Swimming Set of the Week - July 31, 2009

This week's set is actually several short sets that we combined into a stations workout for Masters practice this morning.    The hula-hoop station was hilarious.  If you don't have this exact list of equipment, just improvise with whatever cool equipment or challenges you can think of.   

We had 13 swimmers, ranging from beginner to advanced.  We grouped into squads of 4, 4, and 5, based on speed and ability.
We used the following equipment:
2 physio balls
4 hula hoops
3 stretch cords/ tethers
1 grudge belt
1 parachute
13 kickboards
13 pairs of fins
1 whistle
 

WARMUP:  10 minutes

WARMUP FOR THE LEGS:  5 minutes
4 X 25 kick with no equipment
Odds:  Flutter kick on your stomach
Evens:  Flutter kick on your back

STATION #1:  WHISTLE KICK  (10 minutes)
The entire group does this together.  
Grab fins & a kickboard.  Everyone starts kicking flutter kick with a board.  Coach will whistle and point to a swimmer who has just turned at the wall.  The entire team must kick FAST until the named swimmer completes a length of kick.  When the designated swimmer completes the length, Coach whistles and everyone keeps kicking but at a slower rate.  Coach whistles again when another swimmer turns and everyone kicks fast until that swimmer completes a length.  This continues until every swimmer has been a "designated" swimmer... or for a max of 10 minutes.  

STATION #2:  CORDS/PARACHUTE/GRUDGE BELT (10 minutes)
Now we break into smaller groups so that 4 or 5 swimmers are at Station #2, another 4 or 5 are at Station #3, and the rest are at Station #4.  
Swimmers at Station #2 take turns using the cords, parachute, and grudge belt -- for about 10 minutes, then each group moves to a new station.

STATION #3:  HULA HOOPS & PHYSIO BALLS  (10 minutes)
Swim a 300 IM or 300 free (beginner swimmers did 200), but after every 25 you climb out of the water and do:
Odd lengths:  10 hip circles with a hula hoop
Even lengths:  10 crunches on the physio ball  (Lie on your back on the physio ball with both feet on the deck.  Clasp both hands behind your head and do 10 crunches.)

STATION #4:  50s  (10 minutes)
Swim 50s for approximately 10 minutes.  Your choice of stroke, equipment, and sendoff.

WARMDOWN:  100 easy