StrokeDoctor wrote:
I'd be okay with listing a few sets I think are helpful, but when I see requests for things like this it reminds me of what a Russian-born American coach (who used to train with Vladimir Salnikov) once told a room of 200 American swim coaches at USA Swimming conference I attended. Paraphrasing, because that was 1996:
'Americans are always looking for a magic set. Was it this many 200s or that many 50s that made such-and-such break the world record? Can we explain Alexander Popov by the to-do list of things on the chalkboard?'
I think the answer is no. Execution is far more critical than the checklist of things you put in front of yourself. This is why I find the workouts sent to most triathletes through their Training Peaks coaches to be almost useless. They tend to be a list of things to do with almost no direction on how to execute, what to prioritize, and often fail to explain the coach-speak hieroglyphics. I could insert one of my mostly triathlete-centered practice sessions here and would probably be shouted out of the room for using up too much digital space. It is extremely hard to commit to paper both the specific tasks, the key points of execution and the clarity of terms/expectations.
Having said that, here is the warm up to our April 17 practice:
Warm Up: Active Streamlining
3 x 200 (or 175/150/125) on 3:15 send off
Objective is to manage ONE great streamlining skill per swim. Eliminating drag is critical to advancing through water, as it increases speed while reducing workload. Win-win. And it merely requires smart choices rather than inordinate fitness. We will focus on "wave drag,' the active drag created by your movements, vs "form drag," the passive resistance generated by the shape of your body. Movements that create turbulence disturb the water, channeling your energy into 'pushing water around' rather than slicing through it. The waves you create contain energy--YOUR energy. Don't give it to them.
1 = Maintain neutral head while face down / Hide lower goggle lens while breathing. A consistently low head position supports front to back balance and improves alignment. The goal is to maintain horizontal stability and minimize up and down movements.
2 = Experiment with "wide tracks," the X axis coordinates at peak extension. That typically means wrists forward of the shoulder. Narrow tracks (or midline or crossover) can induce fishtailing or lateral sway. We want a clean, longitudinal axis from head to toe, preferably one that is horizontally level.
3 = Reduce the size / range of your kicking actions, particularly when using a 2-beat kick. Within the 2-beat kick pattern there should exist a moment of near-perfectly streamlined legs. Picture 'toe flicks' vs leg kicks. Can we find the sweet spot where you maximize the benefit of the kick movement at the lowest drag cost?
6 x 50 Free, Increase tempo with each swim. You may want to do that organically rather than tinkering with the tempo trainer. The drag penalty is amplified at higher speeds, which is why it takes so much more energy to swim a little faster (and why gas mileage suffers at high speeds.) Can you retain a "drag reducing" focus as you increase stroke rate?
i could have just written "3 x 200 on 3:15, focus on streamlining" but I think the explanation and guidance that follows (the wordy stuff) is the difference between effective and unfocused practice. I email these out to my swimmers ahead of time and am happy to field their questions should my coach-speak not connect.
I would be more interested in WHY those who are submitting have selected these sets, and what they (or their athletes) hoped to gain from them.
"This is a friendly place to share your faves, either yours or others you see that you like the idea of. Not the whole workout, just the main set"
The quote above is from the OP and explains what he was looking for...peoples "faves", with no mention at all about wanting any magic bullet workout. Most posters appear to have understand exactly what he was after and delivered the goods, as requested.