Recovery Swim with Sculling and Backstroke
A 2700 m easy session of sculling, backstroke and relaxed freestyle that gives tired shoulders a break and keeps your feel for the water.
- Duration
- 1 h 11 minestimated
- Distance
- 2,700 m
- Effort
- 59
- Level
- Advanced
- Focus zone
- Recovery
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
100% is your threshold pace. Higher values are faster, lower values are slower.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upRecovery Easy freestyle | 400 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 2 | Warm-upRecovery Easy backstroke | 200 m | 72-82% CSS pace |
| 3 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 4.1 | IntervalRecovery Front scull, pull buoy | 50 m | 45-65% CSS pace |
| 4.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 5.1 | IntervalRecovery Mid scull, pull buoy | 50 m | 45-65% CSS pace |
| 5.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 6.1 | IntervalRecovery Freestyle, easy | 100 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 6.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 6.3 | IntervalRecovery Backstroke, easy | 100 m | 72-82% CSS pace |
| 6.4 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 7.1 | IntervalRecovery Double arm backstroke, easy | 50 m | 60-78% CSS pace |
| 7.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 2 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 8.1 | IntervalRecovery Pull buoy, easy | 200 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 8.2 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 9 | Cool-downRecovery Easy choice of stroke | 300 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
About this workout
After a block of hard freestyle the shoulders often feel tight at the front. This session moves them differently. Backstroke rotates the arms in the opposite direction and opens the chest, double arm backstroke adds a gentle, even stretch, and sculling keeps the feel for the water with almost no load at all.
The structure is simple. Two sculling blocks with a pull buoy come after the warm-up, then four rounds of easy freestyle and backstroke 100s, then double arm backstroke and two easy pull 200s. Everything stays at recovery pace with short rest, so the session flows without ever getting hard.
It suits experienced swimmers on an easy day in a heavy week. If any movement causes pain in the shoulder rather than just tiredness, leave it out, and see a physical therapist if the pain persists.
Tips
- Keep the sculling slow and the wrists firm.
- Let the backstroke recovery arm pass close to the ear with a relaxed hand.
- End the session if the shoulders feel worse rather than better.
Good forPoolMasters swimming
Season phaseRecoveryAny time