Workouts in a Binder: Swim Workouts for Triathletes

Really good and waterproof book, always carry it in my swimbag

Swim Workouts in a Binder for Triathletes is my new "Most Valuable Tool" for training this season. Bernhardt begins the book by making a concise case for sound, purposeful training. No more meaningless laps or jumping in the pool and developing "a plan" on the spot. You can use the workouts, enough to keep you interested for a long time, on their own as you wish. Alternatively, you can truly maximize this nugget by developing your own plan for the season. She provides a 12 week program, assuming 3-4 swims per week, to save you planning time and/or to give you a general structure. The plan is adaptable and flexible and I see no difficulty in adjusting it to my own training needs. In order to accomodate new and seasoned athletes, and those training for shorter courses and iron distance, each workout has two distance options. Your first workout will be a test so you have a reference tool (time) that keeps you training at your own pace instead of some speedier (or slower) swimmer a lane over. Bernhardt makes purposeful training so understandable that you'll wonder why you even bothered "just getting in for a swim" in the past. I have the Triathletes Training Bible (Friel) and Training Plans for Multisport Athletes (Bernhardt), and this book is a great addition. While the other two books have helped me understand what I want to do in order to train well, Swim Workouts in a Binder has saved me hours of time in my season planning and given me a renewed excitement for pool training. The book is the perfect size to sit at the edge of the pool for mid-workout reference, and the sturdy spiral binding keeps your page in place. It will get absolutely soaking, and that's okay. Anything negative? No negatives, only an understanding of what it is not meant to contain. For instance, the only drills she brings into the workouts are finger drags, one-arm swimming, and catch up. It is clear that any other drill could (and should) be added or switched in according to personal needs. For a guide to swimming technique you have to look elsewhere. Expect just what the title of the book indicates. It's perfect.

I was on the swim team as a little kid. I mean little. Never learned how to do a flip-turn. At 32 I decided to try swimming as a way to stay fit. After a few months in the pool, I was losing weight, but getting bored. I bought this book just for variety in my workouts. A mere three months later, other swimmers are stopping me and asking if I competed in college, how many triathalons I have competed in (zero!), and I even had someone's coach tell me I had great form. I attribute my development into a speedy, flip-turning, bilateral breather 100% to this book. The workouts based on form and muscle endurance are my favorites and have helped me the most. The workouts are long - I just set a timer for one hour and do what I can....lately, I have started finishing the sets before my timer goes off. The book is freestyle only, and I look forward to trying the book with all four strokes. I recommend the book to anyone who asks me how they can become a better swimmer!

This book is a great addition to my training library. Not only does it have great workouts, the waterproof pages are awesome. You can take it to the pool and not worry about it being ruined by water. You can just throw it on the side of the pool and go. The workouts are easy to use and are very challenging. Probably the only complaint about the book is if the pages get wet and you don't dry them off completely before throwing it into your workout bag, they stay wet. But overall, great purchase!

Although the book includes detailed workout. It doesn't include training program (the one in the book is not detailed enough) i think the book is more nice to have than essential training tool. The water proof papers is great idea.