Form Under Control is all about building reliable technique that holds together when you start to work harder. The drill-focused opening helps you switch on feel for the water, balance, and body position before progressing into controlled 100m efforts that challenge you to maintain good form under steady pressure. This is not a smash session — it’s about swimming with intention, staying smooth as the pace lifts, and reinforcing habits that carry over into triathlon and open-water racing.
Each Saturday I will post a Swim Session, and 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.
Read this article here for an explanation of Swim Intensity.
Option A
- 300 WU;
- 8x 50 Drill;
- 6x 100 20RI;
- 200 CD (1,500)
Option B
- 400 WU;
- 12x 50 Drill;
- 8x 100 20RI;
- 200 CD (2,000)
Option C
- 600 WU;
- 16x 50 Drill;
- 12x 100 20RI;
- 400 CD (3,000)
For the Warm Up (WU) start with 300m (Option A), 400m (Option B) or 600m (Option C) of mixed swimming, include a range of strokes. 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. There are eight (Option A), twelve (Option B), or sixteen (Option C) 50m Drill repetitions. Feel free to use fins whilst doing this set. Do the drills below twice through (Option A), three times through (Option B) or four times through (Option C):
The main set includes six (Option A), eight (Option B) or twelve (Option C) 100m reps all with a twenty-second Rest Interval (RI).
Complete the workout with a 200m (Options A & B) or 400m (Option C) Cool Down (CD). Unlike the previous sets which have to be freestyle, the Cool Down (CD) (like the Warm Up (WU)) 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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