Free Swimming Workouts, Sets, Ideas, and Dryland Exercises from Professional Coaches Around the World
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this IM set LCM. It got a little hairy/confusing in the second round when we went 200 to 50 instead of 50 to 200.
The 50s in between were best non-free (for non-IMers) or worst non-free (for IMers). The IMers were thus working on their weakness. Being able to go best stroke allowed the non-IMers to make the set a little more relevant for them.
Chris Brookover, MLY Phoenix, Greater Philadelphia YMCA
This set was really good, an actual “fail” set only 3 of the 9 A+ made it. (A+, A/B, C refer to different interval groups)
A+
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
4 x 200 @ 3:00 – 100 BK / 100 BR
Rest :30
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
4 x 200 @ 2:45 – 25 FR / 75 BK / 75 BR / 25 FR
Rest :30
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
4 x 200 @ 2:35 – 50 FR / 50 BK / 50 BR / 50 FR
Rest :40
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
4 x 200 @ 2:25 75 FR / 25 BK / 25 FR / 75 FR
A / B
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
4 x 200 @ 3:15 – 100 BK / 100 BR
Rest :30
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
4 x 200 @ 3:00 – 25 FR / 75 BK / 75 BR / 25 FR
Rest :30
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
4 x 200 @ 2:50 – 50 FR / 50 BK / 50 BR / 50 FR
Rest :40
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
3 x 200 @ 2:40 75 FR / 25 BK / 25 FR / 75 FR
C
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
3 x 200 @ 3:30 – 100 BK / 100 BR
Rest :30
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
4 x 200 @ 3:15 – 25 FR / 75 BK / 75 BR / 25 FR
Rest :30
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
3 x 200 @ 3:10 – 50 FR / 50 BK / 50 BR / 50 FR
Rest :30
6 x 25 @ :40 – Fly – One Lane / One Direction
3 x 200 @ 3:00 75 FR / 25 BK / 25 FR / 75 FR
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
That’s an exact quote from one of our swimmers upon seeing this workout. They did a nice job with this one. SCY
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Elliot Ptasnik, Head Coach, University of Hawaii
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
David Laudati, Head Age Group Coach YMCA Westside Silver Fins Goodyear, AZ
Here is a great set that I did with my advanced 11-14yr olds the other night. Challenged all the swimmers. I let them choose a name and they came up with a good one.
Elliot Ptasnik, Head Coach, University of Hawaii
LOCO = Locomotive (pattern as described)
DKOB = Dolphin Kick On Back
NS = Negative Split
Mike Cook, Mason Makos
We did this today with senior prep (11-15)
Mixture of pulling kicking and IM. Lot of attention to details
Brad Herndon, Greensboro Community YMCA
This set worked real well for some fast 200 free and 100 Stroke times this weekend, takes 44 minutes, 11 mins a round, they did this 2 weeks out and were right on their 200 FR and 100 stroke goal times:
4x
3 x 175 FR @ 2:20 (hold goal 200 Fr time)
1 x 75 Stroke Fast @ 1:00
1 x 50 Stroke Fast @ 1:00
1 x 25 Stroke Fast @ 1:00
1 x 25 EZ @ 1:00 (start early after the 25 stroke fast)
Stroke = Swimmer chooses OR some did IMO by Round, but 4th Round = Fly-Back-Breast on the 75, then drop down by choice to finish with 25 of your best stroke (other than fr)
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
IMO = IM order
Transitions: #2 fly- bk #4 bk-br #6 br-fr
Coach Alex Morris, Kansas City Blazers, Shawnee Mission North
This is the second of a couple of sets (see the first one here) that went really well for us over the last week or so. We are still not back to full training capacity yet.
4 rounds:
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY. We are currently swimming 4 swimmers per lane with 2 at each end of the pool. Some of the instructions reflect this arrangement.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We were working on the back half of the IM with this one.
FPA = Fastest Possible Average
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
In the past, we have often done a “standard warmup” 90+% of all practices. We have a good routine and it has served us well.
As we come back from the pandemic, I am no longer doing standard warmup (for now).We have shorter practices and I don’t want us to fall into any routine — I want to keep everyone on their toes. Here was our warmup preparing for today’s IM set.
This blog has always been and will continue to be a FREE resource for the global coaching community. As for many coaches, the COVID-19 has had a significant negative financial impact for my family.
If the Swimming Wizard has provided value to you and you have the means, donations are gratefully accepted via PayPal and Venmo.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY. Every good IMer needs to be a breaststroker. This set worked a little of both. We started from the shallow end of our SCY pool, so the 200 breast included 20 eggbeater kicks in a vertical streamlined position in the middle of each 50 where we would have deep water.
This set was first published to this blog in May 2020.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This pre-set led us to some pretty good performances on the “long quality” 6 x 300s.
This post was originally published to this blog in April 2018
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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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. This set worked really well for us. With a full pool, it allowed everyone to get some good aerobic swimming accomplished while also achieving some fast IM swimming without stroke technique decline.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The swimmer who this set was written for has a best time under 2:00.
Coach Neno, Team SESI, Brazil
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Editor’s note: This set was originally published to the blog in 2014.
Greg Johnson, Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on this blog in November 2012.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. We did this IM Set recently. At the conclusion of the set I asked each swimmer two give me two scores on a scale of 1-10. The first score was for how challenging the set was (lowest score was an 8), the second was for how well they thought they did (lowest score was a 7).
Note the stroke instructions on the right were different for each of the four parts on each round. On the 16×25 of the fly round, the EZ 25 was permitted to be freestyle, but on all other rounds all 25s were of the specific stroke.
Total distance: 4,000m
Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Q: Why is it called the “I.M. Merry-Go-Round”?
A: Because it looks fun, but after an hour you can’t wait for it to stop!
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Mike Cook, Mason Makos
12 & Under Age Group workout trying to get them to understand how to race the IM.
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Chris Schlegel, Head Age Group Coach, All Star Aquatics
“Another practice pre-IMX meet. Definitely challenged the top end today. Pre-Set was working UWD focusing on the power & speed you need to breakout properly. Most did 6-8 UWD focusing on the last 2-4 faster & harder in both directions.”
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
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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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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The first 50 is always strong to simulate some IM fatigue… and descend the last 100s 1-3. Intervals were for our squad in SCM.
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