Speed – Page 5 – The Swimming Wizard

Notes: FR IM means we do Fr/Bk/Br/Fr. As you can see, we take care of the fly as well. We train SCM, and those intervals were designed with specific swimmers in mind (they really had to push to make the harder interval on those 100s). I had other lanes in different intervals, and I adjusted the sets so that everyone was together for the last 4×100. That worked out great, since we could get in ‘heats’ to really race! Many kids posted their fastest 4 100 IMs ever in our odd 25.2m pool at the end of the set. To me, that makes any set a successful one.

Man-Ups!

Posted on May 20, 2012December 10, 2018 by rdwoodruff

Spencer George
Head Coach
Long Eaton Swimming Club

A set we like to use at Long Eaton Swimming Club, Derbyshire England is called “man ups”. Its a basic complex training set that hurts but is great fun.

Straight through the following:
10 Press ups
50m swim max effort
10 squats
50m swim max effort
10 Dips
50m swim max effort
10 Calf raises
50m swim max effort

Our top lane swimmer go around 2:10 200 free and their turnaround is 3:45 for 8 Man Ups. You can add Med Balls or weights to increase the intensity of some of the exercises if you want. Another variation is for IM, obviously the 50’s are IM order but the exercises change to hit the strokes as close as possible, so V sits before Fly, Dips before Back, Squats before Breast and press ups before Free. Have fun and “MAN UP”

Ron "Stix" Ballatore Tribute Workout

Posted on April 28, 2012February 4, 2018 by rdwoodruff

Everyone who met Coach Ballatore will not soon forget him. Read more on his bio and his passing Here.

“Stix” knew how to get guys to go fast. Here is a set that he loved to do at the end of practice. We did it frequently when I had the honor of having him on deck while I was in Gainesville. It is a good, challenging, team-building set to finish a workout.

Divide your group up into teams of four or five swimmers, and put a swimmer from each team in each lane. All swimmers on a given team will swim a no-breath 25 simultaneously. Before they start, the coach assigns one swimmer from the team a goal time for the no-breath 25. If that swimmer completes the 25 without taking a breath and beats the goal time, he earns a point for his team. Then the next team takes its turn. Each team is done (and gets out and goes home) when they score a pre-determined number of points. Swimmers get fired up for their teammates and for their own 25s. The coach can control the intensity by adjusting the 25 goal times.

Thanks, Stix. You will be missed.

go! Go! GO!

Posted on February 3, 2012 by rdwoodruff

Greg Johnson

Head Age Group Coach

Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club

Just a tough, straightforward set (intervals based on freestyle for senior swimmers). We adjusted for the age groupers by giving them 6 rounds (odd rounds free, even IM). Got them breathing pretty hard.

8 x (no rest between rounds)

4 x 25 @ 20

2 x 50 @ 40

1 x 100 @ 1:15

Age Group Set from Gwinnett Aquatics

Posted on January 25, 2012 by rdwoodruff

Lucas Ferreira
Gwinnett Aquatics

Here’s a set we did with our top Age Groupers (11-14) that worked really well:

(SCM)

4 rounds:

5×100 FR – 1:20 / 1:30 / 1:40

10×25 RACE – 0:40

– IM order per round, dive on Odds

Two things were important to make this set as good as it was for us:

1) The 100s were right at the kids’ cruise interval (they had to work decently hard to get 2-3sec of rest only, nearly much playing wall tag the whole way). I would adjust those intervals likewise for a different group of kids or if we were swimming SCY.

2) Each kid had goal times for the 25s. Those were about 1sec faster than what they need to hold to make their goal 100s of each stroke this season, so they had to work pretty hard to make them.

It was a great way to get plenty of hard aerobic work, with a lot of fast swimming in the middle!

Speed set for taper time

Posted on January 12, 2012 by rdwoodruff

Jack D. Roney
Assistant Senior Coach/YOTA Masters

Here is a set that I have found extremely beneficial as a great “Approaching Taper” speed set. It allows the swimmers to focus on quality of stroke while still trying to put in some speed as the athletes approach a taper meet.

