Last week I talked about getting started with a swimming for fitness plan. This week, I want to outline a good beginning workout.

1. The warm-up: It’s funny how great I feel during the first 25, and how exhausted I feel after the 2nd one. A warm-up is crucial to your continuing in your workout. Just swim slowly (and without break, if at all possible) the following: 100 free, 100 back, 100 breast
2. You should be nice and warm after that first 300. Hot, even, if you’re starting out. So take it easy for the next 100. Do 100 elementary back stroke to regain your breath and semi-relax. The goal here is to keep swimming continuously, so do 100 elementary back rather than standing in the shallow end panting for breath.
3. After that relaxing stroke, you should be ready for more exertion. This is where I like to push myself and I feel like a swim superstar. I do the 100 (Individual Medley), or I.M. Broken down, that’s 25 butterfly, 25 back, 25 breast, 25 free. For help on any of these strokes, read this.
4. That ought to get your blood flowing! After that IM, I’m good and ready for another 100 elementary set to regain my breath.
5. Now you’re warm, feeling great, but maybe a little tired. It’s time for the last set, done in the same relaxed tempo as the warm-up: 25 free, 25 back, 25 free, 25 back. I like to practice my flip turns in this last set. I’m terrible at flip turns, so I don’t even try them until my last set, and even then, I more often than not don’t do them. It’s just that by this point I’m all loosened up and more ready for the challenge of adding something new.

Here’s the printable beginning workout for you:
1. warm-up: 100 free, 100 back, 100 breast
2. cool down: 100 elementary back
3. challenge: 100 IM
4. cool down: 100 elementary back
5. warm down: 25 free, 25 back, 25 free, 25 back

When you’re done, you’ve swum 700 yards. I tried this workout this past week, and I was done in half an hour. What swim workouts do you like to do?