Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The blue 25m is underwater kick off the blocks for time.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
The blue 25m is underwater kick off the blocks for time.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM. This one worked great for our group. “UWK” equals “underwater kick”. Be sure to only do this type of set with mature swimmers who understand how to safely work on this skill. No hyperventilation permitted – ever!
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This is the sort of workout that could work well in the context of many high school practices. We had 5 lanes (lanes 2 through 6 in our pool). Swimmers dive off the blocks in lanes 3,4, and 5 for an all out 25. Their next instruction was depends on what lane they were in – either a 15m underwater kick, 5 push-ups/10 squats, or a 15m sprint. Get back behind the blocks and do it again!
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We have had many posts on this blog using the “Golf” concept (adding seconds swum and cycles taken over a distance and aiming for a lower score). Here is a twist to that concept focusing on underwater dolphin kicking
6x (1x 100 back, fly, or free + 1 x 50 EZ) @ 3:00
On the 100s, get your time and then SUBTRACT the total number of dolphin kicks that you took in the 100. Calculate your score during the EZ 50. Give a high level of effort on the 100 and aim for a lower score each time.
Example:
Swimmer goes 1:08 in the 100 back and took 7 dolphin kicks off each wall (28 total), the golf score would be 40.
68 seconds – 28 dolphin kicks = 40
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY
3:00 kick is just steady pace, choice of kick. All 25s are maximum CONSISTENT underwater kicks.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCY
Instructions on the 400s were to keep it steady and make the interval by :10+. Intervals for 200s are a bit faster with instructions to push the pace. 25s are to maintain an underwater focus under fatigue. A,B,C intervals for 400s and 200s. For the 25s, A group does 8, B group does 6, C group does 4, allowing us to stay pretty close together on the set.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
In our pool, the black line is about 14m from one end and about 8m from the end we started this set from. SCY.
Ryan Sprang, Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club
SCY
Intervals were 1:25/1:25/1:35/1:15 by stroke for IMO. Non-IMO were free on 1:20. They had to dolphin kick out about 10 yards off each wall to get under lane noodles. IMO = Individual Medley Order
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We have done something very similar in the past. This was modified from other versions to include a certain number of kicks rather than a specific underwater distance. UWK = Underwater Kick. SCM.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This was the second time we set up a series of sprint stations in our long course pool utilizing a 10m diving well and the regular lanes. We got some great times overall.
We rotated through the stations 3x. The buckets we use are like parachutes, but are just 1-gallon buckets from Home Depot.
The run & dive “50s” in the diving we are really just 20m (10m across the diving well and return), so they got lots of rest there.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This set was done a day after a very intense quality set of 50s. The aim was to be a bit less intense while covering some distance, then hitting a leg-heavy backstroke set. SCY.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set in SCM. We wore fins for the first 16 and then took them off for the last 4. Swimmers were encouraged to push themselves on the underwater 25s, but could take a breath and go back under if needed.
Chris Brookover
Senior Leader – Aquatics
MLY Phoenix
SCY
We have a ton of high school meets this time of year, so attendance is sporadic at best. We are trying to get the best out of whoever shows up. Lots of leg work and some fly at the end to develop mental and physical toughness.
Speed Set:
3 X
2 x 75 @ 1:15 – E/F/E — F/E/F – Min. 4-UW Kicks Off Wall
2 x 50 @ :50 – E/F — F/E – Min. 6-UW Kicks Off Wall
2 x 25 @ :25 – Both Fast – Min. 8-UW Kicks off Wall
Rest :30
Kick:
2 X
6 x 100 @ 1:20 – W/ Fins and Snorkel [B=5 @ 1:30 – R- 1:00]
Rest :30
2 x 25 @ :25 – UW – 6-Kicks (No Fins)
2 x 25 @ :30 – UW – 8-Kicks (No Fins)
2 x 25 @ :35 – UW – 10-Kicks (No Fins)
2 x 25 @ :40 – UW – 12 Kicks (No Fins)
Rest :40
Swim:
3 X
4 x 25 @ :30 – Fly
3 x 50 @ 1:00 – Fly #2 = Free
2 x 75 @ 1:30 – Fly/Free/Fly
1 x 100 @ 2:00 – Fly
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We have been focusing on underwater kicking quite a bit recently. Today we injected some underwater work to our warmup (SCM):
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Coach Mike Cook, Mason Makos
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
I thought I had this one planned out pretty well… turns out we had to insert a 25 EZ with the :40 rest t I get back to same end as our fins.
All in all, it was a good set.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
LCM. This set makes use of the 12m diving well that sits alongside the 50m lanes we use. In order to maximize our space with our entire team practicing at once, we occasionally use it this way. For ease of communication, we call one width of the diving well a “25.”
We used 1-gallon buckets tied to waist belts for the set of 8 x50, timing each 25 and emphasizing racing a teammate.
For the diving well set, we used the aquavolo drag sox. The contrast between resisted kicking and non-resisted (when we take the Sox off) leads to some excellent speedy UW kicking.
Coach John Beyer, Calvert Aquatics Club, Southern Maryland
Here is a Fly, Back, Underwater practice I had my 13+ swimmers do.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
SCM
Elliot Ptasnik, Head Coach, University of Hawaii
Elliot Ptasnik, Head Coach, University of Hawaii
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set recently and had a great workout. Mixing back and free for our long-axis focused swimmers.
Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We did this set 6x through after a tough main set, and the kids did well with the underwaters especially. With 4 people in each lane, one person was on each part.
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
This was our SCY workout this morning. The race pace set at the end came from Mike Anzano of COM Aquatics
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Ryan Woodruff, Lynchburg YMCA
We are currently able to practice with three swimmers per lane, and this kick set allowed us to get some excellent leg work in while keeping our distance.
The “black line” mentioned is about 15m from one end in our SCY pool. “Blast offs” consist of repeated streamlined vertical jumping off the bottom of the pool.