Swim Programmes

Here are a few programmes you can use for the training you do in your own time if you are stuck for ideas. Every so often I shall post some updates.

Freestyle Sessions


Endurance

This programme requires some thinking for yourself (eek!) but is worth the effort. It is good to do for your general fitness and is a great workout for open water swimmers or for pool swimmers in their off season. It's an endurance swim disguised as a set of 100's. This breaks up the monotony of swimming mindlessly up and down. Your effort level will be around 75-85% effort and your rest will be 10 seconds between each 100. You should be able to do quite a long set this way. How many 100's depends on your level of swimming and how much time you have on your hands. 'Social' swimmers might do 7 or 8 x 100's, intermediate swimmers might do 10 or 12 and speedsters could do anything from 12 to 15 or even 20 x 100's.

• Start with a 400 warm up of choice
• do the main set as above, customised by yourself
• 8 x 50 kick, mix it up
• 200 ez warm down

Moderate

200 warm up of choice
200 Freestyle, catch up
8 x 25m Free on 40 distance per stroke. Aim to do 4 to 5 strokes per length less than you normally do.
8 x 50 Free on 1m 10
50 easy Back
4 x 75m Free on 1m 45
50 easy Back
500 Free - good steady pace between 80-90% effort
200 easy Backstroke warm down

     Total - 2100m

Hard

400m warm up of choice
200m Freestyle, catch up
8 x 25m Free on 30 distance per stroke. Aim to do 4 to 5 strokes per length less than you normally do.
8 x 50m Free on 50
50m easy Back
4 x 75m Free on 1m 15
4 x 100m Free on 1m 30
50 easy Back
1000 Free - good steady pace between 85-90% effort
200 easy Backstroke warm down


     Total - 3200m


Medley Sessions


Moderate - 1

300 warmup
200 one arm fly
12 x 50m on 1.15 done as:
    4 x 50 fly/back
    4 x 50 back/breast
    4 x 50 breast/free
100 easy free
3 x 100 IM on 2.30
400 kick choice
200 easy
   
     Total - 2000m


Moderate - 2

200m warm up of choice
200m Freestyle with closed fists
6 x 100m on 2m 20 rotating 100Fr, 100 Br, 100 Bk
8 x 50m on 1m 20 alternating 50m Br, 50m Bk
100m easy Free recovery
12 x 25m on 40s; odd lengths Fly, even lengths Freestyle
200m Free kick
200m easy Free warm down


     Total - 2200m

Hard -1

400 warm up
200 one arm fly
20 x 50m on 60 done as:
    5 x 50 fly/back
    5 x 50 back/breast
    5 x 50 breast/free
    5 x 50 free/fly
100 easy free
4 x 100 IM on 2m
20 x 25 Free on 30
200 easy warm down

     Total - 2800m

Hard - 2


400m warm up of choice
200m Freestyle with closed fists
12 x 100m on 1m 50 rotating 100 Fr, 100 Br, 100 Bk, 100 Fly
100 easy recovery, choice
12 x 50m on 1m 05 rotating 50 Fly, 50 Back, 50 Breast, 50 Free
100m easy Free recovery
12 x 25m on 30s, Freestyle
200m Free kick
100m easy Free warm down


     Total - 3200m