Today we’re answering the question “what is the IM?”
If you’re a more experienced swimmer and you already know all about the Individual Medley, keep reading because we’ll be sharing tips on how you can get the most out of your IM training, including an IMX-themed workout!
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What Does IM Stand For?
IM is short for Individual Medley. When you swim IM, you will swim all four competitive strokes:
- Butterfly
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
- Freestyle
In competition, the IM is contested in three different distances:
- 100 yards or meters (short course only)
- 200 yards or meters
- 400 yards or meters
There are also two relays that incorporate all four strokes:
- 200 medley relay
- 400 medley relay
IM Order vs Medley Relay Order
If you’re racing IM by yourself, you will swim the strokes in the following order:
- Butterfly
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
- Freestyle
In relays, the order is different:
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
- Butterfly
- Freestyle
Why Should You Train IM?
Related: How Many Calories You Burn Swimming
- Improve Your Feel of the Water: Each stroke works your muscles differently and engages different energy systems. Even if you only race freestyle, swimming IM will make you a faster swimmer overall.
- Burns More Calories: Engaging your muscles in new ways and recruiting all the energy systems will help you burn extra calories during each workout!
- Prevent Injury: IM breaks up repetitive movements, reducing your risk for overuse injuries in your shoulders and other areas of your body.
- More Fun/Mix It Up: Swimming the same stroke can get boring. IM keeps your workouts interesting and adds variety.
Different Types of “IM” Training
Related: The 5 Hardest Swimming Events
You can incorporate IM into your workouts in a few different ways. These five variations are most common. For more terminology & FAQ, visit our Support Site.
“IM Order:” This means you complete the set by swimming one rep of each stroke. For example, if your set is 4×50 IM order, you would swim:
- 50 Butterfly
- 50 Backstroke
- 50 Breaststroke
- 50 Freestyle
“FRIM:” This stands for “Freestyle IM,” meaning you will swim freestyle in place of butterfly. This variation allows you to start the backstroke and breaststroke fresh, and makes your IM sets more aerobic. A 100 FRIM would look like:
- 25 Freestyle
- 25 Backstroke
- 25 Breaststroke
- 25 Freestyle
“Transition IM:” Transition IM allows you to reduce your training volume and work on your turns by switching strokes. For example, a set of 3 x 50s Transition IM would look like:
- 1st 50: 25 Butterfly, 25 Backstroke
- 2nd 50: 25 Backstroke, 25 Breaststroke
- 3rd 50: 25 Breaststroke, 25 Freestyle
“Twitch” or “IM/FREE” or “Major Stroke/Free:” Here, you’ll alternate IM order with Freestyle. If you’re doing a 200 Twitch, your swim would look like this:
- 25 Butterfly, 25 Freestyle
- 25 Backstroke, 25 Freestyle
- 25 Breaststroke, 25 Freestyle
- 25 Freestyle, 25 Freestyle
IM Order x2 or x3: In this setup, you’ll do multiple reps of each stroke, in IM order. You can add in variation in speed or effort for each rep. If your set is 8x25s IM Order x2 (odds easy/evens fast), you would do the following:
- 2×25 Butterfly 1 easy/1 fast
- 2×25 Backstroke 1 easy/1 fast
- 2×25 Breaststroke 1 easy/1 fast
- 2×25 Freestyle 1 easy/1 fast
Related: Why You Need to Swim All 4 Strokes Every Workout
IM Swim Training Plans
Want to work on your IM? Try out these Training Plans in the MySwimPro app!
- Get Fit IM Plan: Great for beginners!
- IMX Pro Challenge Plan: If you’ve ever wanted to swim a 400IM, this plan is for you!
IMX Workout
Challenge yourself with this IM swim workout! Complete one round of the Main Set for a 2,600-yard workout, or complete 2 rounds for a 3,600 yard workout.
Warmup
- 1 x 300 Freestyle
- 6 x 50s Kick/Swim
- 6 x 50s Transition IM
Pre Set (1x)
- 1 x 200 IM Twitch
- 3 x 100s FRIM
Main Set (1 or 2x)
- 6 x 100s FRIM
- 1 x 200 IM
- 8 x 25s IM Order x2 (1 easy, 1 fast)
Cool Down
4 x 50s IM Order
2,600 yards or meters – 60 Minutes
3,600 yards or meters – 80 Minutes
We hope you’re inspired to incorporate more IM into your swim training! If you’re looking for more Swim Workouts, Technique Videos and tracking tools, download the MySwimPro app on your iPhone or Android. Use code SWIM35 to save $35 on your first year of training >
2 Comments
When I click on “how to swim a better breaststroke”, instructions for the butterfly come up
Hi Judy, Thanks for letting us know! We just updated the link: https://myswimpro.com/blog/2020/09/25/how-to-swim-breaststroke-with-perfect-technique/