Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Underwater kicking with stretch cord placed across the lane lines at 12.5m. Instructions are to kick past the cord every 25 and add fins when the interval requires it.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Underwater kicking with stretch cord placed across the lane lines at 12.5m. Instructions are to kick past the cord every 25 and add fins when the interval requires it.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We have enough Drag Sox (unpaid plug: get them at Aquavolo.com) for about half of my group to wear them at the same time. This I came up with this kick set that weather ended up forcing us to modify.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We use our old broken stretch cords tied together to form a longer cord that stretches across all of our SCM lanes at the 12.5m point. We tie it off to the lifeguard stand and use it encourage disciplined underwater kicking.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This was challenging for some. Always good to challenge us underwater. Will probably use this set to build off of for later in the season.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Had the opportunity to use some deep water this morning. In our case the “black line” is about 10m from the wall.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Different distances for different kicking abilities. When repeating a distance, go faster.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
HVOs = Sprint 25s at ~100 pace

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. For the broken 225 kick, we got our total kicking time (total time minus 3:20 for the 4 x 50 @:50). The goal on the following 200 was to beat that broken 225 time by at least 10 seconds.
In hindsight, the goal on the 200 wasn’t extremely tough, but it kept them honest and we got an effort level from the group that I would grade as an A-.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This is part of a practice I did recently with our top 11-12s. Our main focus was on underwater kicking. Our pool has a black line across the bottom approximately 9 yards from the wall.
For the 1:00 vertical kick and rotate, we were flutter kicking with our arms folded across our chest, performing a 90 degree rotation about every 5 seconds accompanied by my demonstration.
Texas 25 = push off and streamline underwater kick to the black line, flip, 4 underwater kicks, sprint back to the wall, turn, 4 underwater kicks and sprint to the opposite end. Texas 25 = 45 yards (everything is bigger in Texas).

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did these two parallel kick sets recently because we only have enough Drag Sox for 1/2 of my group to wear at one time. Prior to this, we had mostly used the Sox for short bouts of underwater kicking and sprint swimming. I loved this set — it was something a little different that really made them push themselves. We were in a 25m pool.
Group A did:
9 x 50 flutter kick with Drag Sox and board @ 1:40.
While Group B did:
10 x 75 flutter kick with board Descend 1-5 and 6-10 @1:30
Then switch sets.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
On this set, we used stretch cords with a teammate providing the resistance for the 4 x 8 underwater kicks (do all 4x within the 1:00 interval).

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
I verbally called out when to start the fast parts.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

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Chris Brookover, YBCC Phoenix
10 pounds of stuff in a 5-pound bag.
Fall 2018 Warm Up
1 x 400 @ 6:00 Loosen
4 x 50 @ :45 Drill w/ Forearm Fulcrums
4 x 100 @ 1:30 Descend 1 – 4
Aerobic
#A+
1 x 600 @ 8:00
1 x 500 @ 6:30
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:00
1 x 300 @ 3:40
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:20
1 x 200 @ 2:25
1 x 100 @ 1:10
#A
1 x 600 @ 8:15
1 x 500 @ 6:45
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:15
1 x 300 @ 3:50
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 1:55
1 x 200 @ 2:30
#B
1 x 600 @ 8:30
1 x 500 @ 7:00
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 400 @ 5:30
1 x 300 @ 4:00
1 x 50 EZ Back @ 2:30
1 x 200 @ 2:35
Kicking:
#A
3 x 200 @ 3:20 Kicking W/ Fins
3 X
6 x 25 @ :25
Rest :30
#B
3 x 200 @ 3:30 Kicking W/ Fins
3 X
5 x 25 @ :30
Rest :30
Stroke – Perfect Technique – Intervals not that hard – thus you can think.
#Back
6 x 100 @ 2:00 W/ Fins & Fulcrums
6 x 100 @ 1:45 Back Swim – Build Each – Best Average
6 x 50 @ 1:15 Cup Head Drill Back Stroke
6 x 50 @ :50 Back Swim [2nd 25 Faster / Minumum 5 Kicks off wall]
6 x 25 @ :50 Spin Drill Backstroke
2 X
6 x 25 @ :45 Back Swim – All Out Sprint
Rest :30
#Breast
6 x 100 @ 2:00 Breast 4 Kick / 1 Pull – Double Pull Outs
5 x 100 @ 2:00 Breast Swim – Build Each – Best Average
6 x 50 @ 1:10 Free Kick no Board – Triple Pull Outs
6 x 50 @ :55 Breast Swim [2nd 25 Faster / Minumum 5 Kicks off wall]
6 x 25 @ :50 Spin Drill Breaststroke – [Breast Pull / Free Kick – Not Swim]
2 X
6 x 25 @ :45 Breast Swim – All Out Sprint
#Fly
6 x 100 @ 1:45 – Fly Kick On Back w/ Fins
8 x 25 @ :40 Swim Fly [Boys 6 Kicks 5 Strokes, Girls 6 Kicks 7 Strokes]
Rest :40
8 x 25 @ :40 Swim Fly [Boys 5 Kicks 6 Strokes, Girls 5 Kicks 8 Strokes]
6 x 100 @ 2:00 – Fly Kick Underwater – Streamline Position
8 x 25 @ :45 Swim Fly Fast – Horsehoe Finish
1 x 100 @ 3:00 EZ Free
8 x 25 @ :50 Swim Fly Fast
Swim Down
4 x 75 @ 1:30
3 x 50 @ 1:00
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This was a brief underwater kicking set that we did in a SCM pool as a pre-set before yesterday’s post. The instructions were to kick fast underwater to 12.5m every time (this was cut off in the picture below). For the first 6, the swimmers held one paddle out in front of them with the broad surface perpendicular to the oncoming water (to create drag).

