Weekend Swim Workout: 12 Days Of Christmas

This 5,850-yard swim set (all 75s) may be the cheesiest – or best? – workout idea yet, which is probably why it’s so popular. Carve out a good chunk of pool time and get ready for the most wonderful swim of the year! (You’ve got to sing that phrase, by the way – it’s in the holiday rules.)

Here’s how it works: Each “day” is one 75, broken up differently. You’ll swim day 1 for your first interval. Then, you’ll swim day 2, day 1 for your second interval. Then day 3, day 2, day 1. The idea is to keep adding on to the set and work your way back to number one. Choose a comfortable interval that will give you about 5-8 seconds rest every 75. (Note that some 75s, such as those with breaststroke will be slower than others.)

Thanks to swim coach Glenn Moore, the head of Delaware Swim and Fitness Center Tri-Dawgs, for the inspiration!

The 12 swims of Christmas workout

Sung (at least somewhat) to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a 75 free!
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, one free-drill-free and a 75 free!
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, one hypoxic 3/5/3, one free-drill-free and a 75 free!

Print this out and bring it to the pool deck.

1. Freestyle
2. Freestyle-drill-freestyle
3. Hypoxic, breathe every 3/5/3
4. Backstroke/freestyle/backstroke
5. Freestyle
6. Drill-freestyle-drill
7. Hypoxic, breathe every 5/7/5
8. Breaststroke/freestyle/breaststroke
9. Freestyle
10. Breaststroke/backstroke/breaststroke
11. Hypoxic, breathe every 7/9/7
12. Pull

Looking for more swim-spiration? Check out our complete archive of Weekend Swim Workouts from coach Sara McLarty.