closed fists and then open your hands;
this gives you the dynamic feedback from
the higher elbow pull that will help make
the technique change stay.
• Min-max 50s: This set is a great way to
integrate technique work and find the
best balance of stroke rate and length.
Simply count your strokes for a 50 and
take your time. Add the two numbers and
play with speed and distance per stroke to
find the lowest combined (strokes plus
time) number.
Here is how to do it:
• Warm-up 300 mix
• 4 x 50 Catch-up drill
• 4 x 50 Kick on side drill
• 4 x 50 Fist drill
• 10 x 50 Min-max drill
(Take 15 seconds rest after each 50)
• 200 cool-down
Workout No. 2: Endurance builder
Simply find a distance that takes you
between five and eight minutes to swim. For
example, let’s say that this distance is 500
meters. Complete three swims of this distance, descending the time on each swim (so
the second 500 faster than the first and the
third faster than the second).
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
…
Including a number of key training ses-
sions during the off-season allows you to
maintain and even improve your form in the
pool
Drills are only useful if they are performed
properly and deliberately
The “perfect” technique is a myth. Look at
any final heat at any swim meet and notice all
the technique differences. In short, find your
own “perfect” stroke
Here is how to do it:
• Warm-up 300 mix
• 2 x 50 Catch-up drill
• 2 x 50 Kick on side drill
• 2 x 50 Fist drill
• 3 x 500 descending with 30 seconds
rest after each 500
• 200 cool-down
Workout No. 3: Speed booster
There are a few things that make swimming very different from running and biking. One is that body position changes drastically when you go at lower (notice the use
of the word “lower” as opposed to “slower”)
speeds. Lots of laps at very low speeds lull a
swimmer into getting comfortable with a
poor body position. This is why many
coaches have their athletes use fins for drill
sets, since fins allow the swimmers to maintain both speed and an efficient body position. Bear this in mind in the following key
workout outlined below.
Here is how to do it:
• Warm-up 300
• 2 x 50 Catch-up drill
• 2 x 50 Kick on side drill
• 2 x 50 Fist drill
• 10 x 25 on 20 seconds rest. Fast turnover
for the first eight strokes, then easy the
remainder of the 25
• 500-1000 easy, aerobic swim
• 10 x 50 building speed on each 50. Begin
with very long, easy strokes and progress to
faster and more powerful strokes
• 200 cool-down
Steve Tarpinian is the creator of the
Swimpower and Yoga for Endurance Athletes
DVDs, the author of Swimming for
Triathlons and a keynote speaker on swimming and triathlons worldwide. For more,
please visit TTUniversity.com.
