If you can improve your efficiency you will swim faster and longer more easily. This session utilises Swim Golf to improve your efficiency and 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.
I’ve written these sessions for a 33⅓ metre pool, but a lot of the older style pools are 33⅓ yards long (100 feet), simply interchange the metres for yards and do the session.
Option A
- 200m Warm Up;
- 6x 33m Drill;
- 6x 67m (33m Drill/33m Swim);
- 8x 67m Swim Golf 10sec RI;
- 6x 33m Drill;
- 200m Cool Down (1,733m)
Option B
- 400m Warm Up;
- 6x 33m Drill;
- 6x 67m (33m Drill/33m Swim);
- 8x 67m Swim Golf 10sec RI;
- 6x 33m Drill;
- 6x 67m (33m Drill/33m Swim);
- 200m Cool Down (2,333m)
Option C
- 800m WU;
- 12x 33m Drill;
- 12x 67m (33m Drill/33m Swim);
- 12x 67m Swim Golf 10sec RI;
- 12x 33m Drill;
- 12x 67m (33m Drill/33m Swim);
- 200m CD (3,467m)
Start the workout with a Warm Up covering of 200m, 400m, or 800m (A, B, or 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 six repetitions (Options A and B) or twelve repetitions (Option C) of a 33m Drill. Feel free to use fins whilst doing the drill set. Do the drills below once through for Options A and B and twice through for Option C:
I wrote an article about swimming drills previously. Click here to read and watch it.
Next up is a drill set of six repetitions (Options A and B) or twelve repetitions (Option C) of 67m Drill/Swim, where you do a drill for the first 33m of the repetition and then normal swimming for the next 33m swimming. Keep using your fins whilst doing the drill/swim set. Do the drills above once through for Options A and B and twice through for Option C:
After the set of drills takes the fins off.
The next set is the Golf set. It involves eight (Options A and B) or twelve (Option C) reps of 67m Swim Golf. During this set, you will need to count your strokes for each 67m rep. Time each rep and add the time (in seconds) to the number of strokes taken to complete to get a Golf Score. i.e. if it takes you 50 seconds and you take 50 strokes your Golf Score will be 100 (50 + 50). With each rep try and get a better Golf Score than the previous rep by either swimming more efficiently (without a drop in speed) or by swimming faster (and maintaining your efficiency). After each rep take a ten-second Rest Interval (RI).
Next up you will repeat the first drill set of either six (Options A and B) or twelve (Option C) reps. Then for Options B and C follow this up by repeating the Drill/Swim set of six (Option B) or twelve (Option C) reps.
Complete the workout with a 200m Cool Down. Feel free to pause and stretch when needed and/or include stretching as part of each break until the distance is covered.
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 previously.
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