Set of the Week - September 21, 2007

 Here's an IM set that's good for early-season training because it works all the strokes and all the muscles, and keeps you pretty solidly in the aerobic zone.

The set keeps your mind engaged and pulls you right along. It will be over before you know it!

8 X 200 on :20 Rest Interval
#1: FR/FL/FR/BK/FR/BR/FR/FR
#2: FL/FR/BK/FR/BR/FR/FR/FR
#3: BK/FL/BK/BK/BK/BR/BK/FR
#4: FL/BK/BK/BK/BR/BK/FR/BK
#5: BR/FL/BR/BK/BR/BR/BR/FR
#6: FL/BR/BK/BR/BR/BR/FR/BR
#7: FR/FL/FR/BK/FR/BR/FR/FR
#8: FL/FR/BK/FR/BR/FR/FR/FR

Variations:
#1. Swim two rounds (16 X 200), using fins on the second round.

#2. Drill the butterfly. E.g., do 2L/2R fly...or start each fly length with 3 strokes fly then switch to freestyle...or do fly/breast combo.

#3. Do the set in true IM order, i.e., swim #1 would be FL/FL/FL/BK/FL/BR/FL/FR. Swim #2 would be FL/FL/BK/FL/BR/FL/FR/FL.

#4. Make it 8 X 400 instead of 8 X 200.
If you're easing into butterfly after a long layoff, you could drill the fly (e.g., 2L/2R fly or 3 strokes fly --> switch to freestyle to finish the length).

For a bit of a challenge, do all of the free/breast transitions with a flip and an underwater pullout.