Boss Tones

NLSC - Gold - Distance - AM
SCY

3 x 600  EN1
fins, snorkel, paddles
snorkel, paddles
snorkel, fins

8 x 50 DK/FK w/fins on :55 EN1

9 x 25 Sprint Medley on :40  SP3

3 x {1 x 500 Free BOSS on 8:00  EN3
      {1 x 400 IM BOSS on 8:00 EN3

100 CH EZ

The Wall

800 w/ paddles,fins,snorkels EN1
2 x 400 #1 fins,snorks; #2 paddles,snorks EN1
4 x 200 alt IM, Back on 3:05 EN2
8 x 100 on 1:20 EN2
16 x 50 alt 4 on 1:00 fast EN3, 4 on :45 EN1

12 x 75 on 1:10 EN2/EN3
4 of every 6 are free/stark/free make it
2 of every 6 are sprint in deep end working turns

1200 free relay (3 x 400)

400 ch EZ

Holiday Road

500 rev IM

9 x 200 [150Fr/50Bk] on 3:00, 2:45, 2:30 EN1-EN3

6 x 25 Sprint Medley on :40 SP3

4 x {1 x 125 [25fr,50bk,50fr] on 1:40 EN2
{2 x 25 uH2O dk fast on :40 SP2
{1 x 125 IM dbl bk on 1:50 EN2
{2 x 25 uH2O dk fast on :40 SP2

13 x 100 on 1:40,1:30,1:20,1:10,1:30,1:10,1,10,1:30,1:30,1:30,3min rest, 1:10,1:10,1:10

100 CH EZ

Free-bird Free-falling

500 free w/ fins, snorkels

10 x 50 dk/fk w/fina on :50 EN1

3 x {3 x 50 descend on :50 EN1-EN3
{3 x 25 sprint medley on :30 SP3

Pace Awareness set:
20 x 50 BPA on 1:00 EN3
10 x 50 Back/Brst on 1:05 EN1
15 x 50 BPA on :50 EN3
300 CH EZ
10 x 50 BPA on :40 EN3

Cool Down

TNT - Dynamite

NLSC - Gold - AM

3 x 300 SKS

20 x 50 SK 1:00/:50/1:00/:45 EN1-EN2
In groups of 5

3 x 3 x 75 SKS on 1:20
K is sprint
Sets of Free,back,Free in sets of 3

6 .5 x {1 x 125 [75fr/50bk] on 1:55 EN2
{w/ extra long exits off walls
{3 x 50 Bk/Brst work crossover turn on:55 EN1

20 x 25 Fly on :30 EN2

Work on crossover turn technique

Thunderball

NLSC - Distance - AM
SCY

400 Free w/ fins, paddles, snorkel  EN1
400 Free w/ fins, snorkel  EN1
400 Kick w/ fins, snorkel  EN1
4 x 100 Free w/ snorkel on 1:20  EN2

8 x 600 on 8:00  EN2-EN3
descend 1-4; 5-8

10 x 50 Back on :50 EN1

6,900 yards

Ride your pony, Mony, Mony

NLSC - Gold - AM
SCY

300 CH

8 x 50 Swim/Kick on :55 EN1
no two consecutive 50's same stroke

15 minutes of Crossover turn work



8 x 50 Back/Brst on 1:05  EN1
work the crossover turn

500 FK SLOB  EN2

20 x 50 on 2:00  EN3
from the water climb out and dive in from block
sprint 25 fly, climb out, 7 fast push ups
dive in, sprint 25 free, climb out,
10 tricep finishes with stretchcords, 5 streamline lunge jumps
see video of set here

20 x deep water bobs for recovery and breath control
see video of bobs

10 Great Ways to Teach Children How to Swim | Summer Nanny

I just ran across tis blog today.  Good advice!

10 Great Ways to Teach Children How to Swim | Summer Nanny:

'via Blog this'

Drop It Like its Hot

NLSC - Gold - AM
SCY

Main Group:

200 CH

8 x 100 on 1:40  EN1
rev rotate 25 Kick through

6 x 150 IM on 2:15  EN2
Fly, Bk, Bk, Brst, Fr, Fr

22 x 100 alt Free/IM  EN1-EN3+
all Free on 1:30
IM 1:30, 1:25, 1:20, 1:15, 1:10, 1:05, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, 1:25, 1:30

20 x 75 Kick w/fins EN2-EN3
on the 1:15 w/ every 4th 75 on :55

Deep Water Bobs for Breath Control

Distance Group:

200 CH

7 x 200 on 2:40 w/fins and snorkel EN1+

4 x 400 IM on 6:00 EN2

10 x 200 FK w/fins and snorkel on 3:05  EN2

20 x 25 Fly EN2
on the :30 w/ every 4th on :20

Deep Water Bobs for Breath Control

Core Development and Connectivity in the Beginning Swimmer

I have heard it said, that the most important and influential school teachers, are those that teach kindergarten.  Similarly, I believe that the coaches that have the biggest influence on the future of a swimmer, may just be Novice group coaches and Learn to Swim Instructors.  For the last few years I have been working to develop and grow the Northern Lights Swim Club Learn to Swim Program, and most recently, I have taken over as the coach of the NLSC Anchorage Novice group.  In both capacities, I have come to realize the importance of teaching young swimmers how to engage their cores and maintain their connectivity while swimming.

