Would you like to start swimming? Have you been swimming longer and you would like to improve your speed? Or maybe your daily duties don't allow you to join a swimming group under the supervision of a coach? You are in the right place.
We prepared a training plan for you, which is suitable for both, beginners and swimmers who want to give their usual training a proper structure.
Before swimming, like before any other sport, it is recommended to warm up on dry land first and then warm up in the water for better quality results. We have mentioned in the previous article how to warm up properly before swimming. After the dryland warms up it's time to warm up in the water.
Warm-up in the water
In this phase, we need to pay attention to the quality of the movement and its execution, rather than speed. We should try to include all swimming styles (crawl, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly) and it's recommended to swim around 200-300m. If you measure your training with a smartwatch, you can say that the pace should be at least 20 seconds at 100m slower than your normal training. In this warm-up phase, you shouldn't feel tired or out of breath and the main focus is on the development of swimming technique and endurance.
Swimming technique
Arms:
4x25m crawl one arm stroke with a kickboard (switching the arms on every 25m)
4x25m superman – the body is on the side with one arm next to the body and the other arm outstretched above the head followed by a crawl kick (switching the arms on every 25m)
2x25m arm waits for arm – catch up – both arms are outstretched above the head and we make a whole stroke first with one arm and when both arms meet we make a whole stroke with the other arm. We can use a kickboard for this exercise in case the balance is not strong enough with the same effect where arms replace each other on the board
2x25m fingers touch armpit – we swim crawl but every time during the stroke we touch our armpits with the fingers and after we continue with the stroke. This exercise is good for improving the elbow movement and lifting the shoulder in the crawl technique.
Legs:
2x25m crawl legs with a kickboard – arms are outstretched on the board and we make crawl kicks with legs
2x25m breaststroke with a kickboard - arms are outstretched on the board and we make breaststroke kicks with legs
4x25m crawl legs with fins – again we will need a kickboard for this exercise and this time we will add fins. If you don't have fins yet we recommend you include them in your swimming equipment. Thanks to the fins, you will intensify the crawl kick and build muscle strength in your legs.
Swimming endurance
From the beginning, we recommend that you use a pull buoy for endurance training. If you swim with a pull buoy, you don't need to worry about the lower half of your body and you can focus on your upper half of the body, crawl stroke and breathe. For us, a pull buoy is a must-have aid and always have it on hand.
We recommend starting at 400m, although it may seem like an unbearable distance, it's not. It's important that you swim with a slower tempo, concentrate on exhaling into the water and not rush anywhere. Endurance training is not about speed. If 400m is too much for you, you can divide it into two, for example, 2x200m or 300m+100m and take a short break between.
Recovery
In the end, it's important to swim 100-200m. Although this part sometimes seems completely useless, it is an important part of the training. The body needs to calm down, rest and stretch after the training. It's advisable to include all four styles like at the beginning, even if your whole training is based on crawl it's good to include at least breaststroke and backstroke at the end of the training.
