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Workouts

Strength and Speed, Frogman-Style: A 12-Week Challenge

This 12-week cycle of frogman workouts from Hannah Caldas will build strength and speed both in the water and on land.

Hannah Caldas

Written by Hannah Caldas Last updated on Dec 23, 2022

Week 1, Day 1

10x 1 arm Kettlebell Clean and Press (5 per arm 35/25)

250m Pull with paddles and buoy

10x 1-arm Kettlebell Snatches (as above)

Week 1, Day 2

Hold 3 minute Plank

Swim 50m

Rest 10 seconds while holding breath

Swim 100m

Rest 10 seconds while holding breath

Swim 50m

Week 1, Day 1

10x 1 arm Kettlebell Clean and Press (5 per arm 35/25)

250m Pull with paddles and buoy

10x 1-arm Kettlebell Snatches (as above)

Week 1, Day 2

Hold 3 minute Plank

Swim 50m

Rest 10 seconds while holding breath

Swim 100m

Rest 10 seconds while holding breath

Swim 50m

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 2, Day 1

10x 1 arm Kettlebell Clean and Press (5 per arm 35/25lb.)

250m Pull with Paddles and Buoy

10x 1 arm Kettlebell Snatches (as above)

Week 2, Day 2

5 Rounds:

Max Handstand Push Up (HSPU)

Swim 200m minus HSPU score x 5 (eg. If you do 10 HSPU, then do 150 swim)

Rest 2 minutes between rounds.

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 3, Day 1

With fins:

10 Rounds, 30 seconds rest between rounds:

25m Underwater Dolphin Kick

25m Easy Swim

50m Sprint

Week 3, Day 2

A.

50m Underwater Farmers Walk (one kettlebell in each hand)

B.

3 Rounds:

50 Air Squats

50m Swim

C.

Underwater Farmers Walk for max distance

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 4, Day 1

Every minute, on the minute for 20 minutes:

7x Bear Complex (95lb/65lb)

Vertical Kicking (Keep hands at water level)

Week 4, Day 2

5 Rounds, rest 30 seconds after each round:
10x Renegade Row (35/25)
200m Swim
10x Weighted Sit Ups

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 5, Day 1

A.

As many reps as possible in 5 mins:
25 Underwater Swim
10 Air Squats

Rest 1 min.

B.

As many reps as possible in 5 mins:
10 Situps
25 Dolphin Kick on back

Rest 1 min.

C.
As many reps as possible in 5 mins:
30 sec Plank Hold
25 Sprint

Week 5, Day 2

Swim 500m for time, with fins.

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 6, Day 1

For 20 minutes:

  • 25m Scull
  • 25m Swim
  • 25m Kick
  • 25m Swim
  • 25m Pull
  • 25m Swim

Week 6, Day 2

5 Rounds:
10x Kettlebell Thrusters
100m Swim

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 7, Day 1

Swim 25m, count number of strokes
10x Pushups

Swim 25m (same stroke count)
10x Handstand Pushups

Swim 25m (stroke count minus 1)
10x Pushups

Swim 25m (stroke count minus 2)

Rest 2 minutes and repeat 2 more times.

Week 7, Day 2

6 Rounds:
25 Kettlebell Swings (53/35)
Walk with the kettlebell under water for 25m
Swim (w/o kettlebell) 50m

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 8, Day 1

A.

Complete a total of 200m underwater, with fins. Record the number of breaths you took to complete it.

B.

5 Rounds:
25m Underwater Swim
25m Active Recovery Swim
Rest 1 minute per round

Week 8, Day 2

5 rounds for time:
100m Swim
50 Double Unders
50m Farmers Carry underwater with 2 Kettlebells
5 Wall Muscle Ups

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 9, Day 1

18 minutes, as many reps as possible:
10 Kettlebell Halo Chop each side (Video Below)
50m Swim

Week 9, Day 2

Swim 500y/400m with fins and paddles

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 10, Day 1

10 rounds:
30 second vertical kick immediately after 50m swim
Rest 1 minute between rounds

Week 10, Day 2

Swim 100
Max unbroken pushups

Swim 50
Max unbroken push ups

Swim 25
Max unbroken push ups

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 11, Day 1

50 Kettlebell Swings (53/35lb)

5 Rounds:
25m Walk with Kettlebell underwater
50m Swim

50 Kettlebell Swings

Week 11, Day 2

10 rounds:
Sprint 25m from a dive
Burpee Broad Jump back to the starting block

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Week 12, Day 1

10 rounds:
30 seconds Vertical Kick, immediately into:
50m sprint
Rest 1 min per round

Week 12, Day 2

Swim 500y/400m for time

Click on the number below that corresponds to the week of training you’re in.

Hannah Caldas

About Hannah Caldas

Since returning to swimming in 2010 after an 8 year retirement, Hannah Caldas has claimed FINA masters world records in 3 different relays and USMS National Records in the 50m Breaststroke and 50 and 100m Freestyle. She was awarded USMS 2010 and 2011 Pool All Star, earned All-American status in over 20 individual events, and was ranked as the fastest masters female swimmer in the world over 30 by FINA in the 50 and 100m Freestyle in 2011.

In 2012, Hannah was an Olympic hopeful for Portugal in the 50m Freestyle, but fell short of the qualifying time for London by 0.3s. She made a debut in Open Water Swimming in the Maui Channel Crossing Race, as a member of the Mixed Relay team in 2011.

Hannah started CrossFit in the summer of 2011, and in 2012 competed in the CrossFit Open and Southwest Regionals while simultaneously training and competing in swimming. She swims 4,000 meters per day, 2 hours per day, 6 days a week, and CrossFits 5 days a week, with one active rest and one full rest day.

In addition to her impressive athletic background, Hannah served as Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Wake Forest University from 2006 to 2010. Since leaving academia, Hannah has lived in Phoenix, AZ, where she devotes her time to being a full time athlete. More recently, she has started applying her knowledge of functional fitness to help other swimmers and triathletes.

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