7 years ago a friend and I drew up blue prints for a model for sharing video clips of swimmers. Clips like these were exactly our desire.
Using these with swimmers, where I have been able to stream a sample clip, I have found it highly effective.
Showing a swimmer what to do in a video clip is far better than my trying to demonstrate poolside, better even than getting swimmers out of the pool to watch someone who can do it.
An 11 year old after half an hour of struggling to follow through my instructions and drills to fix her breaststroke kick asked me ‘why aren’t my legs friends?’
I use a variety of drills for FC and always love trying new ones. This from GoSwim is brilliant as it is so effective – even more so with my Grade 5 swimmers age 8-11 than young teens.
The swimmer does 8 kicks then a single arm pull. Then 8 kicks and the other arm.
A Masters Swimmer describes it as catch-up slowed down – but I hate catch-up as a drill because the hands tend to be brought above the head rathe than at shoulder width.
| Phase | Activity | TRT/Rest | Dist: | Dur: | Total |
| W/U | 3 x 100m as:
1 x 100m FC, 1 x 100m BC, 1 x 100 BR FC: Eyes looks DOWN. Hips at same level as head. Steady flutter kick. BC: Eyes look straight UP. Hips up. Steady flutter kick. BR: Head and shoulders low on the water. Inhale fast, extended streamlined glide. |
30” after each 200m | 300 | 8 | 8 |
| MAIN | 3 x 100 @ FC Steady pace | 2:30 | 200 /500 | 8 | 16 |
| EASY: 1 x 100m FC ‘Zip it Up’ Drill | 100/600 | 3 | 19 | ||
| 3 x 100m @ BC Steady pace | 2:30 | 200 /800 | 8 | 27 | |
| EASY: 1 x 100m BC ‘Slomo’ Drill | 100/900 | 3 | 30 | ||
| 3 x 100m @ BR Steady pace | 2:30 | 200/1100 | 8 | 38 | |
| EASY: 1 x 100m BR ‘Extended Glide’ Drill | 100/1200 | 3 | 41 | ||
| 8 x 25m CH Sprint | 1:00 | 200/1400 | 8 | 49 | |
| S/D | 3 x 150m as:
1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 50m Arms Only, 1 x 50 Swim. |
450/1850 | 11 | 60+ | |
| 1850m |
A sessions that ran like clockwork. They particularly liked the REST built in four times during the session.
| Phase | Activity | Target | TRT/Rest | Dist: | Dur: | Total |
| W/U | 3 x 200m (all slow and easy) as:
1 x 200m FC as 1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 150m Swim (rest after 200m) 1 x 200m BC as 1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 150m Swim (rest after 200m) 1 x 200m BR ‘Extended Glide’ drill. |
15” after each 200m | 600 | 14 | 14 | |
| MAIN | 4 x 75 @ FC | 1:05 | 1:30 | 300 /900 | 6 | 20 |
| EASY: 1 x 100m FC ‘Zip it Up’ Drill | 100/1000 | 2 | 22 | |||
| 4 x 75m @ BC | 1:10 | 1:45 | 300 /1300 | 7 | 29 | |
| EASY: 1 x 100m BC ‘Slomo’ Drill | 200/1500 | 3 | 32 | |||
| 4 x 75m @ BR | 1:15 | 2:00 | 300/1800 | 7 | 36 | |
| EASY: 1 x 100m BR ‘Extended Glide’ Drill | 100/1900 | 3 | 39 | |||
| 4 x 25m @ FLY | 0:25 | 1:00 | 100/2000 | 4 | 43 | |
| Old English Backstroke to the Deep End | 2 | 45 | ||||
| STARTS, TURNS, FINISHES | ||||||
| Block start to 12.5m, Turn from 12.5m to wall and back, Finish.
IM ORDER |
200/2200 | 15 | 60 | |||
| S/D | 100/200m easy if time available | 2400m | 200/2400m | 60+ |
Having taken over 20 mins to complete a 14 minute warm up the swimmers were behind. Somehow they clawed it back over the next 20 minutes and completed the entire set.
