Swim Session

Saturday Swim Session: Swim Drill to Improve Technique

Working on your technique is a great way to improve your performance and swim drills are a great way to enhance that. 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

  • 400m WU;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 100m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 100m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 200m CD (1,600m)

Option B

  • 400m WU;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 150m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 150m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 150m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 200m CD (2,250m)

Option C

  • 600m WU;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 8x 50m Drill;
  • 200m Easy swim focusing on Tech;
  • 200m CD (3,200m)

Start the workout with a Warm Up (WU) covering 400m (Options A and 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.

Next up is a drill set of eight 50m repetitions, where you do the drills below twice through. Feel free to use fins whilst doing the drill set. 

  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.

Following the set of drills take the fins off and complete 100m (Option A), 150m (Option B), or 200m (Option C) focusing on your technique.

The next set is another drill set of eight 50m repetitions, where you do the drills below twice through. Feel free to use fins whilst doing the drill set. 

  1. Kick On Side (KOS) left side 
  2. Kick On Side (KOS) right side 
  3. Popov
  4. Broken Arrow

As before after the set of drills take the fins off and complete 100m (Option A), 150m (Option B), or 200m (Option C) focusing on your technique.

If you are doing option A move to the Cool Down (CD), if you are doing Option B or C you complete more sets of the drills. The next set is another drill set of eight 50m repetitions, where you do the drills below twice through. Feel free to use fins whilst doing the drill set. 

  1. 6/1/6 
  2. 6/3/6
  3. Popov
  4. Broken Arrow

As before after the set of drills take the fins off and complete 150m (Option B) or 200m (Option C) focusing on your technique.

If you are doing Option B move onto the Cool Down (CD) at this point, whilst Option C does another set of drills. This time these drills again twice through for eight reps of 50m:

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

Prior to the Cool Down take your fins off and swim 200m focusing on technique.

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: 150 Paddles

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