Mid-D Free and Kick Set with Coach Jeb Beaver of Monocacy Aquatic Club

Jeb Beaver
Monocacy Aquatic Club

Mid Distance

10 x 100
1)       25 kick fast 75 swim mod 1:40
2)       50 kick fast 50 swim
3)       75 kick fast 25 swim
4)       100 kick fast
5)       75 kick fast 25 swim
6)       50 kick fast 50 swim
7)       25 kick fast 75 swim
8)       100 swim easy
9)       100 @ 500 pace
10)   100 kick all out
200 easy

500 Free Set UP!

100, 200 , 300 , 400 = make the interval with enough rest to hit pace times
Non milers Guys 31 or faster for mile Girls 34 or faster

100 @ 1:20 or 1:30
4 x 50 @mile pace 40
200 @ 2:20 or 2:30
4 x 50 @ mile pace 45
300 @ 3:20 or 3:30
4 x 50 @ mile pace 50
400 @ 4:20 or 4:30
4 x 50 @ mile pace 55
Rest 1 min
500 Free all out

Broken 175s for Kicking Prowess

Ryan Woodruff

Lynchburg YMCA

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This set is designed to encourage swimmers to practice strong kicking through the middle and end of 200 events. Time the total round (50+75+50), with the goal being to beat one’s lifetime best 200 time. Typically, breaststrokers and flyers will have the easiest time achieving this goal.

6x through @ 4:00:

50 fast swim
:10 rest
75 fast kick with a board
:10 rest
50 fast swim

Swimming Fast with Tired Legs

Ryan Woodruff
 
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

We don’t do a lot of kick sets in isolation as I don’t think it relates well to racing.  This is one example of a set where we combined some intense kicking with race-pace swimming.  We did this is a 25m pool. The 50 at 200 pace is significantly harder with fatigued legs, but this is an absolutely essential skill to swim a good 200 race. FPA = Fastest Possible Average
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Fly or Die

Wibke Ahrens
Head Coach
Schwimmverein Mannheim
Germany
 
I often explain our intensities with car shifts from 1-6 (recovery> all out)
 
4x 50m Fly @50”  PB+ 5”  (200P)
200m Kick  w/fins (2nd shift)
4x 50m Fly @55”  PB+ 4”
200m Kick  w/fins (2nd shift)
4x 50m Fly @1′  PB+ 3”
200 Kick  w/fins (2nd shift)
4x 50m Fly @1’10  all out 
200 Kick  w/fins (2nd shift)
 

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The ? Set

Ryan Woodruff
 
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SCY

? 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?

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Dolphin Kicking and Race Pace Set

Ryan Woodruff

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Lane 1 – no streamline sticks
Lane 2 – sticks at 5yd from each wall
Lane 3 – sticks at 6yd from each wall
Lane 4 – sticks at 8yd from each wall
Lane 5 – sticks at 10yd from each wall
Lane 6 – sticks at 12.5yd from each wall

We performed the following set:

60 x 50 @ 1:00 (2 sets of 30)
#1-6: Smooth swim
#7-12: descend 1-3 and 4-6
#13-18: 25 fast/25 ez
#19 – 24: 25 ez/25 fast
#25-30: at P200 (Goal 200 pace)

In each set of 6, each athlete will do #1, in lane 1, #2 in lane 2 and so on. By using the Streamline Sticks, you control the distance UW. Makes for a significant challenge on the 5th and 6th 50 of each set. Additionally, this set can be used as an experiment to test an athletes capability to swim at P200 while kicking increasing distances. Most athletes can make it while kicking further than they do habitually.