500 Free on 5:30
16×25 (1-Smooth / 3-FAST) on :40
400 Free on 5:30
12×25 (1- Smooth / 2-FAST) on :40
300 Free on 5:30
8×25 (1-Smooth / 1-FAST) on :40
200 Free on 5:30
4×25 (ALL FAST) on :40
100 Free on 5:30
1×50 (For Time — SPRINT)

**NOTES: The 500/400/300/200/100 should be all focus on technique. A bit more speed may have to be put into the first 500 depending on the level of swimmer you are coaching, but the 400/300/200/100 should become much “easier” to make the interval. Therefore, attention to detail in EVERY aspect remains high. Perfection swimming is the goal in all non-“FAST” swims.

As you get more rest, the FAST 25s should be as described (100% intensity) but with obvious focus on technique.

I made the athletes hop out of the water after the 300/200/100 and stretch for several minutes before the next set of 25s began.

Quality during the weeks leading up to a meet was the main focus when I was being coached, and is by-far the most important aspect in my workouts AS a coach for my athletes as we approach our taper meet.

Speed to Burn

Posted on December 8, 2011 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Parkland Aquatic Club

Try this one for a good race-pace set.

6 x 50 @ 1:00 at P200
200 easy swim @ 4:00
4 x 50 @ 1:00 at P200
2 x 25 @ :30 at P100
200 easy swim @ 4:00
2 x 50 @ 1:00 at P200
4 x 25 @ :30 at P100
200 easy swim @ 4:00
6 x 25 @ :30 at P100
200 easy swim @ 4:00

Flyin’ at Heartland

Posted on May 10, 2011 by rdwoodruff

Erik Wiken, Head Coach
Heartland Aquatics

Workout notes:

-Only had 90 minutes on this particular day so things were a bit more condensed than normal. Was fortunate enough to have a couple of college guys back to train with my best 14 & under flyer. The goal was for her to do the set without breaking stroke and preparing for a great 200 fly without doing a TON of fly.

-The Short fins set was the speed work for the day, with the mindset of finishing a 100 fly really fast (fins were there to ensure holding stroke after the main set, aside from generating max speed). The underwaters were a hypoxic recovery and a mental challenge to use a whole body kick after the 100s on both rounds.

– This was a good workout for the guys and an awesome challenge she rose up to on that day (not a typical daily workout, we were going into winter break, I believe there was no full day of school afterwards so she could recover fully). She channeled this memory about a month later into a PR in the 200 fly by about 5 seconds.

Warm-up:
5:00FR Swim @ 1:00 Rest
8 x 25 @ :30 IM Order by 2s, fast in the deep end

(IMO by 2s: 1-2:Fly 3-4:BK …. Essentially Odds: EZ/FAST Evens: FAST/EZ)
2 x Wall Series (SEE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG POST)

Main Set:

2x through…
1 x 250 @ 3:20
1 x 200 @ 2:40
1 x 150 @ 2:00
1 x 100 @ 1:20
1 x 50 @ 1:00
1st Rd: finish each swim with 25 fly (example: 250 = 225FR 25Fly…. 50 = 25FR 25Fly)
2nd Rd: finish each swim with 50 fly

1 x 50 @ 1:40 Easy Swim

Repeat all of that again.

+ 1:00 Rest to put on short fins..

2x
3 x 100 @ 1:40 50FR/50Fly
-Negative Split
4 x 25 @ :45 Underwater dolphin kick

Warm-down:
200FR 100IM Drill

Wall Series: “Stolen” from Tom Beck at GOAL, modified to current form. Finish each warm-up with this mini set:

The following 7 steps are one time through, we finish each warm-up session twice through…

1. Streamline for distance* (goal; reach mid pool & beyond without propulsion)

2. From 1^st red float back to start wall, submerge for underwater accelerator dolphin to wall, last few yards should be sprint. (swim back out to about 10 yards out)

3. FR race pace turn

4. 2 Reverse tucks from a horizontal & stationary position (working on quick knees & shoulders on open turn)

5. Fly or BR open race pace turn

6. Back race pace turn**

7. Accelerator at surface into choice race finish

*The second round the streamline for distance is from the blocks. No kick, just gliding.

