Coach’s Intel: Michael Fleming of MYST Shares a Set to Build IM Speed

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer based out of Victoria, BC. In feeding his passion for swimming, he has developed YourSwimBook, a powerful log book and goal setting guide made specifically for swimmers. Sign up for the YourSwimBook newsletter (free) and get weekly motivational tips by clicking here.

In today’s Coach’s Intel, Michael Fleming of the McGaw YMCA Swim Team shares a set that is designed to help build IM speed and confidence in his swimmers, with a small bonus of a “set” that he has used to improve underwater dolphin work of his athletes. This is the third year Michael has been head coach with MYST. He is an ASCA Level 3 coach, and has sent numerous swimmers to finals at YMCA Nationals.

Here are his two sets:

Set 1

Standard warmup followed by a kick and drill set for about 1500-2000 yards:

Main set:

4 x

3 x 50 – 1^st on :40 – 2^nd on :50 – 3^rd on 1:00

[Looking for the 50s to be at 200 pace –climb out after 3rd]

1 x 175 as 25 fly/50 back/50 breast/50 free from a dive – goal is how far under 200 IM you can be

1 x 100 recovery

The goal of this set is to get the heart rates up a little bit with the 50s and then challenge them to be as fast as they can on the IM’s.  When a swimmer is able to go fast under these type of settings I believe it helps them bring a confidence with them to meets and a belief they will be able to swim fast.

We would follow that up with a long pull set – maybe 2000 yards just working on stroke length.

“Set” 2

One other thing we have started doing and we have been ending a lot of practices with it and the kids love it–

The 25 IM.

Swimmers from a dive can go as far as they want underwater – but must complete one stroke cycle of Fly/Back/Breast/Free before reaching the other side – no more and no less.

What I have found is that they must get to about the 15 meter mark to be able to complete all four cycles in the 25, and they absolutely love racing these.  So even my worst underwater dolphin kickers are trying as best they can to make it to the 15 meter mark as fast as they can.  It has done more for our under-waters than anything else I have tried over the years.

Here is a video of one I took at practice awhile ago:

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