Swim Speed Workouts for Swimmers and Triathletes: The Breakout Plan for Your Fastest Freestyle (Swim Speed Series) Paperback – Download: Adobe Reader, March 1, 2013

My master's swim program just ended for the summer and I was looking for ways to keep going without paying to continue at other pools. This is a great alternative! I think I'm at the point where I want to swim alone and on my own for awhile working on technique, and this program offers that. I agree with other reviewers that it's not the best "beginner" program. When I was a true beginner, which was only a year and half ago, I could figure out how to read a workout sheet 10 x 25 pull with buoy, catchup, kick, whhhhaaaatttt????!! A beginner may feel intimidated with this book. If you sit through it, I'm sure there are ways a beginner could figure it all out because the drills are well detailed, PLUS there are videos you can watch! So don't be discouraged from buying this set if you are a true beginner, just know it's okay to be confused, we've all been there.I like the program lay out and will be working through this full set doing the two times a week workout (maybe three). What I didn't like are the cards. When my four year old pulled them out of the box and ALMOST got them all mixed up, I realized I have a potential problem. You could put them back in order, but it would take time. SO, I bound mine!One thing is that each workout includes time to tube. I recommend this set: AmazonBasics Resistance Band Set with 5 Bands, Foam Handles, Door Anchor, Ankle Straps, and Carrying Case. I like using the resistance bands, but I'll be the first to admit, I'm not going to do this at the pool, for so many reasons I won't mention, all related to my own insecurities, but I will gladly do them at home :) Plus, I need time to work that part of my workout out since I've never done it for swimming before.Overall this is a GREAT set, and I can see now why it has so many five star reviews.

I am an amateur swimming with no formal training and few years of experience via self-training (thank you Internet videos). This workout program is great. It provides structure to my workouts and is challenging for someone not used to swimming over 2500 yards during each session. The plan includes various sets of cards and a short book, all of which are waterproof and are included in a plastic holder that drains water from the bottom (i.e., all are suitable for the pool deck). The book provides a great overview of the plan (highlights from the author's paperback book). There are cards describing the basic terminology she uses in the plan (the Tool Kit), cards describing the drills in the plan (the Drills), cards for the 16 weeks of workouts - 3 workouts per week (the Workouts), and cards for the tubing discussions (the Tubing). I was a little skeptical about the waterproofing of the workout cards, but they are waterproof. I take them as-is to the pool each time and no issues. The workouts themselves are great since they vary in distance and drills. Each workout is broken down into a warm-up, drill/main set, a bonus set, a warm-down, and the tubing exercises. The author does a good job breaking up the monotony of swimming laps with the variety. She includes an overall purpose of the workout, the suggested intervals for each drill, rest times, percentage of effort, and an occasional short motivation statement. The "she-ra" sessions at the end of the week (these are what she calls the most challenging workouts of each week) are around 4000 yards and give you a great sense of accomplishment once you're done. I would highly recommend this plan. My opinion is that this plan is well worth the $20 I paid. Best of luck.

I learned to swim freestyle two years ago when I joined a triathlon team. I was coached by a fantastic former collegiate swimmer/ certified triathlon coach. There I learned the fundamentals of freestyle swimming. Two years have passed and I no longer swim my workouts with my team. For months, I've met a friend at the pool twice a week and we swam random pool workouts that we picked up here and there. However, we wanted something a little more systematic. So I picked up Swim Speed Workouts.It is incredible how fast my friend and I have improved using these workouts. The drills included in the workouts have changed our strokes for the better, especially the one arm drills. We noticed right away how weak our left arms were the first time we did this drill. Within two weeks we see a much stronger and coordinated left arm pull. We also notice with the breath work that we are able to swim the length of the pool with no breathing easily. This is something we could never do before.These workouts seem like lots of little drills and swim sets and yet the payoff we've seen in our strength and speed have been amazing. And after we are done swimming, we are wiped out. We are definitely making the most of our time in the pool. Thanks Coach Sheila.