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Kicking Focus

Objectives: Main set focus is on changing gears from fast start (with 6-beat kick) to cruising speed (with 2-beat kick). Slower group main set focus is on learning proper kicking technique.
Review Dry Kicking Exercises: Kicking on the mat and ankle stretching. For more info on Kicking, see the great kicking article on the Swim Smooth Website: Leg kick in the freestyle stroke
Also check out the video clips on the Breakwater Sports kicking page: Video Clips - Kicking

Set 1 - Warm-up; Dist = 400
100 Freestyle - Cat: EN1
200 Freestyle with Pull Buoy or 0-Beat Kick (drag your legs at the surface) - Cat: EN1
100 Freestyle - Cat: EN1

Set 2 - Vertical Kicking Drill; Dist = 8 minutes, call it 400
8 x (45s kick + 15s rest), vertical kicking
  1 & 2: focus on minimal knee bend, count 3 kicks per second
  3 & 4: rotate one quarter turn to right every other third kick
  5 & 6: rotate one quarter turn to the left every other third kick
  7 & 8: rotate in alternate direction every third kick

Set 3 Drill; Dist = 200
One-arm drill with 2-beat kick focus; switch arm each 50; switch leg focus each 25, so: for the first 25 focus on kicking with leg on the side of the arm doing the stroking, and for the second 25 focus on lifting the opposite leg as the stroking arm strokes
4 X 50 One-Arm (unused arm out front, holding a kickboard in that arm is optional)

Faster GroupSlower Group

Set 4 Conditioning; Dist = 2000
Focus on changing gears after first 25.

All repeats: 6-beat kick and EN3 effort first 25;
2-beat kick and EN2 effort remainder of repeat;
30 seconds rest before starting each repeat

4 X (200, 150, 100, 50)

Set 4 Conditioning; Dist = 1500
Focus on changing gears after first 25.

All repeats: 6-beat kick and EN3 effort first 25;
2-beat kick and EN2 effort remainder of repeat;
30 seconds rest before starting each repeat

3 X (200, 150, 100, 50)

Set 5 - Cool-down; Dist = 400
1 X 400 Freestyle Swim - Cat: REC
Recovery with focus on relaxed 6-beat (or 2-beat) kick

Total 3400 / 2900

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