This session will develop your threshold endurance and then boost your speed with some sprints to finish with. The longer reps within this session develop your threshold endurance and finish with the sprints which will build your top-end speed.
Each Saturday I will post a Swim Session, most weeks I will load three options up for you to do. Option A is for swimmers who are after a workout between 1,000 & 2,000 metres. Option B is for swimmers who are after a workout between 2,000 & 3,000m and Option C will be greater than 3,000m.
Option A
- 200m Warm Up;
- 8x 25m Drill;
- 4x 250m 30sec RI;
- 8x 50m on 1/2T+10sec;
- 200m Cool Down (2,000m)
Option B
- 400m Warm Up;
- 8x 25m Drill;
- 6x 250m 30sec RI;
- 8x 50m on 1/2T+10sec;
- 200m Cool Down (2,700m)
Option C
- 600m Warm Up;
- 12x 25m Drill;
- 6x 250m 30sec RI;
- 12x 50m on 1/2T+10sec;
- 200m Cool Down (3,400m)
Start the workout with a Warm Up covering of 200m (Option A), 400m (Option B), or 600m (Option C). During the warm-up feel free to stop and stretch as needed. It doesn’t need to be a continuous swim.
Swim 25m doing an appropriate drill. Pause prior to conducting the next repetition for a total of eight reps (Options A and B) or twelve reps (Option C). The pause referred to above is a stop of about 10 seconds. It is a chance to grab a drink, review the programme and think about the next drill you will do. If you need 15-20 seconds or longer you are welcome to take it because the rest duration is not physiologically critical to the aim of this set. Having a short break is neurologically critical though, so make sure you do not just roll straight from one rep to the next.
A YouTube video of the drill can be found by clicking on the drill listed below, complete these drills twice through for a total of eight reps (Options A and B) or three times through (Option C):
Feel free to use some fins for this drill set, but do not forget to take them off at the end of it.
The next set involves four reps (Option A) or six reps (Options B and C) of 250m (ten lengths of a standard 25m pool). Take a 30-second Rest Interval (RI) between each rep.
The following set involves doing eight (Options A and B) or twelve (Option C) sprints of 50m. You need to have determined your T-Time for swimming. Use half of your T-Time plus 10 seconds as your ‘Go’ time to start each rep. Read more about it T-Times here. As you swim each rep, get faster and build your pace across each block of four reps.
Complete the workout with a 200m Cool Down. Feel free to pause and stretch when needed and/or include stretching as part of each break until the distance is covered.
If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi Coaching.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.
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If you enjoyed this workout, I published a similar session 12 months ago.
Saturday Swim Session: 200m Paddles
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