Training all four competitive strokes is a fantastic way to get in shape quickly. Individual Medley focused workouts are considered the most taxing types of workouts by competitive swimmers because of all the muscle groups and energy systems that get used.

This Middle Distance IM workout is a mix of aerobic IM conditioning mixed with shorter speed oriented stroke swimming. Over the course of the workout, you’ll alternate multiple energy zones, paces, and stroke types. You can read more about the different training zones used in swimming here.

Workout Statistics:

Distance: 4,600 yards

4,600 yards Duration: 76 Minutes

76 Minutes Focus: Building Aerobic Capacity Through IM

Building Aerobic Capacity Through IM Dynamic Intervals: Based Off The Times Below

Warm-Up

A long 500 yard aerobic swim followed up by a 600 yard kick set will get the body ready for the workout to follow. Intense kick sets are best done BEFORE the main set because the legs are most fresh and the body will yield a higher output. The key to kicking fast is KICKING FAST. The kick set is followed by a shorter short-rest IM set alternating each stroke by two 25s.

Drill Set

It’s important to focus on some element of technique before heading into a longer main set. Traditionally before an IM set, you’d drill all the strokes. In this workout, there is a focus on freestyle and each of the drills and their associated videos are intent on improving some element of the freestyle stroke.

Main Set

While it looks complicated, it’s relatively simple and repetitive. The Main Set calls for alternating a 400 IM at THRESHOLD with 4 x 50s Descending. The interval on the 50s is ENDURANCE so it’s moderately short rest.

This Main Set is intended to be run through without any breaks between the 400 IMs or 50s. The 400 IM is a beast of a swim, but by alternating 50s between rounds you can focus on individual strokes with relatively more rest and intent on speed.

Warm Down

It’s important to let your body recover and cool down after a physically fatiguing set. 100-200 meters is the minimum recommended to flush out lactic acid that was built up during the main set. A cool down and post-swim recovery can easily take up to 30 minutes or more.

Be sure to checkout 10 Steps to Swimming Smarter Freestyle and download the MySwimPro app in the App Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android!

MySwimPro for iPhone

MySwimPro for Android