Friday Morning Kick Set

I have a traditional group kick set that I do with my team every few weeks that works really well at getting the entire team a great kick set, not just the good kickers.  It was inspired as I was teaching spinning classes at the local health club.  In a spinning class you have riders of all abilities getting the same workout in the same amount of time and I took this concept to the pool.


It is based on intensity and effort, not sendoff's and our goal is to have the same effort in every lane.  Once you get the idea, you can change it up to different patterns which I have done from time to time, but this is the standard set:  If a swimmer needs to pass someone they go down the middle or just turn around and go the other direction.  There should not be a problem with anybody holding anybody up.

It is 29 minutes in length.  I also limit the BR Kick to one round of their choice and I don't let anybody do BR Kick on the easier intervals.  My teams have always worked hard at this set, and even the slower kickers appreciate the opportunity to stay with the main pack.

Round 1: (6 minutes)
* :30 cruise kick, :30 sprint kick

2:00 to kick with a friend or do an ez 100 swim, but they can't sit on the wall.

Round 2: (7ish minutes)
*15 cruise - 15 sprint - 15 cruise - 30 sprint - 15 cruise - 45 sprint - 15 cruise - 60 sprint - and back down.

2:00 to kick with a friend or do an ez 100 swim, but they can't sit on the wall.

Round 3: (6 minutes) - building effort
* 15 cruise - 15 80% - 15 90% - 15 100% (the effort builds to max at the end of each minute

2:00 to kick with a friend or do an ez 100 swim, but they can't set on the wall.


Round 4: (6 minutes - short max efforts)
*15 cruise - 15 sprint kick - 15 cruise - 15 sprint kick w/ vertical board (if they get to a wall, they have to stay kicking against the wall).

Enjoy - I hope it works as for you as it does for me!