

This is essentially a broken 500.

20 x 25 @ :20 (for swimmers with best times 5:40 or faster)
or @ :25 (for swimmers with best times 5:40 – 7:00)
or @ :30 (for swimmers with best times >7:00)

Every 25 has the same breathing pattern. Always flip and put feet on the wall. Coach times and records each 25. Give swimmers a longer cool down after the set and add up the times. For best results, figure out each swimmer’s 500 pace (to the 10th of a second) per 25 before starting the set to give them a specific goal.

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 – #1

Posted on by rdwoodruff

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.

Masters’ Fast Friday

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

Masters Workout

Warmup- All on :20 Rest
300 Smooth swim
3 X 100 build
3 X 50 First 15m fast kick

Main set – FAST FRIDAY – Race somebody!!!
3x:
Round 1 – Freestyle
Round 2 – No Freestyle
Round 3 – Butterfly – if you dare!

1x:

50 FAST @ :50
75 EZ @ 1:10

2x:

50 FAST @:50
50 EZ @:50

3x:

50 FAST @:50
25 EZ @ :30

300 FREESTYLE PULL W/ PADDLES & BUOY

KICK SET
8 X 100 KICK W/ BOARD
TAKE 20 SECONDS REST AFTER #1 TO DETERMINE YOUR INTERVAL, THEN MAKE YOUR INTERVAL :05 FASTER FOR EACH SUCCESSIVE 100

The Cold Mountain Stream

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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

D It Up

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

For distance freestylers:

Descend the 500s, shoot for all fast swims at P500
Optional – use paddles and buoys on all 500s

500 free @ 6:15
20 x 25 @ :20 odd fast, even ez
500 free @ 6:15
10 x 50 @ :40 odd fast, even ez
500 free @ 6:15
5 x 100 @ 1:20 odd fast, even ez
500 free @ 6:15
4 x 125 @ 1:40 odd fast, even ez
500 free @ 6:15 all out for time

4500 yards

Doubling Down and Golfing

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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

LCM

WARMUP
400 FREE B3, 4+ DOLPHIN KICKS OFF EVERY WALL @ 6:40
200 IM 25 DRILL/25 SPRINT

KICK SET
3 X 150 CHOICE KICK W/ FINS & SNORKEL GO BEST 200 SWIM TIME ON #1 AND DESCEND FROM THERE @ 3:30
(BREASTSTROKERS CAN GO WITHOUT FINS, BUT LOCK FINGERS UP FRONT)

150 EZ SWIM

MAIN SET “DOUBLING DOWN”- 3x THROUGH
800 FREESTYLE SWIM STRONG @ 10:40 (1:20) 11:00 (1:22) 11:30 (1:25)
3 X 50 CHOICE FASTEST POSSIBLE AVERAGE @ :50
400 FREESTYLE – BEAT ½ OF 800 TIME BY 10s @ 5:30 (1:22) 5:40 (1:25) 5:50 (1:27)
2 X 50 CHOICE FASTEST POSSIBLE AVERAGE @ :55
200 FREESTYLE – BEAT ½ OF 400 TIME BY 8s @ 2:50 (1:25) 2:55 (1:27) 3:00 (1:30)
1 x 50 CHOICE ALL OUT SPRINT @ 1:00

100 EZ

12 X 50 @ 1:00 “SWIMMING GOLF” – THE OBJECT IS THE LOWEST SCORE

ON 50 #1 – GET TIME AND COUNT CYCLES – ADD THESE TWO NUMBERS TOGETHER – THIS IS “PAR” FOR YOU
ON #2- AIM FOR 2 UNDER PAR
ON #3 – AIM FOR 4 UNDER PAR
ON #4 – AIM FOR 6 UNDER PAR
REPEAT, DOING A DIFFERENT STROKE

LOOSEN DOWN

Your Best 500

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org

I am a fan of sets that give swimmers specific objectives to achieve.  This one uses a swimmer's lifetime best 500 time.  This means you could have every swimmer on a different interval for the main set, but this can also promote responsibility and good clock awareness.

Warm-up
4 X 300 FREE
#1 – 25 KICK/25 SWIM @ 5:00
#2 – 25 6-3-6/25 SWIM @ 4:30
#3-  25 SIX-COUNT HIGH ARCHER/25 SWIM @4:10
#4 – 25 CATCHUP/25 SWIM @ 3:50

1:00 REST           

“BEST 500” = YOUR BEST TIME ROUNDED UP TO NEAREST 5 SEC MARK

ROUND 1 – SWIM NO EQUIP
ROUND 2 – PULL (BUOY OPTIONAL)
ROUND 3 – PULL OR SWIM (YOUR CHOICE)

———-
        1 X 400 @ “BEST 500”
3X    1 X 425 @ “BEST 500
        1 X 450 @ “BEST 500”
        1 X 125 SMOOTH BACK AND REGROUP FOR NEXT ROUND
———

1 x 475 All out  Goal: Beat your best 500 time

Warm-down set
9 X 50 @ 1:00 12.5 SCULL / 12.5 BUILD TO FAST TURN / 25 SMOOTH SWIM