Resisted Swim Set: Drag Suit and Parachute Training

Session Overview

This session uses a drag suit or mini swim parachute to add resistance through the pull, building the raw pulling strength that carries over to a stronger, more efficient catch at race pace. Best for intermediate and advanced swimmers with solid technique already — resistance work exaggerates existing form flaws, so it’s not the place to start fixing your stroke.

What You’ll Need

• Drag suit or mini parachute (a small parachute or drag sock strapped to the ankle works if you don’t have a dedicated drag suit)
• Pull buoy
• Pace clock or watch

Warm-Up (12 minutes)

400m easy freestyle, unresisted, followed by 4 x 50m building effort from easy to moderate on 10 seconds rest, focusing on a full, deliberate catch before you add resistance.

Main Set

Put the drag suit or parachute on and work in resisted/unresisted pairs, always finishing each pair with an unresisted rep so you feel your stroke “release” and speed up — that contrast is the whole point of the session.

• 6 x 50m resisted freestyle at strong effort (RPE 7-8), 20 seconds rest
• 4 x 25m unresisted freestyle, fast, 15 seconds rest — feel the speed contrast immediately after removing the resistance
• 4 x 100m resisted freestyle, holding technique over speed, 30 seconds rest
• 4 x 25m unresisted sprint, maximal effort, 20 seconds rest

Cool-Down (8 minutes)

300m very easy freestyle without any resistance, mixing in backstroke or breaststroke lengths if your arms are cooked. Focus on long, relaxed strokes rather than pace.

Coaching Notes

• Resistance should slow your stroke rate slightly and force a longer, more complete pull — if your technique breaks down (dropped elbow, crossover in front of the head), the resistance is too high or you’re fatigued; drop it and finish the set unresisted.
• Don’t overuse this session — once a week during a strength-focused training block is plenty. It’s a supplement to technique work, not a replacement for it.
• Scale down by using fewer resisted reps and more unresisted contrast reps if you’re new to resisted swimming.
• Target RPE 7-8 on resisted reps, dropping to near-maximal on the unresisted sprint reps — the whole session should feel hard but controlled, not chaotic.