Workout Plans
Download the workout plan below, print it, laminate it or protect it under a plastic cover, and bring it with you to the swimming pool. This represents the minimum recommended. Advanced swimmers can double the workout distances. In months 2 and 3, continue increasing distance to 2km per weekday swims, and 3km on weekends. Increase relay distance from 50m to 100m.
Additional plans and workouts can be found at: www.swimsmooth.com, and Sara McClarty's excellent Master's Swim blog.
Additional plans and workouts can be found at: www.swimsmooth.com, and Sara McClarty's excellent Master's Swim blog.
| swimming_drills.pdf |
Basics about form
Read this article for tips about ideal alignment and form. The goal is to facilitate efficient and easy breathing, and reduce energy loss from inefficient thrashing. http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=2402
Recommended training aids
All workouts can be done without training aids, but you may find them more effective with the following tools (each item ranges between 6-12 Euros):
Types of drills
Breath control drills:
These are an important part of endurance training, and learning to control your breathing and use your oxygen efficiently during sprints or other high intensity swims. Typical drills are to breathe every second stroke, working up to breathing every 4th stroke, exhaling slowly with your face in the pool, and inhaling with the head to the side on the breath stroke. Do these on your own during your training, until you are comfortable breathing every 4th stroke while doing your speed work.
Strength Drills:
- Kick Drills: Done in sets of 25m using only your kick (any stroke). If you don’t have a kick board, keep both hands straight in front of you, upper arms at ear height, hands at 11 and 1 o’clock, to maintain proper balance and alignment. This drill can be done with fins for extra strength training.
- Fist Drills: Done in sets of 25m-50m. This is a freestyle (crawl) drill that concentrates on building arm strength and using your whole arm, not just your hands, to scoop water and propel you forward. Close your hands into a fist and swim crawl as you normally would. Concentrate on pushing water down and away from your body in a slight “S” curve. Arms do not make a “windmill” circular pattern, but rather pull down toward your torso and then out and away once they reach chest level. For a backstroke modification, focus on pushing the water down from shoulder to hips.
- Single Arm Drills: Done in sets of 25m per arm using crawl stroke. Complete the distance using one arm per 25m length. The opposing arm remains in neutral position, extended out in front of you. Concentrate on smooth pulling, with high elbows on exit, smooth entry, and maintaining body balance. Switch arms for the returning 25m. This builds arm strength and core strength, to improve balance and form. This drill can be done use a pull buoy to assist with alignment and balance and swim paddles to increase arm strength.
Balance and Form Drills:
- Arms-Up Drill: Done in sets of 25m, on your back. Using flutter kick, lie on your back with one hand extended 90 degrees from your body (i.e., straight up in the air). Use your other hand to scull at your side. Switch arms on the return. This drill strengthens your core and legs, which are essential for balance in the water, by removing on arm, and therefore one side of stabilization. Compensate for the shift in balance by keeping your back flat, your core tight, and using your legs for propulsion.
- Pull-Buoy Drills: Can be done in sets of 50-400m. Do sets of crawl using a pull-buoy to get your hips and legs into proper alignment. The pull-buoy helps those with low legs and sinking hips feel where the body should be positioned in the water, and the resulting improvement in breathing and pull efficiency. It is best to use the buoy in alternating sets of 50 or 100, using your back, butt, and core to pull yourself into proper position on the alternating sets. Count the number of strokes per length (each arm) taken to complete 3ach 25m. This number should decrease as your form and strength improve.
- Finger Trails/Catch-up: Done in sets of 50-100m, using crawl stroke. Elbows should be high as your arm exits the water. As your arm unfolds and hand moves toward re-entry, drag fingertips across the surface of the water. Complete the stroke with one arm before beginning the stroke with the opposite arm. This drill teaches arm height to extend your reach stroke, and therefore your pull power.
Speed Drills:
Sprints can be done from 25-100m. Start by doing 25m sprints followed by 25m slow to recover. Work up to completing sprints for 100m without stopping, with max 1 minute rest in between sets.
Endurance workouts
Ladders:
Ladders (also called pyramids) are stacked sets of increasing lengths up to a max length, and back down to starting length. Ladders are preceded by a warm up (2 x 50m) and followed by a cool down (4 x 25m). Try to integrate speed work into your ladders, such that the shortest distances are the slowest, and you increase in speed as you move up the ladder, and decrease speed as you move back down. Rests between sets should ideally be 30s, and not exceed 1 minute.
- Beginners Ladder: 1 x 25m; 1 x 50m; 1 x 75m; 1 x 75m; 1x 50m; 1 x 25m
- Intermediate Ladder: 1x 50m; 1 x 75; 1 x 100; 1 x 150; 1 x 150; 1 x 100; 1 x 75; 1 x 50
- Advanced Ladder: 1 x 50m; 1 x 75; 1 x 100; 1 x 150; 1 x 200; 1 x 200; 1 x 150; 1 x 100; 1 x 75; 1 x 50m
Endurance sets:
Endurance sets are basic longer distance sets designed to get you used to swimming without stopping, and requires focus on breathing technique and good form to sustain effort. Each are preceded by 2 x 50m warm up and followed by a 4 x 25m cool down.
- Beginners’ Endurance Sets: 8 x 100m
- Intermediates Endurance Sets: 5 X 400m
- Advanced Endurance Sets: 7 x 400m
General recommendations
Aim for 3 pool sessions per week, of at least 45minutes each. Workouts should combine endurance with other types of drills, as all are interlinked and the skills are mutually reinforcing.