Fast Swim Academy · For the 50 and 100 free
Drop time in the 50 and 100.
One hundred sprint practices that stop when speed does. Each one has a goal, a rest rule, a stop rule and the study behind it. Four blocks from speed base to meet day, by a world record holder in the 50 breast.
Price goes up to $29 on Oct 18.
Who it is for
Sprinters from 13 up, and the people who coach them.
- Club sprintersSwim the blocks as written: five practices a week, a block every five weeks, race speed from week one.
- Masters sprintersEach practice carries a masters line: fewer reps, longer rest, push starts where the meet allows.
- Age groupers, 11 to 14A scaled version of each practice, with shorter sets and no dives until dives are taught.
- CoachesRelay and game practices for a squad, send-offs by goal pace, and a reason for each set your swimmers can read.
- Stroke sprintersSwim the main sets in your stroke and keep the drills in freestyle. The rest rules do not change.
Inside the book
Train speed, skip the garbage yardage.
One hundred practices, each on its own page in the same layout. Goal, rest, total distance, the five parts of the session, the cue for the main set, scaling for age groupers and masters, and one line on why it works. Six findings from the research open the book and explain the rules. A drill library and the weekly templates close it.
Page 4
Page 6
Page 13
Page 51
Page 65
Page 116
Page 121Straight from page 13 · Practice 1 of 100
Short sprints with a long stroke
- Warm-up400 swim, choice, easy. 4 × 50 kick on 1:05, 25 underwater dolphin, 25 flutter on the back. 4 × 50 swim on 1:00, build each to fast.800
- Drill set6 × 50 on 1:05: 25 6-3-6 drill, 25 swim. 4 × 25 on :40 pause freestyle, feel the forearm at the catch.400
- Main set10 × 25 on 3:00: sprint 12.5 from a push, easy to the wall, count strokes on the sprint. 200 easy. 6 × 25 on 3:00: sprint the full 25, at most two strokes more than double your 12.5 count. Stop rule: once a rep is 2+ s slower than your best, end that part of the set.600
- Finisher2 × 50 on 1:30 smooth, lowest stroke count you can hold.100
- Warm-down300 easy, mix strokes.300
Scaling: age group 8 × 25 in each part on 2:30 rest; masters 6 sprints in each part on 3:30 rest. Why it works: very short sprints on full rest let your nervous system practice top speed without fatigue, and the stroke count keeps the stroke long while the hands speed up.
Written by the coach who swam it
Sprinters need the least training that still makes them faster.
As an age grouper I swam about 70,000 a week. Most of it was garbage yardage. I hold the deaf world record in the 50 m breaststroke, swam twice as an NCAA All-American and coached a world championships medalist. I built these 100 practices the way I wish mine had been built. Each set has a reason, a rest rule and the study behind it, and race speed appears in each block from week one to meet day.
Coach Maria Rezhylo · founder, Fast Swim Academy, Tampa
What you get
- 100 practices in four blocksSpeed base, power, race pace, taper and meet week. Five practices a week, five weeks a block, or pull single practices into your own plan.
- The same page layout, 100 timesGoal, rest, total distance and time, warm-up, drill set, main set, finisher, warm-down, the cue, scaling, and why it works.
- Rest rules and stop rulesPower sets end when a rep slows by two seconds. Race pace sets end on the third missed time. The rest decides what each set trains.
- Two pace tests and a taper time trialPractice 51 sets your goal pace from a timed 100. Practice 69 resets it mid-block. Practice 90 is the taper trial.
- Meet week, written outPre-meet sharpener, travel-day swim, the prelims warm-up, the finals warm-up, between-session warm-up, race-day primer, post-race warm-down, and race day for the 50 and the 100.
- The drill libraryTwenty drills: what each one fixes, the cue, and the practices it appears in.
- Weekly templatesThree, five or eight practices a week, a 19-week season to a meet, the 10-week short path, and the 4-week version.
- Yours to keep123-page PDF. Download it right after paying, and again from your email. Phone, tablet or laptop, or print the practice of the day for the deck.
Written by Coach Maria Rezhylo
- Deaf world record holder, 50 m breaststroke
- European and world deaf champion
- 2x NCAA All-American, then professional swimmer
- Coached an athlete to a world championships medal
- Degree in Exercise Science, biomechanics
- Founder of Fast Swim Academy, Tampa Bay
Speed is a skill your brain has to accept. If you never train at race speed, your body holds back when you try to find it at a meet. That is why race speed shows up in each block, from the first week to meet day.
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Questions before you buy
Who is this for?
Sprinters from 13 up who race the 50 and 100 free, masters sprinters, and coaches who want a season of sessions with a reason behind each set. Each practice carries a scaled version for age groupers of 11 to 14 and for masters.
Stroke sprinters swim the main sets in their own stroke and keep the drills in freestyle.
How long is a practice?
Between 1,500 and about 3,000 yards or meters, and 35 to 90 minutes. The totals are printed on each page, with a time estimate from the send-offs and the rest. Taper and meet-week practices are the short ones.
Yards or meters?
Both. The distances are the same numbers in either pool. Swim the numbers as written in the pool you have.
What equipment do I need?
Fins, paddles, a snorkel and a pull buoy cover most practices. Block 2 adds tethers, a parachute and a tempo trainer. Where a practice uses a tool you may not have, it gives a no-equipment version on the same page.
I have a meet in a few weeks. Where do I start?
Page 121 has the short paths. With ten weeks, swim the first two weeks of Block 2, four weeks of Block 3, then Block 4. With four weeks, go straight to Block 4. Swim practice 51, the pace test, first so your race-pace sets use a real target.
Can I use single practices in my own plan?
Yes. Each practice stands on its own page. Keep the rest rules as written: the rest decides what the set trains.
I coach a team. Can I run it with my swimmers?
Yes, the book is for personal and team use. The relay and game practices work best with three or more swimmers. Group swimmers by goal pace so each lane swims the right send-off. Please do not resell or share the file itself.
How do I get the book?
It is a 123-page PDF. The download button appears right after payment, and the same link goes to your email. It opens on a phone, tablet or laptop, and each practice prints on one page for the deck. The link works for a year. Lost it? Use the resend link under the checkout.
Is this a subscription?
No. One payment, the book is yours. It is $29 until Nov 14, then $39.
Something went wrong with my order
Reply to the email or text Maria at (475) 223-9849. A real person answers.