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Advanced Swimming training:

Glossary of terms:

FC = Front Crawl, Fly = Butterfly, Breast = Breaststroke, Back = Backstroke

IM = Individual Medley, i.e. 1 length fly, 1 length back, 1 length breast, 1 length FC. e.g. 100m IM = 1 length on each stroke continuously; 16 x 25m IM = 1 length on each stroke 4 times through breaking at every 25m for a rest.

Breathing 2,3,4,5 = 1 length breathing every 2 strokes, followed by 1 length breathing every 3 strokes, followed by 1 length every 4 strokes etc..

Kicking = arms should be extended in front, hands clasped. This is more effective if done without a kick board, but if you feel that you need to use one do so.

Arms Only = do not use your legs. If you have access to pullboays use them. It will alleviate pressure on your lower spin and hold you in a better position in the water.

Catch-up = FC start with extended left arm, the right arm moves round and when it 'catches-up' i.e. gets to the same position as the left, it stops and then the left arm starts moving. This involves kicking hard.

Drills = for example, one arm only for three strokes and then switch arm for the next three strokes.

Warm Up & Swim Down = concentrate on style rather than speed, include a stretch.

Session 1:

Warm Up - 100m FC

100m Back

100m Breast

100m FC

Main Set - 1 x 400m FC 5 secs rest after each 100m

breath holding 2,3,4,5 each 100m

4 x 25m FC Kick 10 secs rest

Swim Down - 1 x 200m easy (1100m)

Session 2:

Warm Up - 400m own choice

Main Set - 2 x 200m own choice 30 secs rest

1 x 200m own choice arms only

Swim Down - 1 x 200m easy (1200m)

Session 3:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m: 100m FC, 100m Own choice, 200m catch-up

Main Set - 4 x 100m arms only FC 10 secs rest broken down into;

1st 100m straight

2nd 100m broken at 75m for 5 secs

3rd 100m broken at 50m for 5 secs

4th 100m broken at 25m for 5 secs

8 x 25m sprint 2 x 25m on all 4 strokes 10 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (1200m)

Session 4:

Warm Up - 400m own choice

Main Set - 8 x 50m Kick alternate 25m fly, 25m FC 15 secs rest

200m catch-up

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (1200m)

Session 5:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m: 100m FC, 100m Catch-up, 100m Kick, 100m own choice.

Main Set - 4 x 150 FC or fly 30 secs rest

50m Kick

50m arms only

50m full stroke

8 x 25m sprint FC 20 secs rest;   no breathing last 10 strokes of each length.

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy. (1400m)

Session 6:

Warm Up - 400m own choice

Main Set - 8 x 25m fly 30 secs rest

4 x 100m catch-up 30 secs rest

8 x 25 fly 30 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (1400m)

Session 7:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m: 100m FC, 100m Kick, 100m arms only, 100m own choice.

Main Set - 4 x 100m IM 30 secs rest (i.e., 25m fly, 25m back, 25m breast, 25m FC & then rest for 30)

4 x 50m IM Kick 20 secs rest (i.e., 50m kick on each stroke)

200m catch-up

Warm Down - 1 x 200 easy (1400m)

Session 8:

Warm Up - 400m own choice

Main Set - 1 x 200m FC 30 secs rest

2 x 100m fly kick 30 secs rest

4 x 50m FC arms only 20 secs rest

8 x 25m own choice sprint 10 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (1400m)

Session 9:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m: 100m breast, 200m catch-up, 100m own choice.

Main Set - 8 x 25m FC or fly Kick 10 secs rest

4 x 50m 25m FC, 25m own choice 15 secs rest

2 x 100m FC breathing 2,3,4,5 each 100m 20 secs rest

1 x 200m IM (i.e. 50m on each stroke continuously)

1 x 50m Arms only own choice

1 x 50m Kick own choice

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (1500m)

Session 10:

Warm Up - 400m own choice

Main Set - 4 x 200m 30 secs rest

1st 100m FC breathing every 2,3,4,5

2nd 100m FC straight

1 x 100m Kick own choice

Warm Down - 1 x 200 easy (1500m)

Session 11:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m: 100m back, 100m breast, 100m kick, 100m FC

Main Set - 4 x 50m FC 20 secs rest (hold breath for last 10 strokes of 50m)

2 x 100m FC 30 secs rest

4 x 50m kick alternate 50m FC, 50m fly, 20 secs rest

2 x 50m Arms only FC 20 secs rest

4 x 50m own choice 20 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (1700m)

Session 12:

Warm Up - 400m own choice

Main Set - 4 x 100m catch-up 20 secs rest

2 x 200m FC 30 secs rest

4 x 100m IM 20 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (1800m)

Session 13:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m: 100m FC, 200m own choice, 100m catch-up.

Main Set - 300m kick own choice

4 x 100m kick alternate 25m FC, 25m fly 20 secs rest

8 x 50m FC kick 15 secs rest

8 x 25 FC arms only 10 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (1900m)

Session 14:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m: 200m FC, 200m own choice

Main Set - 8 x 25m breast arms only 20 secs rest

1 min rest

8 x 25m FC breathing 2,3,4,5 each 100m 15 secs rest

1 min rest

8 x 25m FC arms only 15 secs rest

1 min rest

8 x 25m breast 15 secs rest

1 x 100m catch-up 30 secs rest

1 x 200m breast 30 secs rest

1 x 200m FC 30 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy back stroke (1900m)

Session 15:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m own choice

Main Set - 4 x 100m FC arms only 15 secs rest

1st 100m straight

2nd 100m broken at 75m for 5 secs

3rd 100m broken at 50m for 5 secs

4th 100m broken at 25m for 5 secs

1 min rest

4 x 100m FC 15 secs rest

1st 100m broken 25m for 5 secs

2nd 100m broken 50m for 5 secs

3rd 100m broken 75m for 5 secs

4th 100m broken 75m for 5 secs

1 min rest

4 x 100m Breast 30 secs rest

2 x 100m Back 30 secs rest

1 x 100m IM

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (2100m)

Session 16:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m: 100m FC, 100m breast, 100m back, 100m catch-up.