**The second round we substitute the BK turn on the 2^nd round with a BK/BR crossover turn.

Simple Little Set

Posted on May 7, 2011 by rdwoodruff

Check out Don Swartz and Ken Demont’s Simple Little Set on their blog at Swim Coach Direct. Thanks, guys!

Aerobic Speed

Posted on October 26, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Gary Galbreath
Dayton Raiders

We did this set during what I called Aerobic speed week. This was done Short Course Meters.

We gave all swimmers aggressive times to hold. All said it was the hardest set of the summer.

400/350 Pull @ 5:15

4 x 50 Drill @ 50

——-30——–

1 x 100 Dive Fast @ 2:00

400/350 Pull @ 5:15

4 x 50 Drill @ 50

——-30——–

2 x 100 Dive Fast @ 2:00

400/350 Pull @ 5:15

4 x 50 Drill @ 50

——-30——–

3 x 100 Dive Fast @ 2:00

400/350 Pull @ 5:15

4 x 50 Drill @ 50

——-30——–

4 x 100 Dive Fast @ 2:00

500 Warm-Down (50 Kick-50 Swim)

The Dirty Thirty

Posted on September 23, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Lauren Harrington
Loyola University

Warmup
300 free
200 IM drill/swim
100 pull
12×25 12 1/2 yards fast, getting the heart rate up
4x50s from mid-pool (stroke)
4x50s from mid-pool (free)

Main Set – “The Dirty Thirty”
30x100s

10x100s on 1:30/1:35 (may adjust interval for swimmers, but these are the two we used for the women’s team)

10x100s on 1:20/1:25

10x100s on 1:10/1:15

The point of the set is to hold the same pace throughout…so you start out on 1:30/1:35 going as fast as you would to make a 1:10/1:15 pace. Obviously, you get a lot more rest at the beginning, but that’s the point. It’s a test of endurance, and it’s always fun to see where the swimmers are at the beginning of the season doing this set vs. the end of the season. It’s a good benchmark for where they’re at.

EASY 100 Stretch it out

6x100s 50 catch-up drill/50 swim freestyle to regain stroke and make sure swimmers are not just spinning their wheels after a set like that…@ 1:30

200 Warm Down

The Century Set

Posted on August 1, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

LCM or SCY
100 x 50
1- Fast from a dive @ 1:00
2- Smooth swim at cycle count -1 @ :50
3- Descend 1-3 to P200 @ :50
4- Smooth swim at cycle count -2 @ :45
5- 25m sprint/25 ez work on breakouts @ 1:00
6- Descend 1-3 to P200 @ :50
7- Steady swim @ :40
8- Kick 4 @ 1:00, 2 @ :55, 2 @ :50
9- Descend 1-3 to P200 @ :50
10- Fastest possible average @ 1:30
9- Ascend 1-3 to P200 @ :50
8- Kick 4 @ 1:00, 2 @ :55, 2 @ :50
7- Steady swim @ :40
6- Ascend 1-3 to P200 @:50
5- 25m ez/25 sprint to perfect finish @ 1:00
4- Smooth swim at cycle count -2 @ :45
3- Ascend -3 to P200 @ :50
2- Smooth swim at cycle count -1 @ :50
1- Fast from a dive @ 1:00

Miler 25s

Posted on July 21, 2010July 22, 2019 by rdwoodruff

Gary Galbreath, Dayton Raiders

Did this set early during taper for the Distance Group

Repeat Set 3 Times. All 25s are to a hand touch. Do Not Flip.
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 20 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 19 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 18 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 17 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 16 Fast
2 x 25 @ 25 Smooth
3 x 25 @ 15 Fast

Tricep Fire

Posted on July 14, 2010 by rdwoodruff

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

You guessed it… this one will burn!

