Swim Speed Workouts: An Introduction to Swimming Butterfly

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Before watching this Swim Speed Workouts drill video, please read this brief note about how the videos are intended to be used.

Swim Speed Workouts Video intro

Watch Sheila introduce the basic motions of the butterfly swimming stroke.

See more Swim Speed Series videos here.

Sheila Taormina’s Swim Speed Series reveals the world’s fastest way to swim. Both books are available in bookstores, swim and tri shops, and online. Click below for lists of online retailers.

Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes book coverSwim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and TriathletesSwim Speed Secrets reveals the swimming technique used by the world’s fastest swimmers.

Swim Speed Workouts provides waterproof workout cards, drills, and training plan so swimmers can get in the pool and learn the fastest way to swim.

Sheila Taormina is a 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, ITU triathlon world champion, and internationally recognized swimming coach. Learn more about Sheila here or at sheilat.com.

Swim Speed Workouts Week 6-3 (She-Ra): “Almost Flying” or “Proud to Finish”

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The Swim Speed Test Team is a group of volunteers that is reporting on their newfound swim speed earned over 16 weeks of the Swim Speed Workouts program.

Here’s what testers thought of this workout. You can try out the first six workouts of the Swim Speed Workouts program for yourself! (See below)

Swim Speed Workouts Test Team logoTEST TEAM SUMMARY OF WORKOUT 6-3:

Greg S. (The 10x Ironman): This workout was the toughest one yet, I think. The volume of high-intensity repeats is something that I’m not used to doing, but, no doubt provides good returns. I continue to be happy about doing the streamline kick on my back; I think that it really helps my flexibility and I’m probably less a whole lot less flexible than most swimmers out there.  I confess that, when there was a note in the workout that I could cut the volume in half for a particular set or portion of a set, I happily accepted that invitation! Even with that reduction in volume, though, I was still pushing to get through the set of 10x50s that followed the first sets of 7x50s and 8x25s.  Accepting the invitation again, I cut the 4x200s into 2x200s of “active recovery,” and still had a tough time making it through the next set of 100s. Progress? I felt generally stronger swimming today.  I suspect that this one will be a breakthrough sort of workout, provided that I get enough rest before the next swim workout to recover.

Rebecca B. (The Open-Water Swimmer): We altered the She-Ra workout to look like this: warm-up 600 free, 1x through the main set, 100 free, 5 x 50 all out, 4 x 100 50/fly/50 free, 4 x 100, and whatever warm down people had time for. Most of us got a total of 2500 which is perfect for a morning swim. The fly set was grueling as always. The interesting part was the all-out sets. Some people thought that the rest was going to be too much until they began from the deck and swam 100%. Suddenly that rest was almost not enough. I personally love starts. It’s as close to flying as there is. So, I name this: almost flying.  It was a great set.  We all had fun.  Tubing was really hard later in the day.

Jenn D. (The Ocean Ultra Swimmer): I do really enjoy using these structured workout cards for the longer workouts because they definitely keep me from getting bored. I push harder than I would go otherwise. The downside to the She-Ra workouts is that they are more for a masters swim club type than a triathlete and I find myself adapting the workouts to suite my skills as I cannot do butterfly. The speedwork set was awesome.

Chad L. (The Sprint Speed Racer): The warm-up was good. I’ve found that I enjoy streamline kicking on my back much more than using the board.  Also, no cramping and picking up a little speed with the kicks.  When  the first round of 50s hit for the main set, I knew my energy was a bit depleted.  I was also a bit sore but I gave it a shot.  By mid-way through the set I was going about 80 to 90% instead of 100%.  I wanted to get the yardage in but just didn’t have it in terms of effort.  Overall, I feel I missed hitting the objective of this workout. Progress? In terms of building endurance, I think I can say I am going further given the state my body was in.  Had I gone to the pool this fatigued before this program I would have likely called it an early day.

Rhoden G. (The Soldier): The 2 all-out sets proved to be draining. They certainly wore me out. To follow up with a 500 with no breaths out of the turns… Those made the turns very tough and I needed lots of breathing through the middle. But I’m proud to finish that workout!

TRY THE FIRST SIX SWIM SPEED WORKOUTS YOURSELF!

These workout pdfs will give you most of what you need to do the full workout. If you have swim tubing and understand the drills (which are linked in each workout description), you’ll be able to do the whole workout as prescribed.

Based on our Test Team feedback, you will be swimming noticeably faster after two weeks on the Swim Speed program. You’ll have developed a high-elbow catch and a better feel for the water. You’ll have begun to strengthen your core, and your swimming fitness will be rising rapidly.

