One-Hour Workout: Take Your Pick—IM or Freestyle 50x50 Set

Every Tuesday we’ll feature a different coach’s workout you can complete in 60 mins (or less!).

This week’s swim workout comes from Atlanta-based coach Andrew Shanks, who is pursuing his Masters in Exercise Science at George State and works for Dynamo Multisport. His Dynamo Swim Club is celebrating their 50^th birthday soon, so his fellow coach Beth Winkowski created an IM set and Shanks altered it for freestyle-loving triathletes. First-year pro (and the first woman out of the water at this year’s Ironman Hawaii) Haley Chura posted this as her swim workout of the week back in September.

Individual Medley version

Warm-up: 4×225 (75 kick, 75 drill, 75 stroke, IM order) w/ 20” rest

Main Set: 50×50 (aka 10 rounds of 5×50) All on 50” or 10” rest (50” is lowest interval, take 10” if you’re touching the wall past 45”)
• #1/2: Free
• #3: 25 Butterfly/25 Backstroke
• #4: 25 Backstroke/25 Breaststroke
• #5: 25 Breaststroke/25 Freestyle
= 2500 main set/3400 total

Warm down: 200 kick
= 3600 total

Adjust as needed to fit time requirements.

RELATED: Why You Should Learn The Backstroke

Freestyle version

Warm-up: 4×150 w/fins (50 kick, 50 drill, 50 swim) w/ 20” rest

Main Set: 50×50 (aka 10 rounds of 5×50) All on 50” or 10” rest (50” is lowest interval, take 10” if you’re touching the wall past 45”)
• #1: Easy
• #2: Breathe every 3^rd stroke
• #3: 25 fast/25 easy
• #4: Breathe every 5^th stroke
• #5: FAST!

* To make it more challenging do #2 as breathe every 5^th stroke and #4 as breath every 7^th stroke.
= 2500 main set/3100 total

Warm-down: 200 kick
= 3300 total

RELATED: Why You Should Learn The Backstroke

More one-hour workouts.

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