Free Swimming Workouts, Sets, Ideas, and Dryland Exercises from Professional Coaches Around the World
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This is the sort of workout that could work well in the context of many high school practices. We had 5 lanes (lanes 2 through 6 in our pool). Swimmers dive off the blocks in lanes 3,4, and 5 for an all out 25. Their next instruction was depends on what lane they were in – either a 15m underwater kick, 5 push-ups/10 squats, or a 15m sprint. Get back behind the blocks and do it again!
Ryan Wooodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
I have posted several “Hour of Power” type workouts on this blog over the years. Each one has been slightly different to work for the swimmers in my group that year, where we are in the season, and what course we were swimming (we train in SCM and SCY). Today’s version is one that I was particularly happy with for our squad for this year.
We used AquaVolo’s DragSox and simple 1-gallon buckets to pull behind us.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This one came in two parts.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Another issue of “the wake-up swim” was published today. Check out the archives here to see what you’ve missed or you can sign up here.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The first 25 underwater kick will suck the oxygen out of you..then you gotta hit a FAST 50. 75 easy to recover, then do it again. SCM.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY. The purpose of this set was just to wake everyone up, get some good aerobic yardage in, and get the juices flowing for an aggressive end-of-practice kick set.
1000 free swim B3 @ 12:30 (1:15 base)
100 free pull B3 @ 1:15
800 free swim B3 @ 10:00
300 free pull B3-5-3 by 100 @ 3:45
600 free swim B3 @ 7:30
500 free pull B3-5-7-5-3 by 100 @ 6:15
400 free swim B3 @ 5:00
700 free pull B3-5-7-9-7-5-3 by 100 @ 8:45
200 free swim B3 @ 2:30
900 free pull B3-5-7-9-3-9-7-5-3 by 100 @ 11:15
5500 yards, 1 hour, 9 minutes
Editor’s Note: This set was originally published to this blog in 2010
Here is a set from this morning with our Senior Silver and Senior Gold Training Groups:
Ended up being a good mix.
Ryan Woodruff
ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com
SCY
This was a solid set for our sectional-level butterflyers. Not too tough, but some good early season fly work that didn’t make them get sloppy with the technique. We did it in three 15-minute stations and rotated through in groups
PART 1
We started with some underwater kicking in a 20-yard pool:
16 x 60yds @ :55
Done as 5 rounds of
#1 – 25 smooth free/25 underwater dolphin kick/25 smooth free
#2 – 25 underwater dolphin kick/25 smooth free/25 underwater dolphin kick
#3 – all smooth swim
And then #16 – All underwater dolphin kick, take 1 breath at each wall
PART 2
16 x 50
#1 – Fly, 3 strokes R/3 strokes L drill @ 1:00
#2 – Fly kick on back @ 1:00
#3 – Breaststroke with fly kick @ 1:00
#4 – Fly swim @ :50
PART 3
3 rounds of:
1 x 25 fly easy drill @ :30
1 x 75 fly swim @ 1:05
1 x 25 fly drill @ :30
1 x 75 fly swim @ 1:00
1 x 25 fly drill @ :30
1 x 75 fly swim @ :55
Jeb Beaver, Assistant Coach
Monocacy Aquatic Club/ Towson University
Let me start off by saying that I really enjoy the website!
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Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
coachryan@ncacswim.org
100 free catchup drill @ 1:20
200 strong free swim @ 2:20
2 x 25 Fly sprint, 1 breath max @ :40
100 free catchup drill @ 1:20
100 tennis ball drill @ 1:20
300 strong free swim @ 3:30
4 x 25 Fly sprint, 1 breath max @ :40
100 free catchup drill @ 1:20
100 tennis ball drill
100 6-3-6 drill
400 strong free swim @ 4:40
6 x 25 Fly sprint, 1 breath max @ :40
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?
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
The Swimming Wizard 