The aim of this workout is to work on your swimming form. Do not worry about pace or times. This is all about developing good form habits.

See the swimming drills at https://www.alpfitness.com/tag/swimming-drills/.

In your post-workout comments, indicate how you felt with a letter grade:

A. Felt amazing; superhuman
B. Felt fairly good; decent workout
C. Felt a bit flat or off (e.g., heavy legs)
D. Had to stop early; didn't have it today
F. Could not train due to illness or fatigue

Write down any factors that may account for your rating above (e.g., took a nap yesterday, motivated by nice weather, had poor night's sleep, working longer hours this week).

This General Strength workout will prepare you for Max Strength work and Muscular Endurance work later in the season.

Do 1 set of 8-12 reps. Do each group as a circuit, rotating from one exercise to the next (you can rotate through all groups in one big circuit, if you’d prefer). Keep moving through the circuit and/or stretching between each set. This provides a more efficient and beneficial workout.

Always maintain perfect form with attention to safety. If in doubt on how to do an exercise, consult a trainer in the gym or choose an alternate exercise.

GROUP 1
a. Cable twist up-down
b. Good morning
c. Dumbbell Single Leg Split Squat

GROUP 2
a. Seated row
b. Dumbbell bench press
c. Lat pulldown

GROUP 3
a. Power clean
b. Dumbbell Prone Rear Delt Raise
c. Dumbbell Standing Lateral Raise

When finished, spend some time stretching. Hold each stretch for 3 minutes.

STRETCHES
a. Seated hamstring stretch
b. Groin stretch
c. Standing Quadriceps Stretch
d. Calf stretch

================
NON-GYM OPTIONS
================
If you don’t have access to a gym, you can do alternative exercises with equipment at home like stretch cords, a TRX, and a stability ball. These options are provided below.

GROUP 1
a. Front/side planks (do sets of 30 seconds)
b. Good morning (use body weight)
c. Single Leg Split Squat (use body weight or water jugs using a bench or stairs)

GROUP 2
a. TRX high row
b. TRX chest press or push-ups*
c. TRX low row
*Push-ups can be done with feet on a stability ball for more resistance

GROUP 3
a. Body squats
b. Hitchiker (prone position with thumbs up)
c. Lateral raises (stand on stretch cord)

For descriptions and demos of alternative non-gym exercises, see https://www.alpfitness.com/category/functional-strength-videos/.

====================
LINKS TO GYM DEMOS
====================

GROUP 1
a. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Obliques/CBUpDownTwist
b. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/BBGoodMorning
c. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/DBSingleLegSplitSquat

GROUP 2
a. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/CBSeatedRow or
b. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBBenchPress
c. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/CBFrontPulldown

GROUP 3
a. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/PowerClean
b. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidPosterior/DBLyingRearLateralRaise
c. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBLateralRaise

STRETCHES
a. https://exrx.net/Stretches/Hamstrings/Seated
b. https://www.exrx.net/Stretches/HipAdductors/LyingGroin
c. https://www.exrx.net/Stretches/Quadriceps/Standing
d. https://exrx.net/Stretches/Gastrocnemius/Wall

Perform 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps (or 30 second intervals) as a circuit—that is, rotating from one exercise to the next. Always perform exercises with perfect form. Add/subtract reps or time as needed to keep it challenging.

Add additional core exercises or make changes to this routine based on your needs and preferences.

For descriptions and demos of exercises, see https://www.alpfitness.com/category/functional-strength-videos/.

1. Superman
2. Front plank
3. Glute bridge
4. Side plank
5. Donkey kicks
6. Lying hip abductions

==================
ADVANCED ROUTINE
==================

1. Superman
2. Front plank with straight leg hip extension
3. Glute bridge
4. Side plank with hip abduction
5. Donkey kicks

You should do this time trial in a fasted state. Do not eat for at least two hours before the test. Ideally, do the test in the morning after not eating since dinner the night before.

The course can be flat or up a steady 5-10% grade, but avoid a course with rolling hills. Choose a familiar course that you can return to each time you do this workout.

Do an easy warm up until you break a sweat.

Once you are warmed up, continue picking up your speed to increase your heart rate by about 5 beats per minute every 3 minutes while breathing only through your nose.

Continue to increase your pace until nose breathing becomes too difficult; then back off just enough to keep nose breathing for another 10-15 minutes. Record this 10-15-minute interval on your GPS/HR device.

NOTE: There is usually only a 2-4 bpm difference between easy breathing and unsustainable nose breathing.

RESULTS: The average HR you recorded during your 10-15-minute nose breathing interval represents your Aerobic Threshold Heart Rate (AeT HR).

IMPORTANT: All of your endurance base workouts should be at or below your AeT HR. So make a note of your AeT HR in your mind.

