So, today marks 5 days straight of blogging my swim workouts. Thanks for being patient with me as I get back into fitness blogging. I plan to eventually expand beyond my swim workouts, but this gives me a way to build the writing habit. Start tiny with your habits and celebrate those tiny wins!
Today’s swim workout
So, Today’s workout is long workout. On Fridays, I tend to schedule my long swims as I usually have a bit more flexibility in my time available to swim. I try to give myself 75 minutes if I can. I also set myself a yardage goal > 3000 at the beginning of the swim, and then I do my usual sets just longer. My goal before swimming today was to get at least 4,000 yards. Today, I did 4300. Excellent. I would have gone a bit longer, but I had an appointment to get to.
Dryland Pre-swim Drills
- Warmup with a 60 seconds of jogging in place.
- 4 sets of the following:
- Calfs: 12 reps seated calf raises with 15lb weights
- Butt: 12 reps Butt Squeezes.
- Followed by Core Workout:
- Upper Abs: 15 crunches
- Lower Abs: 12 leg ups
- Side Abs: 12 Russian Twists with legs in the air and with 12 lb kettle ball
- Side Abs: 15 Lb side bends
- Back: 15 Reverse crunches on an exercise ball.
- Final: 60 second plank
- 1 minute of stretching.
At the pool Pre-Warmup
Stand up straight: Put arms out straight, Swing arms around in slow circles. Starting with a tiny slow circle diameter, increasing until the arm swing circle slowly for larger and larger diameters. Go forward for a bit, then go backward for a bit.
At the same time, Warmup legs by stepping side to side. Then after arm swings, Lift knees to chest.
Pool Warmup
Today’s a long swim day, So, I’m trying to keep my breaths every 3rd at a moderate pace. Fewer rests.
- 300 Swim with flip turns
- 100 Backstroke
- 100 Breast stroke
Main Sets
- Kickboard
- 100 Freestyle
- 100 Dolphin Kick
- 100 Back Kick
- 100 Breast Kick
- 100 Free Style
- 550 Pull Buoy with Paddles
- 1500 Freestyle
- 500 Flipper Set
Do the following twice. Resting only enough between sets to allow the Apple Watch to catch yardage. ~3 to 5 seconds.- 150 free style kick
- 100 front dolphin kick
Cool-Down
Goal: Moderate pace while also stretching out the muscles.
- 400 Pull Buoy with Paddles. Try to breathe every 5 or every 7.
- 350 Freestyle. Breathe every 3 strokes.
After my swim, I will stretch my arms and legs in the pool. I’ll stand very wide legged. Do some Yoga-esque warrior poses. Arms Straight to sides. Arms straight up. I’ll interlock my fingers and stretch to the ceiling. a little mountain pose here. Then, bring my knee to chest. Then some calf and achilles stretches using the pool wall. Finally, some hip stretches.
There you have it today’s swim work out. Next Swim workout is next Monday
Before I go, I want to stress that I did not start out swimming these workouts. In the very beginning, I was happy to get 20 minutes and 500 yards. Slowly, I increased yardage and speeds and varying both. To avoid injury, you need to do that slow enough to make sure your body adapts to the increase stress.
Tomorrow is a dryland and stretching day. If the weather is good and my legs feel up to, I might run 2 or 3 miles. I’ll definitely do some walking tomorrow. We’ll see about the run.
Cheers!