Pull Buoy and Paddles Strength Set

About 1,900 m, 45 to 50 minutes. An upper-body session that also shows how much your legs normally hold you up. Warm-up: 300 easy swim, then 200 kick. Main: 4 x 300 pull with a buoy between the thighs and 30 s rest. Add paddles on the second and fourth 300. Cool-down: 200 easy swim, no gear. Focus on a long catch and pushing water back past your hips rather than counting lengths. Start with small paddles and leave them out altogether if your shoulders ache. Three repeats make a 1,600 m session. Swimmers whose hips sink often feel the buoy lift them, a useful hint about body position.