Great Body Position Focus
Recovery Workout
Objective: Work on mastering a set of body position drills. By
training your body to automatically maintain great body position at the
surface, you minimize drag and maximize the efficiency of the power that
you provide with your arms and legs. You may want to do this workout in
a shallow, warm pool. You may use fins if your kick is weak, but whether
or not you use fins, be sure to provide only enough momentum by kicking
to feel the correct body position and balance. Too much kicking provides
too much momentum, which defeats the purpose of these drills.
Total Distance = 1400 yards
Set 1 - Warm-up; Dist = 200 yards
1 X 200 Freestyle Swim on 4:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Maintain same stroke count per length (SPL)
Drill Down, Swim Back Sets: General Instructions
Drill slowly and mindfully - master each drill. Kick only hard enough
to maintain momentum in the correct body-balance position. These are not
kicking drills. They are balance drills. Drill down (25 yds), and then
swim back (25 yds) at a relaxed pace, trying to maintain the body position
feeling for the drill. Take a very short rest between repeats (2-4 breaths).
If the fifth and sixth sets, which are dynamic balance drills, are impossibly
difficult, cycle through the static balance drill sets (2-5) a second
time. When the static balance drills (2-5) become comfortable, move on
the dynamic balance drills (6-7).
Begin every length of drilling with good swimming posture - in other
words, with a flat spine: belly button in, lower ribs tucked towards the
hips, neck long and chin back.
Set 2 - Stroke Drill; Dist = 200 yards
4 X 50 Freestyle Swim on 1:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Nose Up Balance Drill - drill down, swim back
Nose Up Balance Drill: Kick on your back with arms at sides,
head deep as possible - only the goggles, nose and mouth should be out
of water.
Set 3 - Stroke Drill; Dist = 200 yards
4 X 50 Freestyle Swim on 1:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Nose Down Balance Drill - drill down, swim back
Nose Down Balance Drill: Kick on your stomach, breathe by lifting
your chin straight forward - this will make your hips sink, so take
a quick breath and get your head back down quickly to recover your balance.
Set 4 - Stroke Drill; Dist = 200 yards
4 X 50 Freestyle Swim on 1:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Side Balance Drill - drill down, swim back;
left side odd repeats, right side even repeats
Side Balance Drill: Kick on your side, both arms at sides. Use
swimming breathing if possible, rotating face only far enough to get
air (practice getting a quick breath). If swimming breathing is not
comfortable, roll to your back to breathe.
Set 5 - Stroke Drill; Dist = 200 yards
4 X 50 Freestyle Swim on 1:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Extended Side Balance Drill - drill down, swim back;
left side odd repeats, right side even repeats
Extended Side Balance Drill: As above, but extend the lower
arm fully out front, palm down.
Set 6 - Stroke Drill; Dist = 200 yards
4 X 50 Freestyle Swim on 1:00 - Training Cat: EN1
4-Position Balance Drill: drill down, swim back
4-Position Balance Drill: Arms at sides, start in nose up balance
position. When balanced, rotate 90 degrees to one side (eyes down) and
remain there for a few kicks, then rotate in the same direction another
90 degrees to your belly and remain there for a few kicks; rotate 90
degrees in the same direction to your other side (eyes still down) and
remain there for a few kicks, and finally rotate to your back. Do not
spend too long in any one position or you will run out of air!
Set 7 - Stroke Drill; Dist = 200 yards
4 X 50 Freestyle Swim on 1:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Side-to-Side Balance Drill - drill down, swim back
Side-to-Side Balance Drill: Arms at sides, begin in side balance.
Rotate from one side to the other. Keep your head down and use swimming
breathing.When you have mastered this drill, it should look like freestyle
swimming without the arms. The ultimate goal is to do this drill with
a 6-beat kick (3 kicks on each side). Start by focusing on moving smoothly
from side to side. Then when you have figured out how to connect your
rotational kick, snap your hips from side to side every third kick.
Set 8 - Cool-down; Dist = 200 yards
1 X 200 Freestyle Swim on 4:00 - Training Cat: REC
Long relaxed strokes
Totals by Stroke
1600 yards Freestyle (100%)
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