Tag: Just for Fun

The Ken Ryan Tribute

Posted on by rdwoodruff

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

If you know him, you are no doubt amused at how appropriate the title is.

SCY

This set can only be done at afternoon practice.

Warmup
20 minutes. Do whatever you want to prepare yourself to swim fast, just be READY TO GO at the end of the time.

4 x 15m sprints from a dive for time @ 2:00
Time to the head crossing the 15m mark

200 ez social swim

4 x 25 yard sprints from a dive @ 2:00

200 ez social swim

4 x 35 yeter (25 yards + turn & back to the near 15m mark) sprints @ 2:00

200 ez social swim

1 x 50 yard sprint for time

Loosen down until you feel REALLY, REALLY, GOOD.

Get out and go home.

Freedom Fridays

Posted on by rdwoodruff

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

Do you want your swimmers to take more personal ownership of their swimming? Do they need a better understanding of exactly what it is that they do to become fast? Here’s a solution for you.

I call it Freedom Fridays. Ask your swimmers: “If you had 20 minutes at practice to do whatever you thought would make you a better swimmer, what would you do?” Have them write down their own set (no copying from teammates) on a 3 x 5 note card. It can be anything they want, but must involve 1)being in the water 2)becoming a better athlete and 3)take about 20 minutes. The set can be easy or hard, require a coach’s help or not, but it MUST be directed toward getting better and they should be able to explain what they are doing.

Collect the cards and then allocate time each week to do their set. We do it on Friday and call it “Freedom Friday.” It is a great way to end the week. Freedom Fridays promote critical thinking on the athlete’s part, foster a sense of ownership of their training, and are just plain fun too. Give it a try with your Senior kids. I think you will like the results

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 #5

Posted on by rdwoodruff

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

Dryland Strength and Aquatic Speed

20 x 25

10 pushups, right into:
#1 – No breath sprint @ :20
#2 – Sprint @ :25, beat time from #1
#3 – Sprint @ :30, beat time from #2
#4 – EZ swim

Repeat for 5 sets of 4 with different dryland exercises with each set:
Before #5: 10 fast squats
Before #9: 5 pullups
Before #13: 10 switch lunges
Before #17: 20 pike-ups on a physio ball

Payin’ the Price for Your Partner

Posted on by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

Just a fun and challenging set that encourages the swimmers to support each other and swim fast.

4x (all with fins):
12 x 25
#1 – fast UW kick @:20
#2 – fast no-breath swim @ :25
#3 – easy swim @ :30
#4 – fast no-breath swim @ :25
#5 – fast UW kick @ :20
#6 – easy swim @ :30
1 x 50 all out (rotate stroke IM order by round)
1 x 100 easy swim

Time the 50 and have them remember times. Don’t give them the following part of the set until you get to this point. Get a partner.

One partner swims an all out 50 without fins while the other partner waits. For every full second that partner #1 swims slower than his time from the previous set, partner #2 must do a pullup (2 pull-ups for each second for guys). Then switch roles – partner #2 swims and partner #1 has to do pull-ups based on #2’s time.

Occasionally you will get a clown who swims slow thinking that he will really stick it to his teammate. Surprise him and the rest of the group with multiple rounds of this and he may start to realize that the more pull-ups his partner has to do, the slower his partner will swim.