Friday Butterfly Workout

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

Mid Season Long Course IM Workout

Ryan Woodruff
ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

LCM

Warmup – 1200m, 20:00
400 smooth swim @ 6:00
4 x 150 50 kick/50drill/50 swim @ 2:30
4 x 50 25 fast/25 easy @ 1:00

Main Set – 5500m, 1:08:00

Hold stroke 100s steady & strong. Descend 200s, 400s, and 600 IMs.
1 x 100 FLY @ 1:30
200 IM @ 3:00
1 x 100 BK @ 1:30
200 IM @ 3:00
1 x 100 BR @ 1:40
200 IM @ 3:00
:30 rest

2 x 100 FLY @ 1:30
400 IM @ 6:20
2 X 100 BK @ 1:30
400 IM @ 6:20
2 x 100 BR @ 1:40
400 IM @ 6:20
:30 rest

3 x 100 FLY @ 1:30
600 IM @ 9:40
3 x 100 BK @ 1:30
600 IM @ 9:40
3 x 100 BR @ 1:40
600 IM @ 9:40
100 easy @ 3:00

Kick/Speed Set
4 x 100 @ 3:00 ALL CHOICE
#1 – FROM START, 25m FAST SWIM/75m KICK
#2 – FROM START, 50m FAST SWIM/50m KICK
#3 – FROM START, 75m FAST SWIM/25m KICK
#4 – FROM START, 100m ALL OUT SWIM

WARM DOWN

Vertical I.M. Transitions

Ryan Woodruff
Ryan.d.woodruff@gmail.com

This set is designed to help mimic the crucial transitions in IM sets. In my opinion, much of the difficulty in IM transitions is due to fatigue in the legs. The vertical kicking mimics the fatigue from one stroke and then we swim fast!

3x:
2:00 vertical dolphin kick (hands out of the water) straight into…
1 x 100 fast backstroke (50 splits must be within 1 sec of each other)
1 x 100 easy swim

Repeat additional times doing vertical flutter kick (for backstroke) followed by breaststroke swimming. For the br-fr transition, do vertical kicking with a weight followed by freestyle swimming. Intersperse these sets with longer IM sets for maximum effect.

A Few Favorites

Dan Harrigan
1976 Olympic Bronze Medalist- 200 Back
Former Coach, Penn State University

Dan counts the great Dick Jochums as his mentor.  Here are a few of Dan’s favorite sets:
10 x 100 free (yds)on 1:15 count strokes for each lap. Each 25 take one less stroke.
This will tend to make you kick more toward the end of each hundred.

10 x 200m back swim/kick by 100s on 2:45 (or an interval that gives you little time to rest, maybe 5 to 10 seconds.)

15 x 100 free on descending intervals (meters):

first five on 1:15

next five on 1:10

last five on 1:05

A Dayton Christmas Part 1

Gary Galbreath
Dayton Raiders

SCY
200 Swim, 200 kick, 200 Pull, 200 Swim @ 13:00                          13
15 x 100                                                                       
       5 @ 1:20/1:25
       5 @ 1:15/1:20
       5 @ 1:10/1:15
———1 Min———-                          2300
Main Set
3 x                                                                            
6 x 25 Fly @ 20/25 (200 Pace)
1 x 50 @ 45
6 x 25 Back @ 20/25 (200 Pace or 400 IM Pace)
1 x 50 @ 45
6 x 25 Breast @ 25/30 (200 Pace or 400 IM Pace)
1 x 50 @ 45
6 x 25 Free @ 20/25 (200 Pace or 400 IM Pace)
1 x 50 @ 45                    2400/4700
——–1 Min——–
Main Set II
4 x                     Descend 1-4                                            
1 x 100 IM @ 1:25/1:30
1 x 100 IM @ 1:20/1:25
1 x 100 IM @ 1:15/1:20
1 x 100 IM @ 1;10/1:15
                                   1600/6300
——–1 min——–
Kick Set
20 x 50                                                                        
       Odd @ 50
       Even @ 45
                                   1000/7300
——–1 Min——
Pull Set
10 x 75 @ 55/1:00                                                              
                                   750/8050

The Dayton Raider Mountain

Gary Galbreath
Dayton Raiders Swim Club

Here’s a set we did Saturday morning. Just as a reminder it’s base building time! We did it SC meters. Everyone was on the same cycle. The Kick part was the chance to catch up if the were struggling with the Times. It’s just a good Aerobic set. Total 8800 meters

