This month’s featured workout comes from the Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics team in New York, courtesy of head age group coach John Fedena.

Fedena’s practice, which is geared towards the 13-14 age group, emphasizes underwater pullouts, body line and flow drills in breaststroke, and four elements that contribute to fast freestyle – starts, breakouts, turns and kicking. Enjoy!

Warmup – 15 minutes

3 rounds of:

37.5 yards kick

3 bobs

37.5 yards choice

Block jump!

50 kick

2 pull ups using the blocks

25 choice

Breaststroke Pullouts – 15 minutes

6 step progression

1. glide (for distance)

2. kick (dolphin kick, whip and snap)

3. glide (for distance)

4. pull (fingertips down, squeeze to body)

5. glide (for distance)

6. recover (move hands from pockets to overhead as fast as possible; when hands pass face, quick kick)

6 steps  swim

6 steps   count strokes

6 steps   count strokes, trying to get less than 4

Breaststroke Technique – 20 minutes

Drills: 3 kick/1 pull; 3 count glide; Carla Drill (Courtesy of David Marsh – right arm fly stroke – left arm fly stroke – 2 small breaststroke strokes; main idea is to maintain body dolphin and tempo throughout entire drill)

2 x 25 3 kick/1 pull

2 x 25 3 count glide

4 x 25 Carla drill

2 x 25 3 kick/1 pull – 2 kick/1 pull – 1 kick/1 pull

2 x 25 3 count glide – 2 count glide – 1 count glide

6 x 75 @ 1:30

1x25 3-2-1 kick/1 pull

1x25 3-2-1 count glide/1 pull

1x25 Carla

Free Starts/Breakouts – 20 minutes

Main Idea: hold the body line from push, or dive, through the surface to maintain as much speed as possible. Initiate the pull with arm closest to surface.

Looking for FEET to break surface first; then HEAD to break surface (as arm begins pull); and then HAND to break into first full stroke.

X 25

1 - streamline line kick on surface; 10 BIG fast kicks

2- streamline line kick on surface; 10 BIG fast kicks

3- streamline line kick on surface; 6 BIG fast kicks, 1 pull to L position, hold for 6 kicks

4- streamline line kick on surface; 3 BIG fast kicks, 3 pulls to L position, hold for 6 kicks

5- streamline line kick on surface; "feel" BIG fast kicks, 5 pulls to L position, hold for 6 kicks

From a dive -

1- streamline line kick on surface; "feel" BIG fast kicks, 5 pull to L position, hold for 6 kicks

2- streamline line kick on surface; "feel" BIG fast kicks, fast to wall

Free Kicking – 35 minutes

Freestyle kick with fins.

3 rounds of:

3 x 100

#1 @ 1:40, #2 @1:30, #3 @ 1:20

6 x25 @ :45

Odd: max effort surf kick

Even: easy choice

Flip Turns – 10 minutes

1 power position push (snap toes to surface)

3 strokes and fast flip, easy to the wall

5 strokes and fast flip, easy to the wall