triathlete performing a freestyle swim in open water, showcasing streamlined form, strong arm pull, and efficient breathing technique, emphasizing endurance and speed for race preparation.

3 Essential Swim Workouts: Triathlon Training, Intermediate Drills, and Learn-to-Swim

Building Strength and Speed in the Water

This triathlon swim workout is designed to push athletes to their limits, combining technique, endurance, and power. The session starts with a structured warm-up featuring IM drills, sidekick work, and fingertip drills to reinforce proper stroke mechanics. Next, a short diving drill prepares athletes for competitive race starts, helping to develop confidence in entering the water efficiently.

Optimizing Stroke Mechanics and Race Simulation

Throughout the drill sets, swimmers practice balance and control through Heel Tag, Seahorse, and Lacrosse Ball drills, which refine body positioning and streamline movement. The pre-set introduces a high-intensity lane relay with treading water and brick holds, simulating open-water resistance. The main set ramps up intensity with sprint-focused freestyle reps, training the body for race-paced endurance. The session concludes with a 100-yard dolphin dive cooldown, reinforcing efficient starts and streamlined gliding.

Refining Swim Technique: From Fundamentals to Performance

This dual swim workout caters to both beginners and intermediate swimmers, ensuring strong fundamental development and high-performance training. The Learn to Swim session introduces new swimmers to essential techniques, such as breath control, dolphin kicks, and underwater movement, helping them feel more comfortable in the water. Meanwhile, the Intermediate Swim session challenges experienced swimmers with advanced drills, including fast lane relays, treading water with bricks, and butterfly sprint sets to enhance endurance and race speed.

Building Strength, Confidence, and Speed in the Pool

For beginners, the workout reinforces buoyancy, kicking, and breath control while gradually introducing dolphin diving and streamlined movement. For intermediate swimmers, the focus shifts to powerful sprinting, stroke mechanics, and race-prep intensity. This structured progression ensures all swimmers build confidence, increase efficiency, and optimize their speed, endurance, and technique.

Swimmer performing a streamlined dive from the starting blocks into a competition pool, demonstrating proper technique with extended arms, tight streamline, and minimal splash entry.

Perfecting Swimming Starts: Techniques for Faster and Cleaner Dives

Progression-Based Learning for Effective Dives

In this session, swimmers focused on a structured diving progression to enhance water entry skills and streamline efficiency. Beginning with kneeling dives, the class practiced controlled tipping to develop proper head positioning and goggle security. Moving into standing dives, participants built confidence in generating forward momentum while maintaining a tight streamline position. The progression advanced with jump diving, where swimmers focused on explosive takeoffs while entering the water cleanly. The final stage introduced race starts off the blocks, refining technique for maximum speed and power during competitive dives.

Refining Technique for Competitive Performance

Through repetition and technical adjustments, swimmers gained a better understanding of balance, body alignment, and fluidity in water entry. They were encouraged to focus on maintaining a tight streamline position upon entry, minimizing resistance for faster transitions. Special attention was given to preventing goggle displacement by emphasizing proper head positioning. By the end of the session, swimmers demonstrated marked improvement in their ability to enter the water smoothly and efficiently, laying the foundation for faster and more effective starts in future races.

An instructional swimming image demonstrating the '100 IM Individual Medley' drill. The image features a swimmer transitioning between the four strokes

The Ultimate Guide to 100 IM: Transitions, Turns & Stroke Efficiency

The 100 IM (Individual Medley) Drill is a fundamental swimming workout that challenges swimmers to execute all four strokes—butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle—in one continuous race. This drill enhances stroke versatility, builds endurance, and refines transitions between strokes. By mastering the proper order and learning effective turn techniques, swimmers develop a smooth and efficient racing strategy, crucial for competitive swimming.

Beyond just speed, this drill focuses on technical efficiency and stroke balance. It teaches swimmers how to maintain momentum during transitions and optimize turns, including the unique backstroke-to-breaststroke turn. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced swimmer, practicing the 100 IM drill improves overall stroke mechanics and prepares athletes for medley races at any level.