Do you need more swim workouts in your life? Of course you do! That’s why I’ve decided to start a new blog series sharing some of my favorite swim sets! I’m calling it the TYR Swim Set of the Week!
Every Thursday I’ll post a new set that I’ve either recently done, plan to do, or just love. I’ll focus on main sets that are applicable to triathlon and can be done in any type of pool. Need something specific? Leave me comment and I’ll see what I can do!
A few details
- I swim in both 25 yard and 50 meter pools. If I’ve recently done the set I’m posting, I’ll try to specify what I did, but really, anything will work!
- The sets I’m posting are meant to be started after a warm-up and maybe even a short pre-set. I’d also encourage a post-set cool down to make sure you’re ready for your next workout!
- I’ll be posting the sets with intervals based on rest, which will work for swimmers of any ability.
- Set look too long? Doubtful! You can do it!! You’re a better swimmer than you think! (And there’s only one way to get better…:)
- Sometimes I use swim specific phrases like “Negative Split” and “Descend.” I realize these aren’t common in normal English and I’ll try to define any specific terms within the workout. But if I miss anything, feel free to comment or email me and I will happily provide a translation.
- None of these workouts are truly my own creations. I’ve had the honor of learning from some of the best swim coaches in the world, so I’ll try to provide some context for each set and proper attributions to their brilliant creators!
TYR Swim Set of the Week Kickoff Giveaway!
To celebrate this amazing new blog series I’m doing my first ever giveaway!! The prize is a super cool TYR Convoy Rucksack!:
Compact and stylish, this is the PERFECT bag for heading to the pool!
To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me what you love about swimming. Bonus entries to people who actually attempt my TYR Swim Set of the Week and tell me about it!
Entries will be accepted through Wednesday, July 17th and the winner will be announced in next Thursday’s post! Get on it!!
And now…the first official TYR Swim Set of the Week!!
I did this set last week after the Peachtree Road Race. I wanted to get a good swim in before I headed up to the mountains for a big weekend of riding. The set is the brainchild of my coach, Matthew Rose (aka, El Diablo). I thought I’d be swimming solo (no masters practice on the 4th), but luckily I convinced a couple friends to join. My friend Sean killed me on the first 800, but I got him back on some of the shorter stuff! Try it out and don’t forget to tell me what you think! Happy Swimming!
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Before I joined a masters swim group, I was always looking for new workouts to do – this would have been so handy! Swimming has been a hard thing for me to love, but ever since I joined my masters group, I look forward to getting up at o’dark thirty to meet my new friends for a good swim.
Masters groups are the best! But I find it helpful to have a few workouts available in case I’m traveling or need to get an extra swim in on my own. Glad you have a good group to train with!!
The swim is the best part of triathlon! Probably because it is the only one of the three at which I’m somewhat decent
I love the crazy start and I especially love passing waves of men who start before me. But, after the swim I get passed… a lot. The bonus of that—I get to see plenty of well-toned tushes go by! Great job during the PTRR! I hollered as you made the turn at 10th and Peachtree.
Hahaha! If I hadn’t already decided to do a drawing, I think the “tushes” comment might take the cake! And thanks for the cheers!!
I love swimming b/c I was part of the lane 4 crew…. Coolest lane at the Gabrielsen natatorium
I love swimming, because it gives me the time to clear my head with very little distractions around me, and also helps my upper body look strong.
This comes at the perfect time, because I have just started swimming on my own. After not really ever finding a place to swim in Philly, I finally decided to just get off my butt and do it on my own. I also signed up for two sprint tri’s this year. Gotta start somewhere, right?
Wow. Nice sets. I am always looking for new workouts but this one is bit extreme for a guy who only does olympic distance tris. I might have to tweak it a bit to fit by 2500-2700yd workouts.
Why do I love swimming? I’ve been doing it for almost 35 years (yes, I’m fairly old) and I guess I am pretty good at it. Its a great advantage when racing tris.
Good luck with your racing Haley.
I have just learned to swim in the past year and I am LOVING it! It’s a great full-body workout. My favorite part is that since I’m so new to swimming, I feel like I’m constantly improving. Can’t wait to get to the pool and try out this set!
I love swimming because it’s a fantastic workout and it’s kinder to my joints than running is. Bonus: as hard as I work, I still stay cooler than I do when running!
I love swimming because I can stay cool. Today was so hot and humid during a run!
I love swimming for the old friends and new friends. #1 Lane 8 girls.
#2. I am traveling for work and got to swim in Charleston this morning with a teammate/friend from college, GO TIGERS! I am happy and lucky swimming is a part of my life, past and present!
I love wearing a speedo 😉
I’m like Kimberly, I like the swim because it’s my strongest leg of a triathlon. I also love getting such a good workout with so little impact.
In the winter, I love swimming because it makes me feel warm, and in summer I love it because it cools me off!
What Imlove about swimming is the peace and serenity that it brings. It takes me to another place where I can clear my head and just focus on me. Underwater, there are no distractions, no stresses…just me and the water. It gives me something that I can’t find anywhere else!
My favorite part of swimming is when you get a new suit! New suits, especially fun patterns and colors, make me smile. And happy swimmers swim fast.
I love that it is a full body workout and that I can let my mind just focus on swimming!
Love the post swim meals!
I love swimming cuz it puts me in a zen like state and is so meditative…then when I’m doing intervals, it challenges me…I can only go from a meditative state to all out with swimming and biking! Luv it!
I like swimming because of the challenge it provides me. I haven’t swam since I was in high school. It’s not hard to pick back up again but it’s weird how bad you get when you haven’t done something for over a decade.
I love swimming for the quiet it provides, especially after training mainly on roads for biking and running. As soon as my head is underwater it is instant relaxation.
This is awesome Haley! Just started swimming again since “retirement”, how I’ve surprisingly misse it. What’s not to love about swimming? BEST thing it has brought to my life are friendships: so thankful for all the coaches, teammates and friends who have turned into family as a result of the sport.
Did your workout this am : ) 10 mile open water on the radar-time to get back at it in the pool!
I love everything about swimming. Especially jumping into a cold pool before 6 am and staring at a black line for hours.
This workout looks great! I definitely will give it a whirl. My favorite thing about swimming: It’s taken a while to actually enjoy getting my bum to the pool bright and early, but I do love the rhythm of swimming… it’s meditative!
I love swimming bc of the ease on your joints. And it reminds me of fun summers as a kid.
Gotta love swimming! as a clydesdale, its the one discipline where Iam on the top 20% of the race, after the swim is all about enjoying the race and continuous imrpovement.
I love swimming because it keeps me cool and active in a way that doesn’t seem to exhaust me like other work outs.
To start with I love swimming because there are no dogs or cars like their is for biking and running. You will never be taken down and hit the cement while swimming. Next I love swimming because no matter how far i swim or how hard I swim the worse thing that happens is that I am tired for a short time. No pulled muscles or sore knees and ankles, Or saddle sores or chaffed , you know where. And just for the sport of triathlon. no penalties for drafting , blocking , over taking, etc. And when you do get passed, most of the time you dont know who or what age group they are in. painless. Swimming is really the best part of Triathlon