25 Kick@ 30
4 x 50 @ 45 Descend 1-4
            Free
75 Kick@ 1:30
4 x 100 @ 1:30 Descend 1-4
            25 Stroke/50 Free/25 Stroke
125 Kick @ 2:30
4 x 150 @ 2:05 Descend 1-4
            Free
175 Kick@ 3:30
4 x 200 @ 3:00 Descend 1-4
            BackStroke
225 Kick @ 4:30
4 x 250 @ 3:15 Descend 1-4
            Free
275 kick@ 5:30
4 x 300 @ 4:30 Descend 1-4
            100 IM/100No Free/100 Free
325 Kick @ 6:30
4 x 350 @ 4:25 Descend 1-4
            Free
375 Kick@ 7:30
4 x 400 IM @ 6:30
            #1 4 x 100 IM
            #2 100IM/200 IM/100IM
            #3 2 x 200 IM
            #4 Reverse 400 IM
                        8800 meters

The Towson Tune-up

Jeb Beaver, Assistant Coach
Monocacy Aquatic Club/ Towson University

Let me start off by saying that I really enjoy the website!

SCM
500 Twitch (25 free/25 non-free)
10 x 100 (50 Kick/50 Drill) 2:00  
Hypoxia:  10 x 50 Fins (25 underwater Fly (10secs rest at wall), 25 sprint Free no breath) 1:20
Easy 100
4 x 50   (backstroke 15 meters, flip into boat skull to the wall) 10 sec rest per 50.
Main Set
100’s Breaststroke
150’s 25 free, 50 fly, 25 bk, 25 br, 25 free (rotate per round) (2nd round 50 bk)
200 Free
Bold = SPRINT!

100
100
100
100
100
150
150
150
150
150
200
200
200
200
200

4 x 50   (backstroke 15 meters, flip into boat skull to the wall) 10 sec rest per 50.

Underwater Weight Kicks

Ryan Woodruff, North Carolina Aquatic Club
ncacheadcoach@gmail.com

Earlier this week, Louis Cavadini posted a set called Heavy 50s. At the end of the set, he described kicking underwater with weights. We performed a similar set this week, using bundled weight belts. We did the following set with fins:

SCY
400 smooth free, 25 drill/25 swim @ 5:20
8 x 75 descend 1-3 and hold #4 at P200 @ 1:20
4 x 25 underwater kick with fins and weight belt in a streamline @ 1:00
300 smooth free, 25 drill/25 swim @ 4:00
6 x 75 descend 1-2 and hold #3 at P200 @ 1:15
4 x 25 underwater kick with fins and weight belt in a streamline @ 1:00
200 smooth free, 25 drill/25 swim @ 2:40
4 x 75 descend 1-2 and hold #3 at P200 @ 1:10
4 x 25 underwater kick with fins and weight belt in a streamline @ 1:00
100 smooth free, 25 drill/25 swim @ 1:20
2 x 75 descend 1-2 and hold #3 at P200 @ 1:05
4 x 25 underwater kick with fins and weight belt in a streamline @ 1:00

On the underwater kicks, some swimmers performed them on their back and reported that the exercise really worked the backside kick. Use this sheet to Determine Your Goal Pace for LCM to perform the set.

Drill: Rotisserie Kick

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

This drill is to help with body awareness, core body control, and balance in the water. Rotisserie kick is simple: Get in a streamlined position, squeezing your head between your arms, and flutter kick face-down. When you need a breath, roll onto your back, keeping your streamline intact. When you have concluded your breath, roll in the same direction onto your front again. Repeat and continue as you need each breath. This is best done with fins.

Shallow End Kick Set

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

We did the blastoffs (streamline push off the bottom and explosive dolphin kick to the surface) in the 7-foot shallow end of our pool. Works beautifully for 5 to 6-foot-tall senior swimmers. Have swimmers strive for 4+ dolphin kicks during each blastoff. All kick is choice without a board. Use a board on the 300.

