Kick Workout to Wipe out a Swimmers Legs

Right off the top, you should know that this is not a workout to take lightly. You should only do it if you are a strong swimmer and you want to do a leg focused workout. You should already be kicking at least 1,000 meters or yards during your regular workouts, and some of that must be high quality, fast kicking.

Why do this workout? Sometimes, you need a change of scenery, something different to break up the routine. This might be it.

If you feel any pain, soreness, or any other sign that says STOP, then be sure to heed that advice during this workout, shut down the kicking and finish it as a swim workout.

Wearing flippers or using a kickboard is optional. Either one, the other or both could be used for any or all of the kick portions (and the flippers for the swim portions, too).

Swim on!

The Swim Workout

Warm-up 1,200
1 x 400 (:20 swim and drill mix.) Do drills for technique practice for one length, then swim for one length, then repeat.
1 x 400 (:20 kick.) First 25 of each at a moderate effort, the rest of each is easy.
1 x 400 (:20 pull.) First 25 of each at a moderate effort, the rest of each is easy.

Take some extra rest if needed, sip some water or sports drink, and get ready for the main set.

Main Set
4 x 50 (:20 kick.) Desc 1-4. That means each kick is faster than the one before it.
1 x 100 (:20 swim.) Any way you want to do it.
4 x 75 (:20 kick.) The last 25 of each 75 is as fast as you can kick; the first 50 is easy.
1 x 100 (:20 swim.) Any way you want to do it.
4 x 100 (:20 kick.) The first 25 of each 100 is as fast as you can kick; the remainder of each is easy.
1 x 100 (:20 swim.) Any way you want to do it.
4 x 75 (:40 kick.) The first and last 25 of each 75 is as fast as you can kick; the middle 25 is easy.
1 x 100 (:20 swim.) Any way you want to do it.
4 x 50 (:40 kick.) Fast. All of them!
1 x 100 Swim. Loosen a bit more, collect your thoughts, and you are done
TOTAL DISTANCE = 3,100

Click on the "print" icon on the upper right to get a copy formatted for printing so you can print it and take the workout with you to the pool

About Swimming Workouts

This workout is designed to take between 75-minutes and 90-minutes. If that is too much time or distance, then cut things out, but do not always cut out the same thing every workout. And never skip the loosen at the end of the workout. Use that as one last bit of technique work before you leave the swimming pool at the end of the workout.

After the description of the set there is a number in a half-parentheses, like this - (:30 - that is how much rest you get after each swim. For example, 6 x 100 (:30 means you are to swim a 100 (yards or meters), rest 30-seconds, then repeat five more times.

There is nothing special about these swim practice sessions other than what you bring to them. Lots of freedom here. You control how hard or fast you swim and what swim strokes you want to use while swimming the workouts. Normally the amount of rest per swim will limit your top-end speed on a workout, but that does not mean go as fast as you can all of the time. A few guidelines:

• The more rest you get, the faster the swim.
• The early parts of a workout should always be easy to moderate and very deliberate.
• Use your best swimming technique.
• Stop the workout if you are too tired, go for it again in the future.You get to be a better swimmer by recovering from the workouts you do, not by doing more and more swimming without resting and recovering from that swimming.
• Have fun with the workouts.
• Change the strokes you are doing from time to time, try new things, and don't get caught in a rut.

Each workout has:

• A warm-up
• Stroke drills or swimming technique work
• Kicking
• Pulling
• A main set
• A loosen or cool-down

More Reading for Swimmers on Swim Workouts

• How Fast Should I Swim?
• How Often Should I Swim?
• Swimming Better To Do List
• More Swimming Workouts for Swimmers

Updated by Dr. John Mullen, DPT, CSCS on December 31st, 2016.