MORE BACKGROUND INFO: The AeT HR may or may not correspond directly to your Zone 2 HR range based off your lactate threshold (LT) heart rate. As your base develops, your AeT HR should get closer to your LT HR. Once these two are within 10% of each other, then you will be ready for higher intensity anaerobic work.

You should do this time trial in a fasted state. Do not eat for at least two hours before the test. Ideally, do the test in the morning after not eating since dinner the night before (about a 12-hour fast).

The course can be flat or up a steady 5-10% grade, but avoid a course with rolling hills. Choose a familiar course that you can return to each time you do this workout.

Do an easy warm up until you break a sweat.

Once you are warmed up, continue picking up your speed to increase your heart rate by about 5 beats per minute every 3 minutes while breathing only through your nose.

Continue to increase your pace until nose breathing becomes too difficult; then back off just enough to keep nose breathing for another 10-15 minutes. Record this 10-15-minute interval on your GPS/HR device.

NOTE: There is usually only a 2-4 bpm difference between easy breathing and unsustainable nose breathing.

RESULTS: The average HR you recorded during your 10-15-minute nose breathing interval represents your Aerobic Threshold Heart Rate (AeT HR).

IMPORTANT: All of your endurance base workouts should be at or below your AeT HR. So make a note of your AeT HR in your mind.

MORE BACKGROUND INFO: The AeT HR may or may not correspond directly to your Zone 2 HR range based off your lactate threshold (LT) heart rate. As your base develops, your AeT HR should get closer to your LT HR. Once these two are within 10% of each other, then you will be ready for higher intensity anaerobic work.

This General Strength workout will prepare you for Max Strength work and Muscular Endurance work later in the season.

Do 1 set of 8-12 reps. Do each group as a circuit, rotating from one exercise to the next (you can rotate through all groups in one big circuit, if you’d prefer). Keep moving through the circuit and/or stretching between each set. This provides a more efficient and beneficial workout.

Always maintain perfect form with attention to safety. If in doubt on how to do an exercise, consult a trainer in the gym or choose an alternate exercise.

GROUP 1
a. Cable twist up-down
b. Good morning
c. Dumbbell Single Leg Split Squat

GROUP 2
a. Seated row
b. Dumbbell bench press
c. Lat pulldown

GROUP 3
a. Power clean
b. Dumbbell Prone Rear Delt Raise
c. Dumbbell Standing Lateral Raise

When finished, spend some time stretching. Hold each stretch for 3 minutes.

STRETCHES
a. Seated hamstring stretch
b. Groin stretch
c. Standing Quadriceps Stretch
d. Calf stretch

================
NON-GYM OPTIONS
================
If you don’t have access to a gym, you can do alternative exercises with equipment at home like stretch cords, a TRX, and a stability ball. These options are provided below.

GROUP 1
a. Front/side planks (do sets of 30 seconds)
b. Good morning (use body weight)
c. Single Leg Split Squat (use body weight or water jugs using a bench or stairs)

GROUP 2
a. TRX high row
b. TRX chest press or push-ups*
c. TRX low row
*Push-ups can be done with feet on a stability ball for more resistance

GROUP 3
a. Body squats
b. Hitchiker (prone position with thumbs up)
c. Lateral raises (stand on stretch cord)

For descriptions and demos of alternative non-gym exercises, see https://www.alpfitness.com/category/functional-strength-videos/.

====================
LINKS TO GYM DEMOS
====================

GROUP 1
a. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Obliques/CBUpDownTwist
b. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/BBGoodMorning
c. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/DBSingleLegSplitSquat

GROUP 2
a. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/CBSeatedRow or
b. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBBenchPress
c. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/CBFrontPulldown

GROUP 3
a. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/PowerClean
b. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidPosterior/DBLyingRearLateralRaise
c. https://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBLateralRaise

STRETCHES
a. https://exrx.net/Stretches/Hamstrings/Seated
b. https://www.exrx.net/Stretches/HipAdductors/LyingGroin
c. https://www.exrx.net/Stretches/Quadriceps/Standing
d. https://exrx.net/Stretches/Gastrocnemius/Wall

Perform 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps (or 30 second intervals) as a circuit—that is, rotating from one exercise to the next. Always perform exercises with perfect form. Add/subtract reps or time as needed to keep it challenging.

Add additional core exercises or make changes to this routine based on your needs and preferences.

For descriptions and demos of exercises, see https://www.alpfitness.com/category/functional-strength-videos/.

1. Superman
2. Front plank
3. Glute bridge
4. Side plank
5. Donkey kicks
6. Lying hip abductions

==================
ADVANCED ROUTINE
==================

1. Superman
2. Front plank with straight leg hip extension
3. Glute bridge
4. Side plank with hip abduction
5. Donkey kicks