:25 blastoffs @ :30
75 fast kick + 25 ez swim @ 2:00
:25 blastoffs @ :30
125 fast kick + 25 ez swim @ 3:00
:25 blastoffs @ :30
175 fast kick + 25 ez swim @ 4:00

300 kick for time

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 #11

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

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 #8

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

#8 – Backstroke Tempo & Kick

20 x 25
Use a Finis Tempo Trainer and set it for your Threshold Tempo
4x:
#1- Backstroke, build tempo to threshold :25
#2- Fast backstroke swim at threshold tempo :20
#3- Backstroke spin drill at faster than threshold tempo :25
#4- Underwater streamline dolphin kick :25
#5- ez kick on back :30

Spin drill is sitting up “like in a chair,” with head still, very aggressive kick, and arms spinning at maximum speed. Don’t worry about holding water with your hands or moving quickly through the water. The entire emphasis is on tempo here.

I Just Wanna Fly

“There’s no time to think about the starting or the end.
We’ll find out I’m told, my mother she told me so.
I just wanna fly.”
– Sugar Ray

600 fly – 50 drill/100 swim @ 9:00
6 x 25 fast fly @ :30
100 dolphin kick on back, arms at side @ 2:00
400 fly – 25 drill/75 swim @ 6:00
8 x 25 fast fly @ :25
100 dolphin kick on back, arms at side @ 2:00
200 fly swim @ 3:00
10 x 25 fast fly @ :20
100 dolphin kick on back @ 2:00

Short Axis Co-Training

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

The shared short-axis rotation of breaststroke and butterfly can be co-trained by going back and forth between the two. This can help your butterflyers be better breaststrokers and vice versa.

Configure intervals to have about :10 rest after each repeat.

1 x 100 Breast kick with board
1 x 25 Fly Sprint no breath
1 x 75 Breast drill
1 x 50 Fly swim
1 x 50 Breast swim
1 x 75 Fly smooth swim
1 x 25 Breast- underwater pullouts or no breath swim
1 x 100 Fly kick on side

Then go:
2 x 100…
2 x 25…

The first round isn’t so tough, but it will get better as you go up in reps!

Twenty Ways to Do 20 x 25 – #1

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

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

Fly Me To the Moon

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

The following is a butterfly workout intended to improve all aspects of the stroke. As always, intervals depend on the level of swimmer being trained. In this instance, the intervals on the fly swims were intended to give the swimmers plenty of rest to facilitate proper technique and eliminate “butter-struggle.”

4 X 25 FLY KICK W/SNORKEL @:30
2 X 50 CLAP DRILL FLY @:50
1 X 100 SWIM FLY @1:25/1:30/1:35
4 X 50 FLY KICK W/SNORKEL @1:00
2 X 100 3-3-3 DRILL FLY @1:30/1:35/1:40
1 X 200 SWIM FLY @3:00/3:10/3:20
4 X 75 FLY KICK W/SNORKEL @1:30
2 X 150 TRIPLE KICK DRILL FLY @2:15/2:25/2:35
1 X 300 SWIM FLY @4:30/4:45/5:00
4 X 100 FLY KICK W/SNORKEL @2:00
2 X 200 4 FLY/4 BREAST @3:00/3:15/3:30
1 X 400 SWIM FLY @FAST

NO “BROKEN STROKES!!!”
FLIP ALL TURNS DURING FLY DRILLS
YOU MAY DOLPHIN KICK ON YOUR SIDE WITHOUT A SNORKEL IF YOU CHOOSE

Backstroke Workout #1

Ryan Woodruff

Warmup
800 :  100 free overkick/100 smooth backstroke/100 smooth free/100 overkick backstroke

Main Set
2x through: 1st round no equipment, 2nd round with paddles (don’t use paddles on 3 x 200)

3 x 200 backstroke  @ 3:20

12.5 r arm scull
12.5 l arm scull
25 fists drill
50 build
100 strong swim

3 x 50 kick backstroke on your side, kick 8+ yds off wall @ :50
2 x 200 backstroke  race pattern and descend 3:10
3 x 50 kick backstroke on your side, kick 8+ yds off wall @ :55
1 x 200 backstroke fast @ 3:00
3 x 50 kick backstroke on your side, kick 8+ yds off wall @ 1:00

Warm-down set
6 x 50 @ :20 rest
#1-4: 12.5 yards back spin drill then ez
#5-6:  just ez swim

4400 yards