SCY
30 x 50 done in ten sets of 3. After each set of three, perform 8 press-outs on the edge of the pool, adding :10 seconds to the interval on the 3rd 50.
Set #1,#4,#6 and #9: descend 1-3 to P200 or faster @ 1:00
Set #2 and #7: 1 ez, 2 at P200 or faster @ :50
Set #3 and #8: moderate, descend cycle count @ :40
Set #5 and #10: Fastest possible average @ 1:00

Free/Back Workout

Posted on July 13, 2010 by rdwoodruff

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

SCY
500 free @ 6:20 (1:16)
10 x 75 choice odd kick @ 1:20, even swim build @ 1:00
500 free @ 6:10 (1:14)
10 x 50 free, 1 @ :50, 2 @ :45, 3 @ 40 4@:35
500 free @ 6:00 (1:12)
10 x 25 back odds ez swim @:30 even uw dolphin kick @:20
500 free @ 5:50
10 x 25 free odds ez @ :30 even sprint no breath @:20
500 free @ 6:00
10 x 50 back odd @ :50, even @ :35
500 free @ 6:10
10 x 75 choice odd kick @ 1:20, even swim build @ :55
500 free @ 6:20
TOTAL: 6500 yards

Chasers

Posted on June 22, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Michael Kraeuter, Blue Wave Swim Team

This works best in a short course pool and if you have an even number of swimmers.

Put half your swimmers at one end and the other half at the other about the same numbers in each lane. When you say “go” one swimmer in each lane will begin. When that swimmer reaches the other side their teammate gives them 5 seconds from when their feet leave the wall and then they push off chasing them down the pool. Their teammate on the other side will do the same for them, then the chaser becomes the chased and so on and so forth.

If you get caught as the one being chased or you don’t catch the one you are chasing you have 5 push-ups for each. This keeps going for as long as you would like and you can use any of the strokes. I find it works on a few things; it makes the swimmer work both parts of the 50 it also works on their mental state of chasing someone down or being chased by someone in a race and still pushing through while staying focused on the task at hand. They get more rest between swims depending on how many swimmers you have placed in each lane. Fun but very hard set!

Heavy 50s

Posted on June 18, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Louis C. Cavadini

SCY
Here is a little set we did that was fun and hard

24×50 (1-12 w/fins @1:15, 13-24 wo/fins @1:30)
-25 IM rotation
-25 sprint free
Place 25lb weight room plate on the bottom of the deep end (starting end). Swim 25 IM rotation, sprint back freestyle and at the flags(deep end) dive down and pull the weight back up to the surface. We used 10lb plates for the smaller swimmers.

After that set, we did a little experimenting:
8×25 @1:00 w/fins
-kick underwater with weights (use 10lbs). They kids said it worked
best if you held the weight out like a steering wheel.

Tempo and Cycle Count Set

Posted on June 4, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
Head Coach
Lynchburg YMCA

Today’s set utilizes the cycle count and tempo you can find with the Find Your Sweet Spot set. You’ll need a Tempo Trainer. This set can be performed any stroke.

1 x 200 build each 50 up to your tempo @ :20 rest
1 x 150 25 at tempo, 25 ez swim or drill @ :20 rest
1 x 100 25 ez, 50 at tempo, 25 ez @ :20 rest
1 x 50 at tempo and cycle count @ :20 rest
1 x 300 swim ez at cycle count @ :30 rest

Find Your Sweet Spot

Posted on May 26, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff
@WoodruffRyan

This set was adapted from SwimSmooth.com‘s Ramp Test

The Sweet Spot Test Set

Using a Tempo Trainer
12 x 50 LCM @ 1:20
Begin at a tempo you know you can hold (if you are doing freestyle, try something between 1.50 and 1.80). Hold that tempo as precisely as possible for the entire 50m. Have a friend or a coach count your cycles and record that info using this worksheet. On each subsequent 50, lower your tempo by .10 until you reach a tempo that you are unable to hold. After that failure point, take your tempo back up to near where it started, and bring it down again. Also make note of your effort level on a scale of 1-10.

