SwimSwam’s daily swimming workout series is a collection of workouts written by coaches from a variety of backgrounds. All daily swimming workouts have been written using Commit Swimming. The workouts themselves are not indicative of SwimSwam’s or Commit’s views on training. They strictly reflect the opinions of the author swim coach.
Workout Context
- Purpose: Base building
- Target age group: 9-12 years old, 13-14 years old, 15-18 years old
- Target level: Age Group (Advanced), Senior Age Group/ High School State Level, National/ Collegiate Level
- Weeks until target meet: 3 weeks
- Team Location: United States
- Course: 25 Yards
- Shared workout link: Click here to view this workout on commitswimming.com
The Workout
#1WaterbendersA
3:00 Snorkel Free IN6 [Ignore some of the intensity numbers, they are just to program the index, do what the words say]
12:00 Off the Wall Drills IN6 [3:00 swim your choice of Stroke with a Plunge and ride to float pushoff, notice the resistance with different tension levels and shapes you put your body in, what muscles your flex or don’t flex, how does what you do with the INSIDE of your body affect how easily you slide through the water? Do a slow motion balanced floaty freestyle to the other end and repeat, 3:00 now decide what was the best form for the inside and outside of your body and this time do the exercise with some speed. Ride that speed through the transition to the surface, do you feel the buoyancy change as you break to the top of the water? If something changes on the outside, you need to adjust something on the INSIDE of your body through this transition to maintain balance and speed, 3:00 now same thing but with more speed and add underwater kicking and 3 breakout strokes, choice, and the goal is to avoid resistance in the different environments under, at and above the surface of the water, 3:00 each length is half fast half easy, your choice of stroke, put it all together and pattern what you want to have happen in a RACE]
3:00
6x [Emphasis is on the walls and pushoff speed to breakout speed]
1x 25 on :30 IN7 IN12 [First 10 is FAST, the rest is easy]
1x 50 on 1:00 IN8 IN12 [First 35 is FAST, the rest is easy]
1x 75 on 1:20 IN9 IN12 [First 60 is FAST, the rest is easy]
1x 100 on 1:40 IN10 IN12 [First 85 is FAST, the rest is easy]
3:00 [Paddles and Fins On]
1x with Paddles and Fins
1x 200 on 2:30 IN9 Smooth AVOID RESISTANCE
2x 100s on 1:20 IN9 [Smooth -> Build <- Smooth -> FAST <-]
5x 100s on 1:25 IN10 [#1 1st length fast, the rest is IN8, #2 2nd length is fast, the rest is IN8, #3 the 3rd length is fast, the rest is IN8, #4 is the 4th length is fast, the rest is easy, #5 is ALL FAST]
10x 50s on 1:00 IN6 IN12 [Odds Easy -> FAST <-, Evens FAST <- Easy <-]
16x 25s on :30 From a Float Under the Flags, IN6 IN12 [Odds Easy Evens FAST]
3:00 [Toys Off]
3x
4x 25s UWDK then Back on :30 IN10 [Emphasis on the UWDK speed and snap, then consistent aggressive turnover based on a quick and strong CATCH and foot speed. ‘Juggle’ your turnover from the inside]
4x 50s Back on 1:00 IN12 [HUGE UWDKs for power and speed off both walls but especially the TURN and then set a high and still body position and hold it steady through the swim]
3:00 [Paddles and Buoys On]
3x [Paddles and Buoys]
1x 300 on 4:00 IN10 [Fewer Strokes on the 2nd 100 than the 1st]
2x 75s on 1:10 IN11 Paddles Only NO Buoy [Use the pull that was working and SUPPORT the pull with your kick, use your kick to make your overall stroke stronger, do not dump your pull, and do not NOT add your legs, find the overall system and fire energy through it throughout]
#1WaterbendersB
3:00 Snorkel Free IN6 [Ignore some of the intensity numbers, they are just to program the index, do what the words say]
12:00 Off the Wall Drills IN6 [3:00 swim your choice of Stroke with a Plunge and ride to float pushoff, notice the resistance with different tension levels and shapes you put your body in, what muscles your flex or don’t flex, how does what you do with the INSIDE of your body affect how easily you slide through the water? Do a slow motion balanced floaty freestyle to the other end and repeat, 3:00 now decide what was the best form for the inside and outside of your body and this time do the exercise with some speed. Ride that speed through the transition to the surface, do you feel the buoyancy change as you break to the top of the water? If something changes on the outside, you need to adjust something on the INSIDE of your body through this transition to maintain balance and speed, 3:00 now same thing but with more speed and add underwater kicking and 3 breakout strokes, choice, and the goal is to avoid resistance in the different environments under, at and above the surface of the water, 3:00 each length is half fast half easy, your choice of stroke, put it all together and pattern what you want to have happen in a RACE]
3:00
6x [Emphasis is on the walls and pushoff speed to breakout speed]
1x 25 on :30 IN7 IN12 [First 10 is FAST, the rest is smooth]
