PURE PERFORMANCE | SWIM
W
e all love heading to the pool during the hot summer
months; it just makes sense to cool off and bag a
nice swim set at the same time. So how do you make
swimming appealing through the dark and cold
winter months, when jumping into the deep end is the last thing
on your mind? Well in fact winter is a great time to head for the
pool. For a start crowd numbers are down and finding a car park
should be easy right? Winter is the time to build up your swimming
strength and improve your strength endurance - the foundation
that will get you through your triathlon season each year. It is also a
great time to get some distance and volume logged to help build
up your base fitness bank account, so you can draw on it later
during the summer.
So to make it easy for you and get you started, here are a few
winter swim sessions.
Swim Equipment Required:
Pull Buoy
Hand Paddles (medium - large size)
Kick Board
Pulling Ankle Strap
Fins - in you have trouble kicking without them
SESSION 1
Warm up
3 Nonstop sets of (100m swim / 100m kick)
Main set (on your base time or 5-10secs rest if base is unknown)
3 X 400m using Pull Buoy + Hand Paddles + Ankle Strap
3 X 300m using Pull Buoy + Hand Paddles
3 X 200m using Pull Buoy only
3 X 100m no equipment
Cool down
2 X (50m Backstroke/ 50m Breaststroke/ 100m Free)
SESSION 2
Main set (on your base time or 5-10secs rest if base is unknown)
600m using Pull Buoy + Hand Paddles + Ankle Strap
6 X 50m no equipment
400m using Pull Buoy + Hand Paddles + Ankle Strap
4 X 150m using Pull Buoy only
200m using Pull Buoy + Hand Paddles + Ankle Strap
2 X 250m using Hand Paddles only
Cool down
6 X 100m - Odds Kick/ Evens Free.
SESSION 3
Warm up - progressive (building pace)
400m progressive Free
200m Kick
Main set
1000m using Pull Buoy + Hand Paddles + Ankle Strap
Take 30 secs rest.
800m using Pull Buoy + Ankle Strap
Take 30 secs rest.
600m using Ankle Strap only. (Can break it up into 2x300 or 3x200
if too difficult)
Take 30 secs rest.
6 X 100m No equipment - FAST
Cool down
200m Free
4 X 50m Kick.
Tip - the key to swimming ankle strap only is to engage your
core to lift your (dragging) legs. Also try to drop your head and
shoulders as this will force your legs up towards the surface.
Now you don't have any excuses to dodge the pool this winter.
Get strong and build that fitness base up so when summer arrives
you will see the benefits of your off season dedication.
Warm up
2 Nonstop sets of (150m Free/ 50m Kick no board - hands out
front sculling)
4 X (50m Build speed over the lap/ 50m Easy) Take 5 secs
rest between.
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