Main Set - 4 x 100m IM 30 secs rest

16 x 25m IM sprints (25m on each stroke 4 x through) 5 secs rest

2 x 100 FC kick 15 secs rest

2 x 100 breast kick 15 secs rest

1 x 100m FC

2 x 50m own choice 10 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 300m easy (2100m)

Session 17:

Warm Up - 1 x 200m FC 20 secs rest

1 x 200m FC legs only 20 secs rest

1 x 200m Back swim

Main Set - 1 x 100m FC 30 secs rest

2 x 100m FC 25 secs rest

1 x 200m FC catch-up 30 secs rest

2 x 100m FC 20 secs rest

1 x 100m FC 15 secs rest

1 x 150m FC Drills 15 secs rest

1 x 100m FC arms only 10 secs rest

1 x 100m FC kick 10 secs rest

4 x 25m FC sprints on 45 secs

Warm Down - 1 x 100m choice. (2200m)

Session 18:

Warm Up - 1 x 200m own choice

1 x 200m FC drills

1 x 200m FC catch-up

1 x 200m breast

Main Set - 4 x 50m FC kick 15 secs rest

4 x 50m fly kick 15 secs rest

4 x 50m FC arms only 15 secs rest

4 x 50m full stroke own choice 15 secs rest

4 x 50m Breast arms 20 secs rest

4 x 50m Back arms 20 secs rest

4 x 25m fly or breast 15 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (2300m)

Session 19:

Warm Up - 400m own choice

Main Set - 4 x 200m FC 30 secs rest

1st 100m breathing 2,3,4,5

2nd 100m straight

4 x 100m back 30 secs rest

2 x 100m IM legs only 20 secs rest

2 x 100m IM arms only 20 secs rest

4 x 25m fly kick 15 secs rest

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy (2300m)

Session 20:

Warm Up - 1 x 200m FC

1 x 200m breast arms only

1 x 200m FC

1 x 200m breast arms only

Main Set - 4 x 100m FC 30 secs rest

4 x 100m FC 20 secs rest

2 x 100m FC 10 secs rest

4 x 50 fly single arm 20 secs rest

4 x 50m fly kick 20 secs rest

8 x 25m (1 x fly sprint 10 secs rest, 1 x FC sprint 10 secs rest, x 4)

Warm Down - 1 x 200m easy. (2600m)

Session 21:

Warm Up - 1 x 200m FC

1 x 200m FC arms only

1 x 200m FC kick

Main Set - 1 x 100m FC 30 secs rest

1 x 200m FC 20 secs rest

2 x 400m FC 15 secs rest

1 x 200m FC 20 secs rest

1 x 100m FC 30 secs rest

2 x 100m IM kick 15 secs rest

1 x 50m (25m fly, 25m back)

1 x 50m (25m back, 25m breast)

1 x 50m (25m breast, 25m FC)

1 x 50m (25m FC, 25m fly)

8 x 25m sprints own choice on 40 secs

Warm Down - 1 x 200m own choice (2600m)

Fin Training:

Many pools do not allow you to wear fins while public swimming is taking place, therefore ask before you use yours. The same applies to using any snorkelling equipment in the public baths. It can be seem as a invasion of privacy by the other swimmers!

If you can find some where to fin swim here are three basic programmes you could use:

Remember when swimming Breaststroke wearing fins, use Butterfly leg kick.

Take a 30 second break between sets and a 10 second break between drills within the sets.

Session 1:

Warm Up - 1 x 300m own choice

1 x 100m FC

1 x 100m FC arms only

1 x 100m FC

Main Set - 3 x 50m FC

4 x 25m IM

1 x 75m FC

1 x 50m FC

1 x 25m FC

1 x 75m back

1 x 50m FC

1 x 25m back

1 x 75m breast

1 x 50m FC

1 x 25m breast

1 x 75m fly

1 x 50m FC

1 x 25m fly

4 x 25m underwater

4 x 25m underwater

3 x 50 fly to back

3 x 50 fly to breast

4 x 100m FC kick 1 min rest

4 x 25m FC 5 secs rest

Swim Down - Own choice. (2550m)

Session 2:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m own choice

1 x 150m FC

1 x 150m FC arms only

1 x 150m FC

Main Set - 4 x 50m FC

4 x 25m IM order

2 x 100m FC

1 x 50m FC

1 x 100m back

1 x 100m FC

1 x 50m back

1 x 100m breast

1 x 100m FC

1 x 50m breast

1 x 100m IM

1 x 100m FC

1 x 50m fly to FC

4 x 25m underwater

4 x 25m underwater

4 x 50m fly to back

4 x 50m fly to breast

4 x 100m FC Kick

4 x 25m 5 secs rest.

Swim Down - Own choice (3350m)

Session 3:

Warm Up - 1 x 400m own choice

1 x 200m FC

1 x 200m FC arms only

1 x 200m FC

Main Set - 4 x 50m FC

4 x 25m IM order

2 x 150m FC

1 x 100m FC

1 x 150m back

1 x 100m FC

1 x 50m back

1 x 150m breast

1 x 100m FC

1 x 50m breast

1 x 150m IM

1 x 100m FC

1 x 50m fly to FC

4 x 25m underwater

4 x 25m underwater

4 x 50m fly to back

4 x 50m fly to breast

4 x 100m FC Kick

4 x 25m 5 secs rest.

Swim Down - Own choice (3700m)

Good Luck!!!