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.
Before today’s session, check out this link for a good tutorial regarding body position and this link on common swimming errors.
Warm-Up Technique Drills
Four sets of:
25 Meter Finger Tip Drag
(FTD: Drag your fingertips along the surface of the water as you recover. This drill encourages high elbows.)
Rest 20 seconds between each 25 Meter efforts
Followed by…
Four sets of:
25 Meter Kick For Count of 3 and then take 3 arm strokes; repeat for the whole 25. Count of 3 is 1, 1000, 2, 1000, 3, 1000.
Rest 30 seconds between 25 Meter efforts
Followed by…
Four sets of:
25 Meter Catch Up – use fins if necessary
Rest 20 seconds
Main Set
One set of:
25 Meter Stroke Count of 70%
Rest 15 seconds
50 Meter Maintain Stroke Count of 70%
Rest 30 seconds
100 Meter Maintain Stroke Count of 70%
Rest 30 seconds
50 Meter Maintain Stroke Count of 70%
Rest 30 seconds
25 Meter Maintain Stroke Count of 70%
Followed by…
Four sets of:
50 Meter Swim @ 70% effort
60 seconds rest
(try to come in at the same time each set)
(take note of your times)
Followed by…
Every Minute on the Minute for 8 Minutes:
25 Meter Swim
(The focus of these 25 meters is to tucked your chin and rotate your head to breath; one goggle in the water, one goggle out.)
Cool Down
100 Meters – Drill of Your Choice
B.
Mobility and Maintenance
* Choose 1-2 Thoracic Mobility Drills from Kelly Starrett’s Mobility WOD and spend 5-10 minutes with them.
* Choose 2-3 Lower Body Mobility Drills from Kelly Starrett’s Mobility WOD and spend 10-12 minutes with them.
* Choose 1-2 Upper Extremity Mobility Drills from Kelly Starrett’s Mobility WOD 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.