When rookie swimmers first start out, finishing just one length of the pool is a huge accomplishment! But as we progress on to do more laps, from 10 to 20 to 30 and more each time, we start to wear out.
Mentally, we're bored of the routine freestyle stroke lap after lap and we find our motivation to swim or workout decreasing as time passes.
Well, dreary as that sounds, it doesn't have to be this way! As a swimmer, (and I speak in my capacity only) I have found that creating my personalised workouts makes my exercise regimes much more exciting, and when I go back for trainings in school, I don't dread the long laps or mundane routines as I have been doing other kinds of exciting routines out of the training schedule, so going back to mundane laps isn't an issue anymore.
(: Here, I will share with you a few routines you can do, bear in mind, the number of sets done for each of these routines vary from individual to individual, depending on your stamina and experience.
So let's get you started! Routine 1: beastly butterfly I call this beastly butterfly as it's a pretty workout to look at, but it pushes your body to the max baby! Key: 1 set = 100 m (2 laps of a standard 50 m pool) Routine: warmup: 6 sets freestyle (moderate pace) into the action: 2 sets free, fly, back, breaststroke (4 times) Dig it hard: (i)2 sets butterfly butts (place a pull buoy between your legs and do the butterfly stroke, exaggerating on your hip movement and breathing deeply) (4 times) (ii) 4 sets freestyle (3 stroke - 1 breath for 1st set, 5 stroke - 1 breath for 2nd set, 7 strokes, 1 breath for 3rd set and 9 strokes, 1 breath for 4th set) Blissful Rest/warm down: (i) 2 sets freestyle (slow pace) (ii) 2 sets arm rotations (pull buoy clamped between legs) (iii) 2 sets breaskstroke (slow pace) FINISH! Routine 2: Dip in, Dip out This is a routine I usually use when I have to get to school really early in the morning and wish to get in a bit of exercise before school starts! Warm up: (i) 4 laps freestyle (moderate pace) (ii) 2 laps each (freestyle, butterfly) (alternating for 4 times = total: 16 laps) Bust my lungs: (i) 6 laps Butterfly (fast pace) (ii) 6 laps freestyle (fast pace) cool me down: (i)2 laps freestyle (ii) 4 laps breaststroke FINISH! Routine 3: This is usually done when my energy is all sapped from school work and projects.
Warm up: (i) 6 laps freestyle (moderate pace) Slowly Does it: (i) 5 laps freestyle (fast pace) (ii) 5 laps butterfly (fast pace) (iii) 6 laps arm stroking (pull buoy clamped between legs) (5 pulls, 1 breath, continuous) Finally over: (i) 2 laps freestyle (moderate pace) (ii) 2 laps breaststroke (slow pace) FINISH!