Coach Marty

05/13/2026

My brother and I swap workouts. �He is the type of swimmer that can still do 30 seconds for 50 metres.
He is 71, soon to be 72 and I’m 74, soon to be 75.
He started doing some serious HIIT.�(And I’m not competitive at all :)
So, if you want to get in shape more quickly or don’t have time to do numerous lengths, add some high intensity intervals.�
Here’s what I’ve been doing last couple of weeks:
�200 metres freestyle warm up
200 kick with fins�HIIT:
25 metres flat out freestyle- rest�50 freestyle moderate speed - rest�Repeat this six times gives you 450 metres
(You could do x4 to start if 6x is too much.
And if in decent enough shape do 8x)

4x50 skating drill with fins�3x100 free with paddles and pull buoy fairly hard
2x50 breaststroke
100 easy freestyle cool down

Total 1550 �This can feel great. Start with fewer HIIT repeats if you need. But If you don’t have time for a couple of miles in the pool or just want a change, you will get the same benefit, try it.

04/28/2026

Freestyle: The catch phase and as you are entering the water and pulling down and back, Don't Bend Your Wrist:

Don't Bend Your Wrist In Freestyle - it slows you down

04/26/2026

Do you drop your elbow on catch phase of your Freestyle?

Stephanie Freestyle Comments

03/13/2026

Got to swim in my home town pool today. When I grew up here (Ajax, Ontario) back in the 50s and 60s, all we had was a weird shaped outdoor summer pool. But we still managed competitions. Now there are three pools, two of them are lap pools. This is the better one. I did an easy 1700 meters.

03/03/2026

Swimmer says he is doing well when using hand paddles. Slows right down when not using them. So, we video him to see exactly what he is doing. Not driving forward with hands and arms and turning his hands so that he is cutting the water instead of 'catching' the water.
When your hand and arm enter the water in Freestyle, it should feel like you are pushing over a big beach ball. Then pushing it behind you. Don't go too fast at the front end or you lose the ball. Watch last bit of video to see...

Swimmer says he is doing well when using hand paddles. Slows right down when not using them. So, we video him to see exactly what he is doing. Not driving ...

02/27/2026

Swimmers come in all shapes and sizes. Long and lean, short and mean. High stroke count, low stroke count.
I have a swimmer that is training for a half marathon. He has reduced his 100 metre freestyle by 40 seconds with a much lower heart rate. One might look at his stroke's faults and not see the improvement.

Swimmers come in all shapes and sizes. Long and lean, short and mean. High stroke count, low stroke count. I have a swimmer that is training for a half mara...

02/24/2026

I vary my workouts. Usually do the same or similar one for months before I get bored and have to change it up. All my workouts, though, include, warm up, interval training and always drills! Have a great swim! Please feel free to ask if you would like some ideas for a workout designed for your needs.

02/24/2026

Whatever you do, try and have some fun doing it:

Just some silly fun after a workout. I think having fun in life is so... well, fun!Try it. Be silly. Do something for no reason at all.

02/19/2026

Some incorrect and some correct head positioning for breathing in Freestyle:

A couple of views incorrect head position that make it difficult to get air without a mouthful of water. Head should be at a slight angle so that you are lo...