It is time for your third swim workout! If you are reading this and wondering what I am talking about, please refer to my first post about swimming for fitness online here.

At this point, you should already be swimming at least two days per week. Now that you are ready to move on to more yardage (or more meters), it is time to definitely switch up your weekly workout routine, and incorporate three days of swimming per week. Here is a sample weekly workout you can use as a guide starting this week:

Weekly workout routine: week three

Monday: Swim

Tuesday:  High intensity aerobic workout such as spin, cardio-kickboxing, or step

Wednesday: rest or take a leisurely walk around your neighborhood for half an hour (just stretch)

Thursday: Swim

Friday: Weight training, medium cardio workout such as walking on the treadmill or cardio dance.

Saturday: swim

Sunday: rest or take a leisurely walk around your neighborhood for half an hour (just stretch)

Week three swim workout (1000 yards or meters)

Warm-up: Two 50’s freestyle (2 laps short course)

4 laps alternating strokes in IM order (Butterfly, backstroke, breastroke, freestyle) rest 15 seconds between each lap

4 50’s freestyle, lap one easy pace, lap two swim medium pace, rest 20 seconds between

Kickboard: flutter kick (freestyle kick) 2 100’s (4 laps each) non-stop (rest 20 seconds between 100’s)

1 50 freestyle medium pace (rest 20 seconds)

1 50 freestyle as fast as you can go! (rest 30 seconds)

2 50’s freestyle medium pace (rest 20 seconds)

4 laps alternating strokes in IM order (Butterfly, backstroke, breastroke, freestyle) rest 15 seconds between each lap

2 50’s freestyle easy pace, rest 30 seconds between each lap

• Stretch for ten minutes, both arms and legs.
• Check back next week for another workout!

Welcome to week two of swimming for fitness! If you have already mastered the 500 yard workout I posted earlier this week, then congratulations are in order! If not, bookmark this post and come back when you feel ready to add more to your swim workout.

If you are reading this, and wondering “what in the world is she talking about?” Then please read my first post entitled” How to start swimming for fitness.” It includes an easy, 500 yard (or meter) workout at the bottom of the post.

After mastering the first workout, you are ready to move on to the second workout. An easy way to keep this workout next to your lane while you are swimming, is to print it out, and place it on a damp kickboard. Leave the kickboard at the end of your lane. The paper will stay put, and you can easily access your workout; so there is no need to memorize it. Love that!

Week two swim workout (750 yards or meters):

Warm-up: Two 50’s freestyle (2 laps short course)

4 laps alternating strokes in IM order (Butterfly, backstroke, breastroke, freestyle) rest 20 seconds between each lap

4 50’s freestyle, lap one easy pace, lap two swim medium pace, rest 20 seconds between

Kickboard: flutter kick (freestyle kick) 4 laps non-stop (if you need to rest between laps, rest 15 seconds)

1 50 freestyle medium pace (rest 20 seconds)

1 50 freestyle as fast as you can go! (rest 30 seconds)

1 50 freestyle medium pace (rest 20 seconds)

4 laps of freestyle easy pace, rest 30 seconds between each lap

Stretch for ten minutes, both arms and legs.

• It is up to you if you want to continue swimming twice a week, or if you would like to up your swimming to three times per week. Always remember to get two days of rest during the week, and remember to stretch!
• I also recommend doing at least five minutes of ab work everyday. This will help strengthen your core, which will help you in the pool.

Enjoy! It’s perfect swimming weather out there!

Also, remember to check  back every Saturday for a new workout.