After you test out the first 6 workouts, please order your copy of the waterproof Swim Speed Workouts!

Sheila Taormina’s Swim Speed Series reveals the world’s fastest way to swim. Both books are available in bookstores, swim and tri shops, and online. Click below for lists of online retailers.

Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes book coverSwim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and TriathletesSwim Speed Secrets reveals the swimming technique used by the world’s fastest swimmers.

Swim Speed Workouts provides waterproof workout cards, drills, and training plan so swimmers can get in the pool and learn the fastest way to swim.

Sheila Taormina is a 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, ITU triathlon world champion, and internationally recognized swimming coach. Learn more about Sheila here or at sheilat.com.

Swim Speed Workouts: Halo Swim Tubing and the Diagonal Phase

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Before watching this Swim Speed Workouts drill video, please read this brief note about how the videos are intended to be used.

Swim Speed Workouts Video intro

In this video, Sheila talks about how swimmers using Halo swim tubing are improving their high-elbow catch. She explains and demonstrates the next part of the underwater stroke — the diagonal phase.

See more Swim Speed Series videos here.

Sheila Taormina’s Swim Speed Series reveals the world’s fastest way to swim. Both books are available in bookstores, swim and tri shops, and online. Click below for lists of online retailers.

Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes book coverSwim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and TriathletesSwim Speed Secrets reveals the swimming technique used by the world’s fastest swimmers.

Swim Speed Workouts provides waterproof workout cards, drills, and training plan so swimmers can get in the pool and learn the fastest way to swim.

Sheila Taormina is a 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, ITU triathlon world champion, and internationally recognized swimming coach. Learn more about Sheila here or at sheilat.com.

Swim Speed Workouts Week 6-2: “Diagonals” or “The Dirty Dozen”

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The Swim Speed Test Team is a group of volunteers that is reporting on their newfound swim speed earned over 16 weeks of the Swim Speed Workouts program.

Here’s what testers thought of this workout. You can try out the first six workouts of the Swim Speed Workouts program for yourself! (See below)

Swim Speed Workouts Test Team logoTEST TEAM SUMMARY OF WORKOUT 6-2:

Greg S. (The 10x Ironman): Our poodle loves swimming the dog paddle and can do it while holding a dead duck and keep going and going, but I find it difficult, especially after a long set of 100s. All in all, this was a great technique-oriented workout for the diagonal portion of the stroke but still a tiring workout for me.  I was tired when I started the workout but, though fatigued at the end, felt relaxed and energized.  My kicking keeps progressing and I like putting in a kick in streamline on my back for variety and to get more flexible.

Catherine L. (The Number Cruncher): This workout is all about the diagonal phase of the stroke. This is my favorite drill right now because the diagonal phase has been a bit of a mystery to me; I’ve been so confused with all the different theories out there that the diagonal part of my stroke was a jumbled mess that I couldn’t sort out. Using Sheila’s method has helped me tremendously. I was skeptical of the Dog Paddle drill in week 1 but at week 6, it’s one of my favorites. It’s amazing to feel how the body surges forward over the diagonal phase. The feel the progress of that part of the stroke is just really neat. Before switching to the Swim Speed technique, I never really pointed my elbows outward, which would hurt my shoulder. Now with this new diagonal phase, shoulder pain is not triggered. The main set was 12x100s and it was tricky to estimate my sendoff interval, partly because I’ve progressed so much that my brain hasn’t caught up with my new ability in the pool. 6 weeks ago, I would have been lucky to finish just two or three 100s at 1:35.

Chad L. (The Sprint Speed Racer): My other tri training meant I started this workout with a bit of fatigue: It was difficult to maintain an easy effort on the warm-up. I loved the single-arm focus on the drill set as I find these drills help me focus on the high elbow and a property finish. Kick set was a bit worrisome as my legs were already fatigued.  They felt as if cramps could happen at any moment so I went easy and was glad I did because the main set was a killer.  The increase in effort level did not equate to faster swimming as I was losing my strength pretty quickly. Overall, an exhausting experience.

Rebecca B. (The Open-Water Swimmer): Dog paddle continues to surprise us with how hard it is.  I appreciate the drills and the focus they bring. Oh boy, those 100s! We started on 1:50  and decreased down to 1:40.  We like to start and stop together as a group so we chose an interval that we could all keep so some get more rest than others.  Basically we held our times with great effort.  Fantastic! Everyone enjoyed themselves.  Two people even said it was fun.  Going fast with a pull buoy is still hard for me.  I guess I have only one speed.  All in all another great workout and a wonderful start to the week.