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The purpose of this set was to work the kick in the middle 1/3 of each distance while still maintaining a consistent kick in the first and last thirds.

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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This kick set will be a bit of a challenge if done correctly.
10 x 100 kick choice, but all same stroke, descend 1-10, pay attention to clock
#1-4 @ :10 rest
#5-7 @ :20 rest
#8-10 @ :30 rest
200 ez swim with fast turns and 4+ underwater kicks
6 x 100 kick @ :20 rest, goal is for all 6 to be faster than #8 from the first set
Editor’s note: This post was originally published to this blog in August 2017. Check out our scrollable archives below for more hidden gems!
Erik Wiken
First time I ran this, kids had never heard of the phrase before and didn’t understand why I would call this set that name. After 20 x 25s, they knew why…
1. Partner Up:
-You will need 1 Buoy & 1 Kickboard per tandem, both with center-mount snorkel (HIGHLY recommended)
2. 20 x 25 @ 1:00 (interval & # of repeats according to ability)
(want to make it longer?, suggest breaking @ 1/2 or 1/3s with a 50 easy on same interval)
One person does a 25 sprint scull (hands out in front of snorkel), head in line
The other person does a 25 sprint FR tombstone kick**, head in line
Rotate equipment after each 25
**Tombstone Kick: Stand board on end, grab 1/2 way and stick bottom half in the water. Board stays vertical. (We also do tombstone kick sets where the last repeat (usually 25s) we “bury it”, board is vertical and totally submerged.)
Editor’s Note: This set was first published to the Swimming Wizard blog in 2010
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Want to have a killer underwater kick in your arsenal for the end of a race? You had better practice kicking hard and fast under fatigue! Try this one:
5x through:
4 x 100 free w/ fins 1 @ 1:10, 1 @ 1:05, 2 @ 1:00
This initial set of 100s is intended to put the athlete in a fatigued state. Then immediately go into:
6 x 25 @ :30 First 2 with fins, last 4 no fins: #1 All UW dolphin kick, #2-6 Max UW kick and then sprint
:30 extra rest to put fins back on.
Editor’s note: This set was originally published to this blog in 2010
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The colons are a bit hard to see…that’s 5:00 kick on 6:00, and so forth.

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Janey Leiker, Magnolia Aquatic Club
Kickboard and Long Fins: Flutter Kick
11,10,9,8,7,6- :10 sec rest
5,4,3,2,1-:05 sec rest
Goal:beat mile time
Numbers=number of 25s ex.- 11=275,10=250
(Editor’s note: This adds up to 1:20 rest. The total distance is 1,650 yards, thus the “beat your mile time” goal)
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA

Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Here is a underwater kicking and sprint combo that we did recently. The part in red was done with stretch cord resistance.
After the kicking pre-set, we did the 60 x 25 set adapted from this article about Gregg Troy’s favorite sprint sets. Turned out to be an awesome day!
