Flip Turns – Summer Review
Although open water swimming and triathlons do not require the use of flip-turns, it is important to use them in the pool setting for a couple of reasons.
- Flip-turns add a challenging aerobic component to a workout. It’s like getting two workouts, for the price of one! Each flip-turn is its own mini-workout, aiding you in increasing lung capacity.
- Flip-turns minimize the amount of time spent on the wall between laps. The quicker the transition, the more similar it is to swimming in a long distance open water/triathlon swim.
- Lastly, flip-turns are fun! Really!!!! Doing flip-turns throughout the entire swim workout increases core strength, something that is essential to proper swimming form/technique. So get out there and flip-turn away! A great way to add them gradually is to commit to a flip every 4th lap as a beginner method. Then commit to every 3rd lap until you are feeling comfortable. Keep adding turns as your lung capacity and comfort improves.
Workouts
Total Yardage= 2,050
Focus: Flip-turns
3 x 150 FREE :30 rest (flip-turns!!)
50 Free breathing 3, 5, 7
50 catch-up drill & fingertip drag drill together
50 Free breathing 3, 5, 7
3 x 100 FREE :35 rest
75 free, 25 swim of “6 strokes, then flip” drill (see video)
4 x 25 kick :15 rest
FREE kick for 10 seconds, then 1 butterfly kick (repeat until done)
* Think: I must do 1 buttterfly kick before I do a flip-turn.
6 x 100 FREE :40 rest (flip-turns!!)
#1,3,5….50 sprint, 50 easy
#2,4,6….75 moderate, 25 sprint
2 x 200 FREE w/ buoy & ankle band :15 rest
200 EZ
Dryland (abs/core)=
1- 15 V-ups
2- 30 trunk twists (flat hands on each touch)
3- :30 sec Superman
4- 15 Left/15 Right threading the needle
5- 30 crunches
Total Yardage= 1,950
Focus: Open water swimming
Associated video links:
4 x 100 FREE :15 rest
75 FREE, 25 Backstroke kick w/ streamline
1:00 vertical kick drill
2 x 200 FREE :45 rest (no flip-turns, no touching walls)
*Go through x 2 to complete 200 FREE
– 25 FREE swim
– 25 Tarzan drill (freestyle with head out of water)
– 25 FREE swim (spotting/looking up every 7 strokes)
– 25 Tarzan drill
4 x 50 FREE kick :20 rest
* w/ no kickboard, hands straight ahead and shoulder-width apart, use sculling to breathe (see video link)
5 x 50 FREE w/ fins :30 rest (flip-turns!!)
* SPRINT all of them!
2 x 200 Free w/ buoy, ankle band & paddles
4 x 25 underwater
200 EZ
Dryland=
1- 15 dips
2- 30 sit-ups
3- 15 push-ups
4- :30 sec Superman
5- 15 squats
6- :30 flutter kick
Total Yardage= 1,900
Focus: Open water swimming
4 x 200 :20 rest
#1, 3…
100 FREE kick, 100 FREE swim
#2, 4….
(75 FREE swim, 25 swim “5 strokes FREE, 5 strokes BACKSTROKE” drill) x 2
4 x 100 FREE :25 rest
– 50 swim, 50 kick (no board, kick in streamline position, turn onto back to breathe)
3 x 100 :30 rest (no flip-turns, no touching walls)
#1,3…7 strokes FREE swim, 2 BREASTSTROKE arms/kick
#2…FREE catch-up drill & fingertip drag drill together
4 x 50 FREE kick w/ fins :35 rest
* SPRINT ALL OF THEM!
1:00 vertical kick drill
200 EZ
Dryland=
1- :30 sec 8-point plank
2- 30 trunk twists (flat hands on each touch)
3- :30 sec Superman
4- 15 Left/15 Right threading the needle
5- :30 flutter kick
Total Yardage= 1,875
Focus: Speeeed!!
Associated video links:
3 x 100 FREE swim :20 rest
#1…w/ fins
#2…w/ fins & paddles
#3…w/ fins, paddles, pull buoy & ankle band
2 x 200 FREE :20 rest
50 swim, 50 kick w/ no kickboard, hands straight ahead and shoulder-width apart, use sculling to breathe (see video link)
3 x 100 FREE :25 rest
(25 moderate, 25 sprint) x 2
3 x 75 moderate pace swim :25 rest
50 FREE, 25 STROKE (your choice)
2 x 100 FREE :25 rest
#1…50 moderate, 25 easy, 25 sprint
#2….50 moderate, 25 sprint, 25 easy
2 x 75 FREE SPRINT :30 rest
50 swim, 25 kick w/ no kickboard, hands straight ahead and shoulder-width apart, use sculling to breathe (see video link)
4 x 25 FREE w/ fins :35 rest
* SPRINT all of them
200 EZ
Dryland (some soccer moves to improve hip strength)
1- 15 burpees
2- 30 knee touches
(stand and lift one leg up at a time for knee to touch on palm of hand located just below chest height)
3- 15 Left/15 Right threading the needle
4- 30 toe touches (straight ahead, in front of body, alternating legs)