Another set that for this Masters ‘Fitness Group’ C ran like clockwork. They covered all the ground.
| Phase | Activity | TRT/Rest | Dist: | Dur: | Total |
| W/U | 4 x 100m as: 1 x 100m FC, 1 x 100m BC (x2)
FC: Eyes looks DOWN. Hips at same level as head. Steady flutter kick. BC: Eyes look straight UP. Hips up. Steady flutter kick. |
30” after each 100m | 400 | 12 | 12 |
| REST | 1 | 13 | |||
| MAIN | 2 x 100m FC Steady Pace: Emphasis = High Elbow. | 3:00 | 200 /600 | 6 | 19 |
| EASY: 1 x 100m FC ‘Zip it Up’ Drill | 100/700 | 3 | 22 | ||
| REST | 1 | 23 | |||
| 2 x 100m BC Steady Pace: Emphasis = Rotate Shoulder | 3:00 | 200 /900 | 6 | 29 | |
| EASY: 1 x 100m BC ‘Slomo’ Drill | 100/1000 | 3 | 32 | ||
| REST | 1 | 33 | |||
| 2 x 100m BR Steady Pace : Emphasis = Steady Head, Long Glide | 3:00 | 200/1200 | 6 | 39 | |
| EASY: 1 x 100m BR ‘Extended Glide’ Drill | 100/1300 | 3 | 42 | ||
| REST | 1 | 43 | |||
| S/D | 2 x 150m CH as:
1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 50m Arms Only, 1 x 50 Swim. |
150m | 300/1600 | 11 | 54+ |
| 1600m |
| Phase | Activity | TRT/Rest | Dist: | Dur: | Total |
| W/U | 2 x 200m as:
1 x 200m FC as 1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 150m Swim (rest after 200m) |
15” after each 200m | 400 | 12 | 12 |
| MAIN | 4 x 50m @ FC 80% Effort | 1:45 | 200
/600 |
7 | 19 |
| 4 x 50m @ BC 80% Effort | 2:00 | 200
/800 |
8 | 27 | |
| 2 x 100m as:
1 x 100m FC ‘Zip it Up’ Drill 1 x 100m BC ‘Slomo’ Drill |
3:00 | 200
/1000 |
6 | 33 | |
| 4 x 50m @ BR 80% Effort | 2:15 | 200
/1200 |
9 | 42 | |
| 2 x 100m as:
1 x 100m BR ‘3 kicks, 1 Pull’ 3K1P 1 x 100m FC ‘Catch Up’ Drill |
3:00 | 200
/1400 |
6 | 48 | |
| S/D | 200m + (‘til end) CH Easy, long, smooth, silent swimming | 200
/1600 |
6 | 54+ |
Based on a diluted version of the B Fitness Session (itself a diluted version of the A1 Competitive session).
5 x 50m FC swam in o:56 so 1:45 Turn Around Time about right.
4 50m BC on 1:17 so 2:00 about right too
6 minutes was gained for resting during the session but there was exactly this margin left when they got to the S/D.
| Phase | Activity | TRT/Rest | Dist: | Dur: | Total |
| W/U | 2 x 200m as:
1 x 200m FC as 1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 150m Swim (rest after 200m) |
15” after each 200m | 400 | 8 | 8 |
| MAIN | 4 x 75m @ FC 80% Effort | 1:30 | 300
/700 |
6 | 14 |
| 4 x 75m @ BC 80% Effort | 1:45 | 300
/1000 |
7 | 21 | |
| 2 x 100m as:
1 x 100m FC ‘Zip it Up’ Drill 1 x 100m BC ‘Slomo’ Drill |
2:15 | 200
/1200 |
5 | 26 | |
| 4 x 75m @ BR 80% Effort | 2:00 | 300
/1500 |
8 | 34 | |
| 2 x 100m as:
1 x 100m BR ‘3 kicks, 1 Pull’ 3K1P 1 x 100m FC ‘Catch Up’ Drill |
2:30 | 200
/1700 |
5 | 39 | |
| 8 x 25 CH Sprint | 1:00 | 200
/1900 |
8 | 47 | |
| S/D | 200m + (‘til end) CH Easy, long, smooth, silent swimming | 4:00 | 200
/2100 |
8 | 55+ |
This is a diluted version of the A1 plan for the same evening session. Distance covered is reduced to 2100m from 2700m. The Warm Up and Swim Down are reduced from 600m to 400m and 300m to 200m respectively.
Potentially increase the length of S/D given this age group and the need and benefits of a longer swim down.
TRT for the 4 x 75ms was increase by 15 seconds for each stroke.
