Butterfly & Backstroke Swimming Workout (5,000 Yards) – KDS Focused for Technique and Endurance

This swim workout is a KDS (kick-drill-swim) lover's paradise because that's all it is. Today we are focusing on butterfly and backstroke because that is what I am teaching this week. If you do not like the drills I supply/they are not targeting what you need to work on, please supply your own. However, it is important that the KDS pattern remains.

Time: 90-120 min

Yardage: 5,000

Equipment needed: N/A

Difficulty: mid difficult - difficult workout. All intervals are suggestions - if you're struggling, add 5 seconds until you find an interval you can work with.

Warm up

Yardage: 800

• 1x200 swim

• 1x200 kick

• 2x100 @ 1:45 freestyle

• 2x100 @ 1:50 backstroke

Set 1

Yardage: 1,200

Focus: butterfly

• 4x75 @ 1:40

  • odd: ripple, kick on back, ripple drill

  • even: kick on back, ripple drill, kick on back

• 4x75 @ 1:30

  • odd: 1-armed butterfly, full stroke, 1-arm butterfly

  • even: slow recovery, full stroke, slow recovery

• 4x50 4k to 1pull @ 1:10

• 4x25 full butterfly @ :40

• 3x100 IM @ 1:50

Set 2

Yardage: 1,100

Focus: backstroke

• 4x75 @ 1:35

  • odd: kick on back, 6k switch, kick on back

    • Arms should be clasped behind your back during the kick on back. Will help you to push your momentum forward.

  • even: 6k switch, kick on back, 6k switch

• 2x100 backstroke @ 1: 45

• 4x75 @ 1:20

  • odd: 1-armed backstroke, full stroke, 1-armed backstroke

  • even: double recovery, full stroke, double recovery

• 3x100 backstroke @ 1: 40

Main Set

Yardage: 1,200

Rounds 2: 1) butterfly 2) backstroke

• 200 @ 2:45

  • 50 swim

  • 50 kick

• 2x100 swim @ 2:00/1:50

• 4x50 kick @ 1:00

• 2x100 swim @ 1:50/1:40

• 4x50 @ 1:10

• 2x100 swim @ 1:40/1:30

Warm down: Active recovery

Yardage: 700

7x100 @ 2:00 choice

Your swim workout is complete!

Congratulations on completing your swim workout. Now, go stretch it out.