Rhoden G. (The Soldier): This workout design was all about the diagonal. I feel like I’m building new neuro paths as part of this ongoing process. If it makes me faster smoother and more efficient then that’s exactly what I need.

TRY THE FIRST SIX SWIM SPEED WORKOUTS YOURSELF!

These workout pdfs will give you most of what you need to do the full workout. If you have swim tubing and understand the drills (which are linked in each workout description), you’ll be able to do the whole workout as prescribed.

Based on our Test Team feedback, you will be swimming noticeably faster after two weeks on the Swim Speed program. You’ll have developed a high-elbow catch and a better feel for the water. You’ll have begun to strengthen your core, and your swimming fitness will be rising rapidly.

After you test out the first 6 workouts, please order your copy of the waterproof Swim Speed Workouts!

Sheila Taormina’s Swim Speed Series reveals the world’s fastest way to swim. Both books are available in bookstores, swim and tri shops, and online. Click below for lists of online retailers.

Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes book coverSwim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and TriathletesSwim Speed Secrets reveals the swimming technique used by the world’s fastest swimmers.

Swim Speed Workouts provides waterproof workout cards, drills, and training plan so swimmers can get in the pool and learn the fastest way to swim.

Sheila Taormina is a 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, ITU triathlon world champion, and internationally recognized swimming coach. Learn more about Sheila here or at sheilat.com.

Swim Speed Workouts Week 6-1: “Sprinter’s Delight”

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The Swim Speed Test Team is a group of volunteers that is reporting on their newfound swim speed earned over 16 weeks of the Swim Speed Workouts program.

Here’s what testers thought of this workout. You can try out the first six workouts of the Swim Speed Workouts program for yourself! (See below)

Swim Speed Workouts Test Team logoTEST TEAM SUMMARY OF WORKOUT 6-1:

Chad L. (The Sprint Speed Racer): I changed my training schedule this week so I came into this workout feeling very fresh and strong.  I could tell in the warm-up it was going to be a good workout.  Even the “Finish Drill” went okay, though I’m still not comfortable with it. I’m still keeping the kick sets at an easy/moderate effort and focusing on keeping the ankles “loose”.  I think I have a tendency to stiffen the feet which may be contributing to the cramps.  Main Set went great.  Before this program I could swim :30-:35 50s but would quickly fall into the 40ish range within a few reps.  Today I kept the 50s at :35 with a minute rest (taking off on 1:35). I fell to :40 and picked it back up to :36 for the last one.  Very, very pleased!  No problem keeping the pull buoy set at a moderate effort – I was tired.

Rich R. (“PR”): Workout 6-1 is in the books and it was good.  I especially liked having some drills after the longer swims of 5-3.  I spend time in between sets trying to make tornadoes.  I am really starting to feel like a swimmer.  One thing I noticed after the paddle sets is that my shoulder was a little sore.  I think what happens on my left side is that I am starting my pull phase too high in the water and that is adding some stress to my shoulder.  I focused more on this when I swam 6-1 and it felt like I was loading the shoulder less.

Rebecca B. (The Open-Water Swimmer): My group is still not getting the serape effect. I am just not sure what I should be feeling. But back to 6-1: we were going along feeling pretty smug when “wham” the 10×50 set hit us.  We were all hurting but it was great effort and we felt like we accomplished something. The Tarzan drill felt better than previous workouts.  We are getting stronger for sure.  My group is all enjoying the variety in the workouts.  Great job!  Sore shoulder=no tubes for the day.

Greg S. (The 10x Ironman): I enjoyed the shift to fast, all-out swimming.  Getting through all of the sets of 50s required a never-say-stop approach but they went by quickly.  And, so, too, did the workout as a whole.  I was happily fatigued at the end, as well.  So, it was a good amount of work in a short amount of time. I took some days off from swimming because I was feeling over-tired from a long run last weekend.  The rest, I think, did me some good and this was a good workout to do after a bit of rest.

Rhoden G. (The Soldier): This looked like a very tough set, but it was time to get in and do it. It was a lot of hard work and a lot to pay attention to on this workout. And again, the Tarzan Drill. Man that is hard to do, slows me down considerably. Wow, 5 times through the tubing set? That left the arms feeling very fatigued,

Catherine L. (The Number Cruncher): This was a great workout!  While pool management was trying to cook me alive, i felt great.   I loved the recovery drill and making the connection of the scapular moving the arm out of the water coordinated with serape core movement.  The 10×50′s i was pretty fast, first few were at or just under 35 seconds.  I was taking 1 minute rest and slowly my speed slowed to the upper :30s. Wouldn’t i love to hold those for a full 100 or 200! I really felt like i was just slipping through the water today. I skipped the bonus set, which was a Tarzan sandwich.