Splits only available for the FC 1:15 so unsure how or whether to adjust the rest/
They were 3 minutes slower out of the warm up and gained more time on the BR 4 x 75m
By the last 15 minutes with the 8 x 25m CH sprints they were 6 minutes off schedule.
These were swum in 0:23 for FC.
However, there was enough margin to do a swim down in the 7 minutes remaining.
| Phase | Activity | TRT/Rest | Dist: | Dur: | Total |
| W/U | 2 x 200m as:
1 x 200m FC as 1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 150m Swim (rest after 200m) |
15” after each 200m | 400 | 10 | 10 |
| MAIN | 4 x 50m @ FC 80% Effort | 1:30 | 200
/600 |
6 | 16 |
| 4 x 50m @ BC 80% Effort | 1:45 | 200
/800 |
7 | 23 | |
| 2 x 100m as:
1 x 100m FC ‘Zip it Up’ Drill 1 x 100m BC ‘Slomo’ Drill |
2:30 | 200
/1000 |
5 | 28 | |
| 4 x 50m @ BR 80% Effort | 2:00 | 200
/1200 |
8 | 36 | |
| 2 x 100m as:
1 x 100m BR ‘3 kicks, 1 Pull’ 3K1P 1 x 100m FC ‘Catch Up’ Drill |
2:30 | 200
/1400 |
5 | 41 | |
| 8 x 25 CH Fast | 1:00 | 200
/1600 |
8 | 47 | |
| S/D | 200m + (‘til end) CH Easy, long, smooth, silent swimming | 4:00 | 200
/1800 |
8 | 55+ |
Based on a diluted version of the A1 Competitive Session Plan
This session went to plan, and even accommodated the two or more breaks to rest and chat that they like to take half way through. By the time of the 2 x 100ms we were 5 minutes off the schedule, but had exactly this level of margin in the S/D.
I could build in a 2 mins and 3 mins rest – but they will pick the moment to take this not me!
From this session plan for A1 Competitive three other sessions plans are worked up to cover a six lane Pool: A2 (Competitive), B Fitness and C Fitness. These are printed off in 24pt for the poolside, excluding Distance, Duration and Total.
| Phase | Activity | TRT/Rest | Dist: | Dur: | Total |
| W/U | 3 x 200m as:
1 x 200m FC as 1 x 50m Kick, 1 x 150m Swim (rest after 200m) |
15” after each 200m | 600 | 12 | 12 |
| MAIN | 4 x 75 @ FC 80% Effort | 1:15 | 300
/900 |
5 | 17 |
| REST | 1 | 18 | |||
| 4 x 75m @ BC 80% Effort | 1:30 | 300
/1200 |
6 | 24 | |
| 2 x 100m as:
1 x 100m FC ‘Zip it Up’ Drill 1 x 100m BC ‘Slomo’ Drill |
2:15 | 200
/1400 |
5 | 29 | |
| 4 x 75m @ BR 80% Effort | 1:45 | 300
/1700 |
7 | 36 | |
| REST | 1 | 37 | |||
| 4 x 75m @ FLY ‘Single Arm Drill’ 70% Effort | 1:45 | 300
/2000 |
7 | 44 | |
| 2 x 100m as:
1 x 100m BR ‘3 kicks, 1 Pull’ 3K1P 1 x 100m FC ‘Catch Up’ Drill |
2:30 | 200
/2200 |
5 | 49 | |
| 8 x 25 CH Sprint | 0:30 | 200
/2400 |
4 | 53 | |
| S/D | 300m + (‘til end) CH Easy, long, smooth, silent swimming | 4:00 | 300
/2700 |
6 | 59+ |
For the A1 Competitive swimmers the splits were:
4 x 75m FC 1:07/1:08 giving them 7/8 seconds rest. Increase the TRT next time to 1:20 ?
4 x 75m BC 1:12/1:10 giving them 18/20 second rest. More than enough. So reduce?
4 x 75m BR 1:19/1:22 giving them 23/26 seconds rest. Reduce this or about enough?
4 x 75m Fly ‘Single Arm’ 1:22 giving them 23 seconds rest.
In both cases the 2 x 200m was rolled into a 400m without a rest. Necessary as they were getting behind on this session after 25 mins.
For a 2600m swim this came in at exactly 60 mins.
They did a 200m, not a 300m Swim Down.
Coaching and Teaching Swimming 