I have recently begun taking regular classes at Studio One Pilates in Anchorage.  The classes have really made me contemplate the effectiveness of what I have been teaching my swimmers.  What drills and exercises are actually engaging my athletes in a way that translate into future success in the water?  What can I improve?  What do I need to learn?

It wasn't long before I realized that my swimmers learn arm and leg movements relatively easy, but the effectiveness of those movements are limited by the strength and stability of each athletes core.  Think about your only developmental athletes and you will begin to understand what I am saying.  There is a lot of stimulus in and around each of them, but are they really engaging their bodies effectively?

I have begun focusing on three basic abdominal muscle groups:

• Rectus Abdominis - for short axis power and stability and turns
• Obliques - for long axis strokes and torsional power
• Transverse Abdominis - general core stability

It is important to realize that these muscles don't really work independent of each other.  That said, athletes need to develop a cognitive awareness, a feel if you will, for each of these groups.  Their ability to consciously engage each these muscle groups will enhance their power and connectivity while swimming.

Rectus Abdominis

I was watching my Novice swimmers struggle with flip turns, and I pulled them out of the water to instruct them.  "Use your abs", I said.  They all know where their abs are, but none of them could actually flex them when asked to.  Thinking on my feet, I asked them to place their hands on their upper abs, just below their sternum.  I then asked them to laugh.  They could all feel their abdomen tighten below their hands.  We literally spent the next few minutes practicing laughing!  It has ended up being one of the most effective awareness drills in my toolbox.

Actual development of the Rectus Abdominis muscles is pretty straight forward.  I like two, in water, exercises.  First, dolphin kick on their backs in a streamline position.  I like to use fins because it seems to encourage a bit more abdominal engagement.  Fins also let them feel some speed and feel more effective.  Feeling speed and progress in the water is important, and fins help with this.

My second exercise uses somersaults.  I send them off on a 25 or 50 in which they perform a somersault every 5th stroke (hand hit).  Before I send them off, I prompt them to use their laughing muscle to begin each somersault.

Obliques

The need to effectively engage the obliques, especially in long axis strokes, is pretty obvious.  Oblique torsional strength and control allows for effective arm and leg movements, and minimizes the need to engage muscle groups that may take the body out of alignment.

I start with the swimmer out of the water.  While holding their head in my hands, and asking them to keep their feet planted, I ask them to twist.  For some of them, this exercise is a bit more difficult than you might think.  I takes some coordination and thought.

In the water, I have a few exercises:

• Kicking on back with fins and hands at side, I ask them to rotate each shoulder and hip toward the ceiling after every 10th flutter kick.  I watch them closely to make sure they aren't just shrugging their shoulders out of the water.
• Kicking vertically, with fins, and hands either streamline or crossed over the chest, I ask them to turn first to the right, and then to the left.  It is important to make sure they don't twist by taking themselves out of alignment (leaning/lunging).
• Kicking streamline, with fins, horizontally, in a streamline.  Send them off on a 25 or 50, I ask them to rotate to the right, and then to the left, with a 1/4 turn every 5th kick.  Again, it is important to make sure they don't initiate their twisted by taking themselves would of alignment.  Many of them will try to use their heads to initiate this twisting motion.  Be sure to encourage torsional movement initiated from the core, rather than the extremities.

Transverse Abdominis

This layer of muscle is beneath the other abdominal muscles, and strengthening it is tricky.  For young swimmers, it is probably impossible to isolate, and develop, the transverse abdominis on it's own.  That said, some basic isometrics can help younger swimmers to begin to engage this fundamental stabilizing muscle.

• Isometric leg lift - While on their backs, with their hands underneath their hips, have the swimmers lift their legs about 6 inches off the ground while lifting their head just off the ground.  This does not isolate the transverse abdomnis, but I believe it activates it.  This exercise also stimulates the rectus abdominis.  Have them hold this for 15-30 seconds for three to five repetitions.
• Planks - While propped up on their forearms and toes, have your swimmers hold their entire body in a straight lined (including their head).  Have them hold this for 15-30 seconds for three to five repetitions.  Be sure to make corrections to their body positions during each rep.  Don't let them raise/drop hips or head out of line with the body.

I don't really have any in water drills for the transverse abdominis, but the dryland exercises with create awareness.  I use words like "feel the tightness", or "flex your belly" when I want to try to engage this muscle while swimming.

Conclusion

I think it is important for the developmental swim coach/instructor to constantly be engaging the muscle groups outlined above.  If we wait until they are more advanced age group swimmers, we may have allowed them to develop bad habits that misalign them in their swimming.  These bad habits can be nearly impossible to overcome.

Take the time while they are developing to engage the core and promote connectivity.  I believe it will pay off in the long run.