Weekend Swim Workout: Long Kick And Speed Shifts

Let’s get kicking. As Olympian and swim coach Gary Hall Sr. says, “If there is one skill that most differentiates the fast swimmers from the not-so-fast swimmers, it would be the strength of the kick.” That’s why this set from coach Sara McLarty opens with a long kick set, which lets you spend a dedicated block of time focusing specifically on your kick. But here’s where things really get fun – this session closes out with fast sets, which helps you to build up the endurance to maintain that strong kick even when you’re tired. Is this a hard workout? Yes. But it’s also a great way to build up the strength and speed you’ll need for faster racing.

Choose a workout below based on your fitness level and schedule, and jump in!

RELATED: Why It’s Important to Conquer the Swim Kick

A:
500 choice warm up
8-minute kick (:30 easy, :30 hard, :15 easy, :15 hard, repeat)
8×50 drill on :50 (right arm/left arm by 25, Catch-Up, repeat)
2 x [50 FAST! on :45
50 easy on :45
100 FAST! on 1:30
100 easy on 1:30
150 FAST! on 2:15
150 easy on 2:15]
6 x [75 IM on 1:15
100 free on 1:30]
20×25 on :30 (even #s: easy/choice; odd #s: AS FAST AS POSSIBLE)
200 cool down
*4200 Total*

RELATED: Swim Kick Sets You Won’t Hate

B:
500 choice warm up
6-minute kick (:30 easy, :30 hard, :15 easy, :15 hard, repeat)
6×50 drill on 1:10 (right arm/left arm by 25, Catch-Up, repeat)
3 x [50 FAST! on :60
50 easy on :60
100 FAST! on 2:00
100 easy on 2:00]
5×150 on 3:00 (50 non-free/100 free)
10×25 on :40 (even #s: easy/choice; odd #s: AS FAST AS POSSIBLE)
200 cool down
*3100 Total*

RELATED: The Four Functions of Your Swim Kick

C:
400 choice warm up
4-minute kick w/fins (:30 easy, :30 hard, :15 easy, :15 hard, repeat)
6×50 drill w/ :15 rest (right arm/left arm by 25, Catch-Up, repeat)
2 x [50 FAST! w/ :10 rest
50 easy on w/ :20 rest
100 FAST! w/ :10 rest
100 easy w/ :20 rest]
4×150 w/ :30 rest (50 non-free/100 free)
200 cool down
*2300 Total*

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