Weekend Swim Workout: The Perfect 10
This kitchen-sink workout has a little bit of everything, in ten sets of 400, 300, or 200.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Want to get the most bang for your buck? You’ll want to do a kitchen-sink swim workout, where you hit a little bit of everything – kicks, pull, non-freestyle, and descending sets. But such workouts can get really complicated, really fast, which is why coach Sara McLarty came up with the concept of “The Perfect 10” – ten sets in one workout. To keep things simple, the distance remains the same for all ten sets. Choose a set based on your ability level or how much yardage you need to get in at the pool. The A set is 4000 yards/meters, the B set totals 3000, and the C set is 2000.
A:
10×400 with 30 sec rest
#1 Easy, warm up
#2 50 kick/50 non-free/repeat
#3–5 Pull, descend time 1–3
#6 50 non-free/50 drill/repeat
#7–9 Swim, descend 1–3
#10 Easy, cool down
RELATED: 5 Most Epic Triathlon Swim Courses
B:
10×300 with 30 sec rest
#1 Easy, warm up
#2 50 kick/50 non-free/repeat
#3–5 Pull, descend time 1–3
#6 50 non-free/50 drill/repeat
#7–9 Swim, descend 1–3
#10 Easy, cool down
RELATED: Video: 9 Stretch Cord Exercises to Improve Swim Strength and Technique
C:
10×200 with 30 sec rest
#1 Easy, warm up
#2 50 kick/50 non-free/repeat
#3–5 Pull, descend time 1–3
#6 50 non-free/50 drill/repeat
#7–9 Swim, descend 1–3
#10 Easy, cool down
Shake up your swim routine with more weekend swim workouts from Coach Sara McLarty.