The Swim Workout
- 2 x 200 (:30 swim as desired, include some technique work
8 x 25 (:20 Drilling (swimming technique work)
4 x 100 (:20 Pull - focus on the arms/pull. Options: use a float between legs.
2 x 200 (:20 Kick - focus on the legs/kick. Options: hold a float/kickboard with arms, wear flippers.
Take about 30-seconds extra rest
4 x 25(:45 Fast efforts
Take about 60-seconds rest and get ready for the following set of swims. Aim to hold the same steady, moderate effort through the entire set. As the rest gets shorter, how do you do it? Note the pattern, the swims are in sets of two, one with increasing rest, one with decreasing rest. If you add the rest of each pair together it always equals 1-minute (except for that last lone 100). Do not take any extra rest.
1 x 100 (:15 then 1 x 100 (:45
1 x 100 (:20 then 1 x 100 (:40
1 x 100 (:25 then 1 x 100 (:35
1 x 100 (:30 then 1 x 100 (:30
1 x 100 (:35 then 1 x 100 (:25
1 x 100 (:40 then 1 x 100 (:20
1 x 100 (:45 then 1 x 100 (:15
1 x 100 (:50 then 1 x 100 (:10
1 x 100 (:55 then 1 x 100 (:05
1 x 100 Last one - good work!
1 x 200 Easy loosen, include some technique work
TOTAL DISTANCE = 3,600
About's Swimming Workouts
This swimming workout features ever-changing rest intervals while the swimmer aims to maintain the same pace for each swim. It can be very challenging to keep a swimming pace or swim effort under control, this workout may help a swimmer learn how to do just that.This workout is designed to take between 80-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.
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
- drilling (swimming technique work)
- kicking
- pulling
- a main set
- a loosen or cool-down
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 six times.
Swim On!
Mat
More Reading for Swimmers on Swim Workouts:
