• BB&DPS – Best Balance & Distance Per Stroke: 5 strokes or less in the 4 styles in a short course pool, 10 strokes or less in long course – “Tai Chi Swimming.”  Please go to T.I.P.S. for a more detailed explanation.
  • OB          Over Best:  # of strokes recommended over your BBDPS count
  • TOR        Turn Over Rate
  • Y             FlY
  • K             BacK
  •              BreasT
  • E              FreE
  • uw           Underwater
  • kk            Kick
  •  ‘              Minutes
  • “              Seconds
  • w/            with: utilized to indicate a number of seconds of rest between repetitions
  • on:          to indicate that everyone will do a repetition on a set send-off
  • Description of Training Set:  25’ x (5 x 100 /10”)w/30” – During 25 minutes, you swim sets of 5 one-hundreds taking 10 seconds to rest after each and taking 30 seconds rest after 5.

WARM UP OF THE WEEK:  

IM mix  

200 {EKTY @ BB, 1OB  

100 {KTYE @ 2OB  

200 {TYEK @ 3, 4 OB  

100 {YEKT @ 5 OB  

During the alloted time for warm up, swim in the order of ROLLING STROKES AND TEETER TOTTER STROKES: 200 at BBDPS/1 OB,  50 of ea. style, then a 100 of 2 strokes OB, then 200 of 3/4 strokes OB, and so forth until time is up. You can swim the stroke order by the 50 or 25 for variety.  COUNT STROKES, and learn Technique & Speed 

KICKING SET: 

Race board/Arrow Board:  Swim 50’s: 25 very fast going down / 25 easy coming back E / E, free with free, Y /Y, fly with fly, T/T, breast with breast, Kuw / K, back dolphin underwater with back flutter on the surface.  Repeat 50’s on 1:40 or with 20” to 30” rest, between 50’s 

Race Board Hold:  Place your elbows at the corners of the board, hands holding on the sides, face in water, head in line with the spine, breathe when you need, kick as fast as you can to the 25 yard or meter mark.  On the backstroke do not use a kick board. 

Arrow Board Hold:  Place your hands under the board, cross your thumbs, keep your arms extended, carry the board on your knuckles, and practice body balance on the way back to the 50, keep your head in line with your spine until you need to breathe.  Learn to breathe without doggie paddling, steady hands, arch to lift the head in breaststroke and dolphin it’s easier for timing purposes, shoulders and heels come up together and chest and feet go down together; in freestyle you must kid a bit stronger while lifting the face to breathe, repeat no paddling with hands. 

DRILL OF THE WEEK: 

3 E – 2 K:  Swim 3 arm pulls on free, then roll and swim 2 arm pulls on back.  Breathe only on back.  Focus on maintaining the head set on the spine line and set the head to sky or to bottom right before the switch of the styles, do not let the leading arm move to stroke until the recovering arm is over the top, ready to re-enter the water to become the leading arm.  Work on a long water line with your body.  Letter “U” position in good balance, let the swimming arm catch up to the leading arm, be sure to keep the arms in line with the shoulder, hands never touch and at the instant that one armpit is to sky and the other faces the bottom, at the peak of the body roll, then the other arm will begin its propulsive action, recover to the “U” and then the first arm strokes again. 

During warm-up triathletes are encouraged to swim the 4 styles, it is warm-up for the entire musculoskeletal system; furthermore, swimming breaststroke can help in a race situation in the event of a foot or calf cramp, the breast kick requires to flex the foot, the way to get rid of said cramps; swimming backstroke will help the triathletes to ‘find core’, connecting the hands to the power source, the hip rotation, while keeping the head set, (no need to turn the head to breathe); the butterfly, will make you more aquatic.  When swimmers do Individual Medley:  Y, K, T, and E:  FLY, BACK, BREAST, FREE; Tri-athletes swim: N, P, F, B: Naked (no equipment), Paddles, Fins, Both

1 stroke in Y and T is one extension to the front end; count the letter at the breath and the number at the “glide.”

1 stroke in E and K is counted when both arms have completed a revolution, the letter for one hand, and the number for the other hand; count when the revolution is completed at hand entry.

The recommended “Number of Strokes OB” over best is for short course pools, if you train in a long course pool double the recommended number and add a stroke.  Obviously, the lack of turn and the extra distance makes a difference.  For example if the set reads swim at 1 ½ to 2 ½ OB, it means that in the long course pool you will swim at 4 to 6 strokes over your best stroke count.  We know that when you take more strokes you swim faster, up to a point that your style may suffer or tire you too quickly.

Pay attention:

Count strokes.  When equipment such as paddles and/or fins are used deduct ½ stroke from the OB for each accessory that you wear.

Count your strokes and monitor your heart rate you will optimize your training. If you know your time, you are really paying attention.  Training is about going FAST at the right times, as fast as YOU can, easy enough so you last every set, all out!  Swimming “hard” all the time can be hazardous to your style and speed. Know at what pace you need to train every set.

Date:  06-23-2025  Workout Today   
Energy System  Exercise Set  Exercise Description 
Warm Up EN1  20’ x IM mix  

200 {EKTY @ BB, 1OB  

100 {KTYE @ 2OB  

200 {TYEK @ 3, 4 OB  

100 {YEKT @ 5 OB  

Full stroke warm-up.  Please see BASICS for explanations that are more detailed. 

 

Sprint Set SP3  2 x (4 x 6 str on 1:20)  w/50 drill of the week 

              50 

 

2 sets of 4 repetitions of 6 strokes all out, no breath, then EZ to the 50; after each set swim 1x 50 drill, see BASICS 
Anaerobic Threshold EN3 

Intensity:  3 to 4 OB 

Equipment:  Hand Paddles 

30’ x {(4 x 100 w/20”) w/30” 

         {(8 x 50 w/15”) w/30” 

         {(16 x 25 w/10”) w/30” 

          

30 minutes of broken 400’s.  The rest is 30”, after each, notice that the 1st,, 2nd, and 3rd 400’s are broken into 100’s, 50’s, and 25’s, follow the resting intervals and maintain pace. 
Kick Set  3 x {Race Board      E     Y     T     Kuw 

     {Arrow Board    E     Y     T     K     

On 1:40 each 50  

Please see BASICS for more detailed explanations, if you need them. 
Date:  06-24-2025  Workout Today   
Energy System  Exercise Set  Exercise Description 
Warm Up EN1  15’ x IM mix {EKTY 

                     {KTYE 

                     {TYEK                     

                     {YEKT 

100 @ BBDPS 

100 @ 1 OB  

100 @ 2 OB 

100 @ 3OB 

100 @ 4OB 

Full stroke warm-up.  Please see BASICS for explanations that are more detailed. 
Prolonged Sprinting SP3  2 x {(4 x 5str.+ turn + 3 str. on 2:15)  

              75(50) + mid pool 

 

Swim 50 drill after each set of four sprints 

2 sets of 4 rep’s starting at 5 strokes from the wall go all out no breath 5 str. + turn + 3 strokes and then swim easy to the 75 (or the 50) + mid pool.  Restart on 2:15.  Go EZ to the 50 if you cannot make the sendoff, or you need more stand up rest. 
Aerobic Training EN2 

Intensity:  As specified in each swim 

Equipment:   Paddles and Fins 

40’ x {1 x 50 w/10” at 1 OB 

         {1 x 50 w/15” at 1 ½ OB 

         {1 x 50 w/20” at 2 – 2 ½OB  

Sets of 3x 50 descending 1 to 3, with paddles and fins, the faster you swim the more rest you get.  Set up the pace of send-off on your first swim  
Kick Set  2 x {Race Board      E     Y     T     Kuw 

     {Arrow Board    E     Y     T     K     

On 1:40 each 50  

Please see BASICS for more detailed explanations, if you need them. 
Date:  06-25-2025  Workout Today   
Energy System  Exercise Set  Exercise Description 
Warm Up EN1  15’ x IM mix {EKTY 

                     {KTYE 

                     {TYEK                     

                     {YEKT  

100 @ BBDPS 

100 @ 1 OB  

100 @ 2 OB 

100 @ 3OB 

Full stroke warm-up.  Please see BASICS for explanations that are more detailed. 
Aerobic Training EN2  

Intensity:  1½ to 3 OB 

Equipment:  None 

40’ x {1 x 100 w/10” } 

{1 x 200 w/15” }  

         {1 x 300 w/20” } 

         {1 x 400 w/25” } 

Every 3rd 25 in each 100 do it @ 3½ to 4½ OB 

 

Build a pyramid all IM; keep adding 1 – 25 of each stroke until 45 minutes are finished. 

When you build to the 400 if time is not finished, work your way back down, and back up until time is up. 

