Individual Medley Drill Set for All Four Strokes
A 3500 m medley session with kick and one key drill per stroke in medley order, followed by smooth 200 m individual medley repeats.
- Duration
- 1 h 27 minestimated
- Distance
- 3,500 m
- Effort
- 83
- Level
- Advanced
- Focus zone
- Endurance
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-upEndurance Easy freestyle | 400 m | 85-92% CSS pace |
| 2 | Warm-upRecovery Easy backstroke | 200 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 3.1 | Warm-upEndurance Freestyle, build each 50 | 50 m | 85-92% CSS pace |
| 3.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 4.1 | IntervalEndurance Kick, change stroke every 25 in medley order | 100 m | 55-75% CSS pace |
| 4.2 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 5.1 | IntervalEndurance Single arm butterfly | 25 m | 65-85% CSS pace |
| 5.2 | IntervalTempo Butterfly | 25 m | 75-92% CSS pace |
| 5.3 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 6.1 | IntervalRecovery Single arm backstroke | 25 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 6.2 | IntervalEndurance Backstroke | 25 m | 78-88% CSS pace |
| 6.3 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 7.1 | IntervalRecovery Breaststroke, 2 kicks 1 pull | 25 m | 55-72% CSS pace |
| 7.2 | IntervalEndurance Breaststroke | 25 m | 65-80% CSS pace |
| 7.3 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 8.1 | IntervalRecovery Fingertip drag drill | 25 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
| 8.2 | IntervalEndurance Freestyle | 25 m | 85-92% CSS pace |
| 8.3 | Rest | 20 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 9.1 | IntervalTempo Medley, butterfly | 50 m | 78-92% CSS pace |
| 9.2 | IntervalTempo Medley, backstroke | 50 m | 80-92% CSS pace |
| 9.3 | IntervalTempo Medley, breaststroke | 50 m | 68-82% CSS pace |
| 9.4 | IntervalTempo Medley, freestyle | 50 m | 92-96% CSS pace |
| 9.5 | Rest | 30 s | |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 10.1 | IntervalEndurance Freestyle, smooth | 100 m | 85-92% CSS pace |
| 10.2 | Rest | 15 s | |
| 11 | Cool-downRecovery Easy choice of stroke | 300 m | 75-85% CSS pace |
About this workout
An individual medley swims the four strokes in the order butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Training all four makes you a more complete swimmer, spreads the load across different muscles and gives freestyle specialists a welcome change.
After the warm-up you kick 100s that change stroke every 25 m. The drill block then takes one key drill per stroke in medley order. Single arm butterfly for rhythm, single arm backstroke for rotation, 2 kicks 1 pull for breaststroke timing and fingertip drag for the freestyle recovery. Each drill length is followed by a length of full stroke. Four 200 m medleys at a smooth aerobic effort put the strokes together, with attention on clean changes between strokes. Easy freestyle 100s finish the main set.
It suits swimmers who can swim all four strokes for 50 m. Replace butterfly with backstroke or dolphin kick if needed.
Tips
- Swim the butterfly at the start of each medley calmly, it sets up the rest.
- Practice the backstroke to breaststroke turn, it often costs time.
- Keep each drill length slow and precise, and give the full stroke length the same focus.
Good forPoolMasters swimming
Season phaseBaseAny time