Page 110 - Women’s Health - Australia (February 2020)
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fitness
W E E K S T HR E E T O F I V E
WEEK TWO If you feel like you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to move on to full swimming sessions.
Not sure you’ve got your strokes nailed? Continue rotating the previous four sessions,
SESSION 1 twice a week, to build your practice. From here, we’ve given you six full sessions but,
U P P E R B O D Y if you’d rather, you can mix and match your twice-weekly sessions to include any
Take a 20-sec rest between warm-up, main set, subset and warm-down – or forgo the subset if you’re short on time.
each exercise. This session
will focus on your arm
technique and upper- WEEK THREE WEEK FOUR WEEK FIVE
body fitness. Win-win!
WA R M - U P SESSION 1 SESSION 1 SESSION 1
100m full-body swimming at WA R M - U P WA R M - U P WA R M - U P
a gentle pace – any stroke. 200m full-body swimming 100m full-body swimming 200m freestyle or
at a steady pace. at a gentle pace; then 4x backstroke at a steady pace.
6 x 50m F R E E S T Y LE 25m freestyle, increasing
6 x 50m B A C K ST R OK E M A I N S E T your speed each length. M A I N S E T
Hold a small float between your 100m any stroke, legs Take a 20-sec rest after 50m backstroke;
legs or cross your ankles so only; 100m any stroke, your first 100m. 100m freestyle;
your legs are out of action. arms only. Perform each stroke 150m backstroke;
Use your arms to power you. at a medium pace and repeat M A I N S E T 200m freestyle;
four times, taking a 30-sec rest 2x 25m any stroke 150m backstroke;
8 x 25m B R EA STST R OK E between each stroke type. at maximum speed; 100m freestyle;
Take your legs out of action as 25m any stroke at a gentle 50m backstroke.
before and use your arm power. S U B S ET pace. Repeat up to 10 times, Perform each stroke at a
25m fists drill of any stroke; taking a 30-sec rest every medium pace, taking a 30-sec
6 x 50m F R E E S T Y LE 25m of the same stroke,
As before, hold a small float swimming normally. Repeat 75m. Wear paddles to boost rest between each stroke
between your legs. If you can, four times, taking a 20-sec the intensity of your type and adding paddles or
add paddles to your hands rest every 50m. upper-body workout. fins to up the intensity.
to work the upper body W A R M - D O W N S U B S ET
even more. W A R M - D O W N 200m full-body, steady pace. 50m butterfly kicks, front
100m full-body swimming
WA R M - D O W N at a steady pace. or back; 50m any stroke at a
Repeat the warm-up. steady pace. Repeat up to
three times, taking a 30-sec
SESSION 2 rest between each stroke type.
SESSION 2 WA R M - U P WA R M - D O W N
100m freestyle at a gentle
SESSION 2 WA R M - U P pace, 100m holding a float 200m backstroke at
S P E E D 100m freestyle at a gentle out in front of you to work a steady pace.
This is about mastering pace; 100m holding a float in your lower body on any
different paces so you front of you to work your legs. stroke you like.
can differentiate between M A I N S E T
a gentle pace, medium 100m backstroke; M A I N S E T SESSION 2
pace and fast sprints 100m freestyle. 2 x 100m any stroke, arms only; WA R M - U P
to build your fitness. Repeat up to five times at a 100m any stroke, legs only. 100m any stroke at a steady
medium pace, taking a 30-sec Repeat up to three times at a pace; 100m holding a float in
rest between each stroke type. steady pace, taking a 30-sec front of you, working your legs;
WA R M - U P rest between each stroke type. 100m with a float between your
100m full-body swimming at S U B S ET legs to work your upper body.
a gentle pace – any stroke. 50m freestyle, breathing S U B S ET
every third stroke; 25m freestyle, counting M A I N S E T
4 x 25m F R E E S T Y L E 50m freestyle, breathing strokes; 25m freestyle, with 200m freestyle at a medium
Increase your speed every every seventh stroke. four fewer strokes. Repeat up pace; 100m any stroke using JAN WELTERS/TRUNK ARCHIVE. ILLUSTRATION: LIZZY THOMAS
length, then take a 20-sec rest. to six times, taking a 15-sec only your legs at a steady pace.
Repeat up to three times at a
10 x 50m F R E E S T Y L E medium pace, taking a 20-sec rest after every 50m. Repeat up to four times, taking
a 30-sec rest between
OR B A C K ST R OK E rest between each stroke type. WA R M - D O W N each stroke type.
Alternate between 25m at your WA R M - D O W N 200m full-body swimming
maximum pace and 25m at a 100m swim holding a float at a steady pace. S U B S ET
gentle pace for recovery. Take out in front of you to work 2x 25m double arm backstroke;
up to 30 secs rest every 50m. 2x 25m fists drill of any stroke.
your lower body on
2 x 25m F R E E S T Y L E whichever stroke you like. Repeat up to three times,
taking a 20-sec rest
power kick.
between each stroke type.
2 x 25m ANY S T R O K E , WA R M - D O W N
legs only. “Lots of people swim 200m full-body swimming
Do freestyle power kicks at with their heads so low that at a steady pace. wh
full speed for two lengths. Then the water is going over the
free-swim at a steady pace back of their heads and down ADDITIONAL WORDS: LIZZA GEBILAGIN. PHOTOGRAPHY:
using just your legs. Take a their backs. But if you lift your
20-sec rest between each head a bit, it changes your
stroke type. Repeat three times.
body position,” says Pickering.
WA R M - D O W N “Imagine you’re like a
200m of full-body swimming speedboat, with the front
at a gentle pace – any stroke.
lifted up higher rather
than the back.”
110 womenshealth.com.au FEBRUARY 2020
