Swim Workouts for Triathletes: Practical Workouts to Build Speed, Strength, and Endurance (Workouts in a Binder)

I just spent the last year learning how to swim and have done a couple sprint distance triathlons this summer. I started from not knowing ANYTHING and learning this sport was almost as hard as learning to play the piano. Now I want to take it to the next level and build some speed.I received the book today and read through the advice in about a half hour. Then it's right into the "meat". It outlines the drills that I've been doing and added a couple I haven't (e.g. sculling - I had to YouTube it to see it in a video because the illustration wasn't clicking for me. If you aren't familiar with the drills - I would definitely use YouTube to see them in practice. Drills are invaluable)I like how there is a General Fitness Training Plan - which I will be using in the off-season. When I finish that, there's a nice Olympic Distance program to follow. The workouts are easy to understand and look challenging. There is a nice Glossary complete with a table of Abbreviations if you can't figure them out.I swam today, so I have to wait a few days before I get started. I love when I'm excited about a workout! Wish I'd get excited about running again.Updated: I just started my 3rd week of the General Fitness plan and am LOVING this! Incorporating kick drills into just about every warm-up, and getting myself a good set of hand paddles for the pull drills, has made a world of difference in my swimming. These are really great workouts. The pace for my 100 moderate interval has dropped 10 seconds in just 3 weeks. I credit the improvement in my catch from the pulls and the strengthening of my kick. Not to mention, I've added about 1000 yards to my daily workouts, so my endurance is really improving quickly. I have figured out, though, that I can't do one of these workouts that has kicking drills in it right before I go out for a Time Trial on my bike. My legs are pooped and I just didn't have power for the bike. Fortunately, in a race, I'll be wearing a wetsuit and won't need to be kicking.I don't have any issues with the pages not drying. I just shake the book out while I'm leaving the pool.

I have owned this book for about 4 months and in that time I have worked through the Half Iron Distance program, as my training regime for my first half iron distance race.I cannot recommend the book highly enough.I was a confident but not particularly fast swimmer. Before this book I would do about 1000m straight swimming as my swim workout. The workouts in this book are twice to three times as long as that, and I found the first few times a bit of a challenge. The workouts are varied, and that keeps it interesting. They are not easy (even the "beginner" routines), but I very quickly became a noticeably stronger swimmer. I stuck with training plan and it was hugely beneficial. In the race, swimming 1.2miles, it was my best ever tri swim. My 100m average was faster than any tri i've done before, i felt very confident about covering the distance.There are different programs for the different tri distances.It sits nicely at the end of the pool, making it easy to check what you are doing next, and if it gets wet, a quick wipe with the towel dries it off.I have spent a fortune on things to try and get faster in triathlon and this is without doubt one of my best purchases.

Don't write too many reviews but feel compeled to review this product as this is the second time I've purchased this item...in two weeks. Left my book at the pool and of course it was gone! While my review is somewhat degraded by the fact that I haven't used this product long enough to assess its results, it was nevertheless simple and provided focus to my sessions.Outstanding book. I am a relatively new swimmer having seriously trained in swimming for only three months for triathlons. However, I should add that I'm not new to swimming (military and childhood days) just new to competitive swimming. I am not a "program" type person. Never liked workout plans and generally stick to how I feel. Given the fact that I don't know much as to how to adequately balance drilling and swimming, this is perfect.Two knocks. One is I've never swam competitively and therefore am new to some of the lingo. The glossary section provides good explanation, but (unless someone can help me here) I could not find the explanation for 2-2-2. It explains DESC 2-2-2 but some of the workouts only have 2-2-2 as a description. I've just interpreted it as one in the same, but I think I would be totally lost if I haven't done some reading on swimming and workouts online.Next con would be I believe some of the distances are not suitable to total beginners. Three months ago, while I could swim, I would be smoked getting across the pool. Now I'm a pretty avid fitness guy and consider myself to be in great shape in general and as a Marine. Before I bought this book, I've competed in five triathlons ranging from sprint (750m) swims to Half 1.2 mile swims. I also got formal swim coaching. I consider the "beginner" workouts to be a pretty good workout. So while I consider myself a noob in the competitive swim world (best 100m time would be 1:35 and avg just over 2:00 for long distance swims), I could not imagine doing these workouts as a true beginner.Other than that I feel its solid. Didn't have a problem with drying the book off. It's not like I'm flipping pages in the middle of a workout. I simply wipe the page I was using down after a session and no problems. I wish there was a website or forum for people that use this book, but maybe that's asking for much. Highly recommend.

This is such a handy, useful tool for swimmers. Wish I'd had something like this sooner- learned to swim as exercise late and while I've always enjoyed it, struggled in the beginning to really have any structure/goal/good paced progress, which is exactly what this provides!

You don't have to be a triathlete to get a great benefit from this book. You get a great selection of easy to understand training plans that actually work. I you don't have a coach setting up your swim training you will save a ton of time keeping this book in your swim bag. No more searching for workouts online or coming up with workouts on the fly.The quality is great and I love the fact that it is more or less waterproof. I have bought this book twice now after losing my first copy. As long as I swim I will keep this book around and you should too.

Muy bueno para llevar a la piscina para los que tenemos poca imaginacion a la hora de meternos en el agua y entrenamos por libre.

great training aid. simple to follow and props up at the end of your lane for reference as your doing the workout.

As a struggling swimmer this book transformed my ironman swimming and helped to oversome fear of the distance.

Ben fatto, chiaro ed esaustivo. Ho con piacere utilizzato i consigli che il testo offriva. Lo consiglio a tutti coloro che si occupano di triathlon