1x 50 on 1:00 IN8 IN12 [First 35 is FAST, the rest is smooth]
1x 75 on 1:20 IN9 IN12 [First 60 is FAST, the rest is smooth]
1x 100 on 1:40 IN10 IN12 [First 85 is FAST, the rest is smooth]
3:00 [Paddles and Fins On]
1x with Paddles and Fins
1x 150 on 2:10 IN9 Smooth AVOID RESISTANCE
2x 100s on 1:30 IN9 [Smooth -> Build <- Smooth -> FAST <-]
5x 100s on 1:30 IN10 [#1 1st length fast, the rest is IN8, #2 2nd length is fast, the rest is IN8, #3 the 3rd length is fast, the rest is IN8, #4 is the 4th length is fast, the rest is easy, #5 is ALL FAST]
10x 50s on 1:00 IN6 IN12 [Odds Easy -> FAST <-, Evens FAST <- Easy <-]
16x 25s on :30 From a Float Under the Flags, IN6 IN12 [Odds Easy Evens FAST]
3:00 [Toys Off]
3x
4x 25s UWDK then Back on :30 IN10 [Emphasis on the UWDK speed and snap, then consistent aggressive turnover based on a quick and strong CATCH and foot speed. ‘Juggle’ your turnover from the inside]
4x 50s Back on 1:05 IN12 [HUGE UWDKs for power and speed off both walls but especially the TURN and then set a high and still body position and hold it steady through the swim]
3:00 [Paddles and Buoys On]
3x [Paddles and Buoys]
1x 200 on 3:10 IN10 [Fewer Strokes on the 2nd 100 than the 1st]
2x 75s on 1:10 IN11 Paddles Only NO Buoy [Use the pull that was working and SUPPORT the pull with your kick, use your kick to make your overall stroke stronger, do not dump your pull, and do not NOT add your legs, find the overall system and fire energy through it throughout]
#1WB10Thunder
3:00 Snorkel Free IN6 [Ignore some of the intensity numbers, they are just to program the index, do what the words say]
12:00 Off the Wall Drills IN6 [3:00 swim your choice of Stroke with a Plunge and ride to float pushoff, notice the resistance with different tension levels and shapes you put your body in, what muscles your flex or don’t flex, how does what you do with the INSIDE of your body affect how easily you slide through the water? Do a slow motion balanced floaty freestyle to the other end and repeat, 3:00 now decide what was the best form for the inside and outside of your body and this time do the exercise with some speed. Ride that speed through the transition to the surface, do you feel the buoyancy change as you break to the top of the water? If something changes on the outside, you need to adjust something on the INSIDE of your body through this transition to maintain balance and speed, 3:00 now same thing but with more speed and add underwater kicking and 3 breakout strokes, choice, and the goal is to avoid resistance in the different environments under, at and above the surface of the water, 3:00 each length is half fast half easy, your choice of stroke, put it all together and pattern what you want to have happen in a RACE]
3:00
6x [Emphasis is on the walls and pushoff speed to breakout speed]
1x 25 on :35 IN7 IN12 [First 10 is FAST, the rest is smooth]
1x 50 on 1:05 IN8 IN12 [First 35 is FAST, the rest is smooth]
1x 75 on 1:25 IN9 IN12 [First 60 is FAST, the rest is smooth]
1x 100 on 1:50 IN10 IN12 [First 85 is FAST, the rest is smooth]
3:00 [Paddles and Fins On]
1x with Paddles and Fins
2x 100s on 1:45 IN9 [Smooth -> Build <- Smooth -> FAST <-]
5x 100s on 1:45 IN10 [#1 1st length fast, the rest is IN8, #2 2nd length is fast, the rest is IN8, #3 the 3rd length is fast, the rest is IN8, #4 is the 4th length is fast, the rest is easy, #5 is ALL FAST]
8x 50s on 1:00 IN6 IN12 [Odds Easy -> FAST <-, Evens FAST <- Easy <-]
16x 25s on :35 From a Float Under the Flags, IN6 IN12 [Odds Easy Evens FAST]
3:00 [Toys Off]
3x
4x 25s UWDK then Back on :35 IN10 [Emphasis on the UWDK speed and snap, then consistent aggressive turnover based on a quick and strong CATCH and foot speed. ‘Juggle’ your turnover from the inside]
3x 50s Back on 1:10 IN12 [HUGE UWDKs for power and speed off both walls but especially the TURN and then set a high and still body position and hold it steady through the swim]
3:00 [Paddles and Buoys On]
3x [Paddles and Buoys]
1x 150 on 3:00 IN10 [Fewer Strokes on the 2nd 100 than the 1st]
2x 75s on 1:20 IN11 Paddles Only NO Buoy [Use the pull that was working and SUPPORT the pull with your kick, use your kick to make your overall stroke stronger, do not dump your pull, and do not NOT add your legs, find the overall system and fire energy through it throughout]
Coach Notes
The swim coach was asked to define any shorthand he or she used in this workout. Their notes should provide some additional context to this swimming workout.
IN is the intensity level expected on a 1-12 scale, 12 means sprinting all out, 8 is aerobic, etc. UWDk is Underwater Dolphin Kick. -> means ‘on the way down’ <- means 'on the way back' There are three levels of this practice in here, A, B and Thunder (A is older high school kids, B is 11-14 ish and Thunder is the 10&Under Thunder), just different versions of the same themes.
Megan Oesting
Owner / Head Coach, Eastern Iowa Swim Federation
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