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This Friday, we’re swimming with the band – literally. Most triathletes are familiar with paddles and pull buoys, but lack a band in their bag of swim tools. That’s a shame – using a band around your ankles during swim workouts can be a powerful strength builder in the pool.
You can purchase a stretchy band for swimming online or save money by fashioning one from a spent bike tire. The key is to have something that fits around your ankles, and you can easily slip on and off between sets. By restricting the ability to kick while swimming, the body is forced to compensate with faster arm turnover, which is a critical skill for faster swimming. Swimming with a band can be quite challenging at first, so this set from coach Sara McLarty lets you call on a buoy for some floaty assistance. (If you opt to go without the buoy, we recommend doing this set in the pool’s shallow end, just in case.)
If you want to swim with a band, with the band, grab a few of your training buddies and make this a social workout. Pick a set that fits your schedule and fitness level, and dive in!
RELATED: Ask a Gear Guru: What Are The Best Swim Training Tools?
A:
300 swim/200 pull/100 kick
4×150 @ 2:30 (50 free/50 non-free/50 free)
4×150 pull @ 2:15 (with buoy and band)
10×50 @ :60 (25 FAST/25 easy drill)
5×100 IM @ 1:45 (descend 1–5)
100 easy/recovery
10×50 swim (4 @ :40 strong, 1 @ :50 easy, repeat)
5×100 IM @ 1:45 (descend 1–5)
200 cool-down (50 kick/150 swim)
*4100 total*
RELATED: Five 30-Minute Swim Workouts
B:
200 swim/200 pull/100 kick
4×150 @ 3:00 (50 free/50 non-free/50 free)
4×150 pull @ 3:00 (with buoy and band)
6×50 @ 1:10 (25 FAST/25 easy drill)
4×100 swim @ 2:00 (descend 1–4)
100 easy/recovery
6×50 swim (2 @ :50 strong, 1 @ :60 easy, repeat)
4×100 swim @ 2:00 (descend 1–4)
200 cool-down (50 kick/150 swim)
*3400 total*
RELATED: A 4-Week Triathlon Swim Training Plan to Help You Swim Better and Faster
C:
200 swim/200 pull/100 kick
4×150 w/ :20 rest (50 free/50 non-free/50 free)
4×150 pull w/ :20 (with buoy and band)
6×50 w/ :15 rest (25 FAST/25 easy drill)
4×100 swim w/ :20 rest (descend 1–4)
100 cool-down (50 kick/50 swim)
*2500 total*
Looking for more swim-spiration? Check out our complete archive of Weekend Swim Workouts from Coach Sara McLarty.