Lactate Anaerobic Resistance SP2 

Intensity:  6 to 7 OB 

4 to 5 x 100 on 7’ 

Try to swim an easy 100 between efforts 

                                    

This is a very fast set; your H.R. must go to its maximum >180+.   
Warm down  600 EZ free breathe 3, 5, 7   Do an EZ swim, humming while you stroke 3, 5 or 7 times, to loosen down 
Date:  06-26-2025  Workout Today   
Energy System  Exercise Set  Exercise Description 
Warm Up EN1  25’ x IM mix  

200 {EKTY @ BB, 1OB  

100 {KTYE @ 2OB  

200 {TYEK @ 3, 4 OB  

100 {YEKT @ 5 OB  

Full stroke warm-up.  Please see BASICS for explanations that are more detailed. 
In Motion Speed SP3  2 x (4 x 25 on 1:10’) w/50 drill  

           6 str. 

Practice finishing “racing to the wall.”  2 sets of 4x 25 repetitions; do the last 6 strokes into the wall all out, no breath.  Swim 50, “drill of the week” after 4. 
Anaerobic Threshold EN3  

Intensity:  3 to 4½ OB 

Equipment:  Paddles or fins optional 

25’ x  {(6 x 50 w/15”) w/30”  

          {(12 x 25 w/10”) w/30” 

Count: A to F 

Swim 300’s broken in 50’s and 25’s, with 15” and 10” rest respectively, notice the rest is 30” after 300.  Maintain your pace of the 1st swim. 
Kick Set  3 x {Race Board      E     Y     T     Kuw 

     {Arrow Board    E     Y     T     K     

On 1:40 each 50  

Please see BASICS for more detailed explanations, if you need them. 
Date:  06-27-2025  Workout Today   
Energy System  Exercise Set  Exercise Description 
Warm Up EN1  15’ x IM mix {EKTY 

                     {KTYE 

                     {TYEK                     

                     {YEKT 

100 @ BBDPS 

100 @ 1 OB  

100 @ 2 OB 

100 @ 3OB 

100 @ 4OB 

Full stroke warm-up.  Please see BASICS for explanations that are more detailed. 
Aerobic Training EN2 

Intensity:  1½ to 3 OB 

40’ x 100 IM w/10 to 15“ rest    100’s IM observe the recommended resting interval, maintain pace time of 1st swim for 20 swims, or as many as you can. 
Anaerobic Threshold EN3 

Intensity:  3 to 4 OB 

Equipment:  Fins optional  

25’ x 50 w/15” to 20” Choice of Stroke  25 minutes of 50’s work the walls, turns and streamline glides, try to go on the shorter rest, maintain pace. 
Kick Set  1 x {Race Board      E     Y     T     Kuw 

     {Arrow Board    E     Y     T     K     

On 1:40 each 50  

Please see BASICS for more detailed explanations, if you need them. 
Date:  06-28-2025  Workout Today   
Energy System  Exercise Set  Exercise Description 
Warm Up EN1  15’ x IM mix 

200 {EKTY @ BB, 1OB  

100 {KTYE @ 2OB  

200 {TYEK @ 3, 4 OB  

100 {YEKT @ 5 OB  

 

Full stroke warm-up.  Please see BASICS for explanations that are more detailed. 
Aerobic Training EN 2 

Intensity:  1½ to 3 OB 

Equipment:  Fins 

40’ x {(6 x 50 w/10”) w/20” #3, #6 @ 4OB 

         {(4 x 25 w/10”) w/20”  

Restart until time is finished  

6x 50: 1 – E, 1 – 4th best stroke, 1 – E, 1 – 3rd best stroke, 1 – E, 1 – 2nd best stroke 

4x 25: belly, side, back, side/ kk  w/fins 

Sprint Set SP3  4 x 5str on 1:30 w/50 drill 

       50 

4x 5 strokes all out, no breath, and swim EZ to the 50.  Get ready to race. 
Lactate Anaerobic Power  SP2  

 

Intensity:  6 to 7 OB 

2 x (2 x 100 on 6’) w/10’     A to B 

 

Swim an EZ 100 after each race 

Dive in 100’s, as fast as you can every swim.  Hardest set all week.  If any swim is 5% slower than the one before, you are done, stop repeating (remember, you cannot kill a dead horse). 
Warm Down EN1  400 to 600 EZ  Continue swimming after the last 100 until H.R.< 90