Today was stroke technique. Although I missed Monday, this week was backstroke week. I decided to go ahead and focus on it today. I did several different drills because I like variety. This was a very heavy backstroke workout, but, if backstroke isn’t your stroke, do a different one. 🙂 I’m including the other drills at the bottom of the workout, but do the drills you’re comfortable with.
As ever, it’s important to adjust these workouts for your fitness level, whether it’s to decrease/increase the intervals, adjusting the distances and strokes, etc.
55-minute swim workout, backstroke technique
500 warmup (~7:30 min)
Warmup set (700 yds, 13 min)
12 x 25 back on :30
Repeat below 4x
1: crossover too far above head
2: now place your arms too far away from your side (this will feel weird)
3: fast backstroke placing arms straight in alignment with your shoulders
1 x 100 free on 1:45
8 x 25 on :30
Odds: stop your stroke perpendicular to the water, count three seconds, then continue stroke
Evens: regular backstroke
100 free on 1:45
Main set (1700 yds, 30 min)
R1:
4 x 75 on 1:15
1: 25 back/50 free
2: 25 free/25 back/25 free
3: 50 free/ 25 back
4: 75 back
4 x 25 back on :30
Odds: drill
Evens: swim
R2: same as R1
50 easy on 1:00
R3:
4 x 75 on 1:10
1: 50 free/25 back
2: 25 free/25 back/25 free
3: 25 back/50 free
4: 75 back
4 x 25 back on :35
Odds: drill
Evens: swim
R4: same as R3
Easy 50 on 1:00 after.
200 warm down
Total yards: 3100
Drills:
- hands open like you’re holding a bowl, bend wrists at the top of the pull, and pull down like you’re trying to push the bowl through the water
- 3 strokes back/3 strokes free. The idea here is to get the feel of what it’s like to use your freestyle pull in your backstroke.
