Daily Archives: January 2, 2012

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Workouts off the beaten path: January 2-6, 2012

JANUARY 2-6, 2012

MONDAY:  DISTANCE FREE/PACE

WARM-UP-
200 swim
200 pull
200 kick

MAIN SET-
2nd swim faster than 1st in each set:

2 x 400 @ 7:00 or r=40

2 x 300 @ 5:15 or r=30

2 x 200 @ 3:30 or r=20

2 x 100 @ 1:45 or r=15

SCULL SET-
12 x 25 @ r=5
-25 scull/25 glide stroke/25 pull

COOL-DOWN-
100 swim

TOTAL = 3000

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TUESDAY:  STROKE AND/OR IM

WARM-UP-
300 swim

MAIN SET-
4 x through (1 round each stroke, IM order):

2 x 25 kick @ 45 or r=15

2 x 50 [25 drill/25 swim] @ 1:15 or r=15

2 x 100 swim @ 2:15 or r=30
-round 1:  25 fly/25 free/25 fly/25 free
-round 2:  25 back/25 free/25 back/25 free
-round 3:  25 breast/25 fr/25 breast/25 free
-round 4:  100 IM

2 x 100 pull @ 1:45 or r=15
-freestyle breathing 3/5 by 25’s

extra 30 seconds rest between rounds

COOL-DOWN-
100 swim

TOTAL = 2600

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WEDNESDAY:  MIDDLE DISTANCE FREE/PACE

WARM-UP-
300 swim

WARM-UP SET-
8 x 25 scull with freestyle kick @ r=5

MAIN SET-
Swim as one continuous set:

1 x 300 pull @ 5:15 or r=45

2 x 150 swim @ 2:45 or r=20

4 x 75 kick @ 2:00 or r=30

6 x 50 swim @ 1:00 or r=15

4 x 75 kick @ 2:00 or r=30

2 x 150 swim @ 2:45 or r=20

1 x 300 pull @ 5:15 or r=45

DRILL SET-
8 x 25 choice of drills @ 45 or r=15

COOL-DOWN-
200 easy swim

TOTAL = 3000

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THURSDAY:  STROKE AND/OR IM

WARM-UP-
200 swim
200 kick
200 pull

SET A-
12 x 50 @ 1:10 or r=20
-swim in sets of 3, descend times 1-3
-choose one or two strokes

RECOVERY-
200 swim

SET B-
8 x 50 @ 1:05 or r=15
-swim in sets of 4, descend times 1-4
-choose one or two strokes

RECOVERY-
200 swim

SET C-
4 x 50 @ 1:00 or r=10
-negative split
-choose one or two strokes

RECOVERY-
200 swim

SET D-
4 x 25 @ 30 or r=5
-choose one stroke

COOL-DOWN-
200 swim

TOTAL = 2700

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FRIDAY:  SPRINT FREE/SPEED

WARM-UP-
400 choice

WARM-UP SET-
8 x 25 build @ r=10

SPEED SET A-
8 x 100 swim @ 1:50 or r=20
#1/#5:  push 4th 25
#2/#6:  push 3rd 25
#3/#7:  push 2nd 25
#4/#8:  push 1st 25

RECOVERY-
200 pull:  breathe every 3rd stroke

SPEED SET B-
4 x 100 swim @ 2:00 or r=30
-push 2nd 50
-push middle 50
-push 1st 50
-push 1st and 4th 25’s

RECOVERY-
200 pull:  breathe every 3rd stroke

SPEED SET C-
4 x 50 swim @ 1:00 or r=15
-push 4th 12.5
-push 3rd 12.5
-push 2nd 12.5
-push 1st 12.5

COOL-DOWN-
100 choice

TOTAL = 2500

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1 2 2012_distance_free_pace

1 3 2012_IM

1 4 2012_mid_distance_free_pace

1 5 2012_stroke

1 6 2012_sprint_free_speed

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Hello world!

Welcome to Workouts off the beaten path!  These workout plans will be aerobic-based, focused on technique and swimming with maximum efficiency, include a variety of strokes, sculls, and drills, and will allow you to log yardage in creative ways.

Swimmers can expect the following:

•    Aerobic-based, year-round training, 5 practices per week (5 workouts posted each Friday or Saturday afternoon).
•    Attention to technique and swimming with maximum efficiency.
•    2500-3000 short course meters or yards per workout and taking about 1 hour to complete.
•    General weekly plan:  Mondays – distance freestyle and pacing focus; Tuesdays – stroke and/or IM focus; Wednesdays – middle distance freestyle and pacing focus; Thursdays – strokes and/or IM focus; Fridays – sprint freestyle and speed focus.

My background:  I am the head coach of Columbia-Willamette Swimming, a small age-group team located in Portland, Oregon.  We swim at Allstar Fitness (formerly the Metro YMCA) in downtown Portland.  I have coached since 1986 and competed in masters swimming on and off for the past 15 years.  Please view my resume and coaching philosophy for further background information.

I title my posts “Workouts off the beaten path” because I strive to design workouts that minimize boredom and maximize interest and focus.  As a former elite-level swimmer in the late 1970’s I swam plenty of meters and have no wish to re-live those workouts (11-13 practices per week, often 5-6000 meters per practice).

Four helpful documents for understanding my workout plans:  workout terminology by sjblack, sculls by sjblack, drills by sjblack, and pace chart explained by sjblack.  These will be updated as needed.  Please email me if you have questions and/or comments about the workouts (sjblack@letterboxes.org).

All the best for a great 2012!  I look forward to offering you new ways to log more yards in the pool.