Swimming Technique and Active Recovery Session
Swimming workouts designed by Heidi Fearon
A.
I.
4 Minutes of Hip Flexor Mobility of Your Choice
4 Minutes of Anterior Shoulder Mobility of Your Choice
4 Minutes of Quad Mobility of Your Choice
4 Minutes of Lat & Subscap Mobility of Your Choice
Focus on relaxed breathing throughout these mobility drills. If you cannot breathe properly, the stretch is too intense and you need to back off to the place where you can maintain a rhythmic breathing pattern.
II.
Warm-Up Technique Drills
Four sets of:
25 Meter Finger Tip Drag
25 Meter Stroke Count @ 50% pace
(FTD: Drag your fingertips along the surface of the water as you recover. This drill encourages high elbows.)
Rest 15 seconds between each 50 Meter effort
Four sets of:
50 Meter Thumb to Thigh @ 50% pace
(TT: Brush your thumb along your thigh as you finish your arm stroke. This promotes a longer finish and proper hand position.)
Rest 15 seconds between 50 Meter efforts
Four sets of:
Swim 25 Meters with Breathing Options Below
Choose one of the three options:
(1) Breathe every 5th stroke – both sides – and pause for a count of 3 seconds on each side of your body before rolling to the other side
(2) Take 1 breath per 25 meters
(3) No breaths
Rest 15 seconds between each 25 Meter effort
Four sets of:
Streamlines off the wall on your back for distance
(this is drill prep for flip turns)
Rest as needed
Challenging Sets!!!
Every 30 seconds, for 2 minutes (4 sets):
Swim 25 Meters – Pull-Only
Every 45 seconds, for 3 minutes (4 sets):
Swim 25 Meters – Kick-Only
Every 20 seconds, for 80 seconds (4 sets):
Swim 25 Meters – focus on high hips and good positioning
Rest a bit, and then cool down with…
Four sets of:
Swim 50 Meters – Stroke Count and Breathe every 5th stroke
Rest 15 seconds between each 50 Meter effort
If you have flip turns, perform them…even if they’re not very good at this point.
Four sets of:
Streamlines for distance
Rest as needed
B.
Mobility and Maintenance
* Choose 1-2 Thoracic Mobility Drills and spend 5-10 minutes with them.
* Choose 2-3 Lower Body Mobility Drills and spend 10-12 minutes with them.
* Choose 1-2 Upper Extremity Mobility Drills and spend 5-10 minutes with them.
– AND/OR –
* Body work from a licensed body worker (ART, Graston, acupuncture, etc…)
C.
Inflammation Maintenance
* This could be a lot of things, but think in terms of compression (we love the NormaTec units at Invictus), electrical muscle stimulation (Compex or Marc Pro), contrast baths, salt baths, castor oil packs, etc….
D.
Nutrition Preparation
* Ensure that you have quality foods prepared in the appropriate quantities to fuel your efforts for the remainder of the week.
E.
Mental Restoration
* Different for everyone – could be meditation or could be gathering with friends; the key is to engage in activities that make your life full and help you recharge your batteries.