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Thick Water Focus - Group Workout

Objective: Use your hands, wrists and forearms to move your body past a spot in the water by applying even pressure back toward your feet for as long as possible during the stroke. Get used to holding a spot in the water and pulling your body past that spot using your core (not your arms). Make the water you are holding feel as thick as possible. See 3 Tips to Increase Distance Per Stroke - the fourth clip on the Natalie Coughlin Video Clips page. Also see the Video Clips - Sculling page for sculling information and drills. Of the three types of sculling, "Sculling 2" is the easiest to learn and therefor the most valuable for triathletes or newer swimmers.

Set 1 - Warm-up; Dist = 400 yards
1 X 400 Freestyle Swim on 8:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Build to EN1 (long-distance pace) and count your SPL for day.

Set 2 - Conditioning; Dist = 600 yards
3 X 200 Freestyle Swim on 4:00 - Training Cat: EN1
While at EN1 pace, make the water as thick as possible for as long as possible during the stroke.

Set 3 - Egg Spinning (around an anchored arm); about 5 minutes
Each rep is done in the egg position: take a deep breath and hold it, assume the fetal position and grab hold of your knees. Spin for about 5 minutes using the following pattern:

1. Spin smoothly and and evenly with your dominant arm.
2. Take a quick breath.
3. Spin equally smoothly and evenly with your weaker arm.

Focus: Think about spinning your body by holding a spot in the water with your arm - an "arm anchor" with your hand, and then pulling your body to that anchor.

Set 4 - Conditioning; Dist = 600 yards
3 X 200 Freestyle Swim on 4:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Same focus as set 2: make the water as thick as possible for as long as possible during the stroke.

Set 5 - Scull 2 Drill; Dist = 400 yards
Scull 2 is performed with the elbows extended straight out from your shoulders.
8 x 50: First 25: Scull 1 Drill; Second 25: Freestyle to the wall.
Try to make the water feel as thick as possible at the "front" of your stroke.

Set 6 - Conditioning; Dist = 600 yards
3 X 200 Freestyle Swim on 4:00 - Training Cat: EN1
Same focus as set 2: make the water as thick as possible for as long as possible during the stroke.

Set 7 - Cool-down; Dist = 400 yards; Time = 08:00;
1 X 400 Freestyle Swim on 8:00 - Training Cat: REC
At recovery pace, try to lower your SPL by 1.

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