Swim Session

Saturday Swim Session: Swim Drill Session to Develop Technique

Developing your swim technique will set the upper limit of where your fitness can take you. Completing sets of swimming drills will develop your technique and efficiency. This session is perfect for Ironman and Olympic distance triathletes or people doing longer Ocean Swims.

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 WU;
  • 8x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
  • 150m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
  • 150m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 200m CD (1,500m)

Option B

  • 400m WU;
  • 8x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 200m CD (2,400m)

Option C

  • 800m WU;
  • 12x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 12x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 12x 50m (25m Drill/25m Swim);
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 200m CD (3,400m)

Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) covering 200m (Option A), 400m (Options B), or 800m (Option C). During the warm-up feel free to stop and stretch as needed.  It doesn’t need to be a continuous swim.

Next up is a drill set of eight (Options A and B) or twelve repetitions (Option C) of 50m Drill/Swim, where you do a drill for the first 25m of the repetition and then normal swimming for the next 25m swimming. Feel free to use fins whilst doing the drill/swim set.  Do the drills below twice through (Options A and B) or three times through to make twelve reps (Options C):

  1. Kick On Side (KOS) left side 
  2. Kick On Side (KOS) right side 
  3. 6/1/6 
  4. 6/3/6

I wrote an article about swimming drills previously. Click here to read and watch it.

The next set involves swimming 150m for Option A or 200m for Options B and C, nice and relaxed focusing on good technique (without the fins).

Repeat these two sets a total of two times for Option A, and three times for Options B and C.

For the Cool Down (CD) swim 200m. Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the cooldown (like the warm-up) can be any stroke you wish to swim.  You can also stop and rest after any length.  I encourage you to stop and stretch during the cool-down.

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: Broken 200’s

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