Category: Beginner
Workout Goal: Improve freestyle rhythm and coordinate the kick with the arm stroke
Total Distance: 900 yards
4 × 50 yards easy freestyle
Swim at a relaxed pace and focus on smooth, comfortable strokes.
Rest 20–30 seconds between each 50-yard repeat.
4 × 25 yards easy flutter kick
Keep your kicks small and relaxed, with loose ankles and movement driven primarily from the hips.
Rest 20–30 seconds between each 25-yard repeat.
4 × 25 yards easy freestyle
Practice a six-beat kick by counting three kicks for each arm stroke: 1-2-3, 1-2-3.
Focus on finding a steady rhythm rather than kicking hard.
Rest 20–30 seconds between each 25-yard repeat.
4 × 100 yards freestyle
Swim at a comfortable, steady pace.
Continue using the three-kicks-per-arm rhythm when it feels natural.
Keep the kick small and controlled so it supports your stroke without tiring your legs too quickly.
Rest 30–45 seconds between each 100-yard repeat, or longer if needed.
4 × 25 yards easy choice
Swim slowly and allow your breathing and heart rate to settle.
This workout introduces a six-beat freestyle kick, which means six kicks during one complete arm-stroke cycle, or approximately three kicks for each individual arm stroke. You can think of the rhythm as 1-2-3, 1-2-3.
The goal is coordination rather than power. Keep your kicks small and relaxed and use the count to help connect the rhythm of your legs with your arm strokes.
A six-beat kick is one useful freestyle rhythm, but it is not the only correct way to swim. As you become more experienced, you may find that different kick rhythms work better at different speeds or distances.
Breathe normally throughout the workout. If swimming 100 yards continuously is difficult, pause briefly at the 50-yard mark or complete the set as 8 × 50 yards instead.