Anything else? I had to laugh, my son is a top swimmer in the state and will be swimming in college this fall.   Right now he is between short and long course seasons.  I caught him peeking at the Swim Speed Workouts cards.  I told him he should give them a try. His 500 free time is near 5 minutes so he laughs at my gains, but I think he might be getting nervous!   ;-)

TRY THE FIRST SIX SWIM SPEED WORKOUTS YOURSELF!

These workout pdfs will give you most of what you need to do the full workout. If you have swim tubing and understand the drills (which are linked in each workout description), you’ll be able to do the whole workout as prescribed.

Based on our Test Team feedback, you will be swimming noticeably faster after two weeks on the Swim Speed program. You’ll have developed a high-elbow catch and a better feel for the water. You’ll have begun to strengthen your core, and your swimming fitness will be rising rapidly.

After you test out the first 6 workouts, please order your copy of the waterproof Swim Speed Workouts!

Sheila Taormina’s Swim Speed Series reveals the world’s fastest way to swim. Both books are available in bookstores, swim and tri shops, and online. Click below for lists of online retailers.

Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes book coverSwim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and TriathletesSwim Speed Secrets reveals the swimming technique used by the world’s fastest swimmers.

Swim Speed Workouts provides waterproof workout cards, drills, and training plan so swimmers can get in the pool and learn the fastest way to swim.

Sheila Taormina is a 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, ITU triathlon world champion, and internationally recognized swimming coach. Learn more about Sheila here or at sheilat.com.

 

Swim Speed Workouts: Underwater Drill Video

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Before watching this Swim Speed Workouts drill video, please read this brief note about how the videos are intended to be used.

Swim Speed Workouts Video intro

The Underwater Drill is simple: swim underwater one length of the pool. (If you are likely to get light-headed, you should consider if it’s safe for you to swim underwater.) The goal of this drill is to improve feel for the water and build lung capacity.

Watch Sheila explain and demonstrate.

See more Swim Speed Series videos here.

Sheila Taormina’s Swim Speed Series reveals the world’s fastest way to swim. Both books are available in bookstores, swim and tri shops, and online. Click below for lists of online retailers.

Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes book coverSwim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and TriathletesSwim Speed Secrets reveals the swimming technique used by the world’s fastest swimmers.

Swim Speed Workouts provides waterproof workout cards, drills, and training plan so swimmers can get in the pool and learn the fastest way to swim.

Sheila Taormina is a 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, ITU triathlon world champion, and internationally recognized swimming coach. Learn more about Sheila here or at sheilat.com.

Reader Question: How Should I Modify Swim Speed Workouts for Longer Yardage?

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Reader Joe wrote in via our Swim Speed Facebook page to ask how he should incorporate Swim Speed Workouts into his Ironman® swim training.

Q: “So I just got mine in the mail yesterday started to read it. I’m wondering what your thoughts are for people training for long-distance races. I’m training for Ironman® so I want to get 11-13K per week of training, which is more than the 8K per week average in the Swim Speed Workouts program.”

One of the Test Team swimmers, Jennifer M. chimed in: “I am one of the testers for the workouts and also training for Ironman. I add more distance to the shorter workouts at the end of the workouts to get a bit more distance, but they are very challenging on their own and will tire you more than just a regular swim workout.”

A: As Jennifer says, you’ll get a lot more out of these workouts than I’d say is typical. Swim Speed Workouts averages 8K per week. There are bonus sets in each workout for those who want to get more distance. I’d recommend starting the program for 3 weeks to get a feel for it. If you still feel you need more distances, simply add to the warm-up and the cool-down, remembering that swimming is the most technical of the three sports and you need to maintain good form at all cost.

Got a question about Swim Speed? Post it to our Swim Speed Facebook page! We’ll answer and then we might post the conversation here for others to see.

Sheila Taormina’s Swim Speed Series reveals the world’s fastest way to swim. Both books are available in bookstores, swim and tri shops, and online. Click below for online retailer links.

Swim Speed Secrets for Swimmers and Triathletes book coverSwim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and TriathletesSwim Speed Secrets reveals the swimming technique used by the world’s fastest swimmers.

Swim Speed Workouts provides waterproof workout cards, drills, and training plan so swimmers can get in the pool and learn the fastest way to swim.

Sheila Taormina is a 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, ITU triathlon world champion, and internationally recognized swimming coach. Learn more about Sheila here or at sheilat.com.