At the completion of the set, you should have a range of tempos, cycle counts, efforts, and times. Look for effort levels in the 8 or 9 range. If you are in shape, these should roughly approximate 200 pace. The range of data that you find will be your “Sweet Spot.” Train in and around this sweet spot as often as possible to improve your ability to sustain this pace or even to improve upon it.

The Dolphin Maker

Posted on May 20, 2010 by rdwoodruff

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

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:

2 x 25 w/fins @ :30 #1 All UW dolphin kick, #2 Max UW kick and then sprint
Max UW kick means the athlete should go as far as possible (up to 15m) as long as he can maintain high velocity and sprint the remaining distance.

FINS OFF
4 x 25 @ :40 #1 All UW dolphin kick, #2 Max UW kick and then sprint
:30 rest to put fins back on

Race Pace Under Fatigue

Posted on May 18, 2010November 5, 2018 by rdwoodruff

Ryan Woodruff

This set will help swimmers learn to swim at race pace under fatigue.
SCY
10x through:
Selected dryland exercise @:20
1 x 50 @ :40 beat P200 from a push
1 x 50 @ :40 smooth swim of the same stroke, hold great technique
1 x 50 @ 1:00 ez swim

Selected dryland exercises:
#1 – 10 pushups
#2 – 10 frog jumps
#3 – 12 pushups
#4 – 12 frog jumps
#5 – 14 pushups
#6 – 14 frog jumps
#7 – 12 pushups
#8 – 12 frog jumps
#9 – 10 pushups (hold your breath)
#10 – 10 frog jumps (hold your breath)

Surge Speed

Posted on May 13, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Gary Galbreath, Dayton Raiders

This set is designed so swimmers can have some surge speed in the mile or 800. To break away or to run with someone that tries to break away.

Short Course Meters

2 x

500 Fast + 3 x 50 Fast Dive + 100 EZ @ 11:30

400 Fast + 3 x 75 Fast Dive + 75 EZ @ 11:30

300 Fast + 3 x 100 Fast Dive + 100 EZ @ 11:30

Swimmers can decide how much rest to take before dive swims.

All Dive Swims Need to be 400 Free Speed or Faster

Carmel Workout

Posted on May 12, 2010 by rdwoodruff

Chris Plumb, Carmel Swim Club

4x:

1 x 50 Fast @ :30
1 x 50 Ez @ 1:00
1 x 100 Fast @ 1:00
1 x 50 Ez @ 1:00
1 x 50 Fast @ :30
1 x 50 Ez @ 1:00
2 x 100 Fast @ 1:10
1 x 100 Ez @ 2:00
1 x 50 Fast @ :30
1 x 50 Ez @ 1:00
3 x 100 Fast @ 1:20
1 x 150 Ez @ 3:00

72 minutes, 4800 yards

Prime Time

Posted on April 29, 2010 by rdwoodruff

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

LCM
Prior to this set, perform a 1,000m swim for time of your prime non-freestyle stroke.

3 x 100 at P1000 @ 1:50
2 x 50 at P100-2 @ 1:00
1 x 100 ez free @ 2:00

3 x 100 at P1000 @ 1:50
4 x 50 at P100-3 @ 1:00
1 x 100 ez free @ 2:00

3 x 100 at P1000 @ 1:50
6 x 50 at P100-4 @ 1:00
1 x 100 ez free @ 2:00

3 x 100 at P1000 @ 1:50
8 x 50 at P100-5 @ 1:00
1 x 100 ez free @ 2:00

LCM Speed Set

Posted on April 24, 2010 by rdwoodruff

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

LCM

3x
35m sprint/65m ez @ 2:30
65m sprint/35m ez @ 2:30
135m sprint/65m ez @ 3:30

200 ez pull

The Bear

Posted on April 20, 2010 by rdwoodruff

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

LCM
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
1 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
2 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
3 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
4 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00
1 x 800m Free @ 12:00
5 x 35m sprint choice @ 3:00

This set takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete. 800s are fastest possible average, and 35m sprints are all-out timed to the head crossing the line. Record all times.