Individual medley swimming isn't just about being able to swim all four strokes. A strong IM requires good technique, efficient transitions and the ability to adapt your rhythm as you move from butterfly through to freestyle.
This 3,000m IM swim workout combines stroke-specific drills with full IM swimming, transition work and short sprints. The session begins by focusing on rhythm and body position in each stroke before progressing into increasingly challenging IM work.
The goal is to maintain good technique across all four strokes — particularly as fatigue builds and the pace increases.
Distance: 3,000m
Focus: IM • Technique • Transitions • Rhythm • Speed
Level: Intermediate / Advanced
Warm Up — 400m
300m Freestyle
100m Backstroke
Start easy and gradually build into the session.
Coaching Note: Warm Up
Keep the first few hundred metres relaxed. Focus on length through the stroke, an easy breathing pattern and good body position rather than pace.
Use the backstroke to open up through the shoulders and begin thinking about rotation and alignment before moving into the IM-specific work.
Technique Prep — 600m
4 × 50m Kick — IM Order
1 — Butterfly
2 — Backstroke
3 — Breaststroke
4 — Freestyle
Work through all four strokes in IM order, concentrating on the kick and body position of each.
Fins optional for fly, back and free.
Coaching Note: IM Kick
Don't treat this simply as a leg-strength set. Think about how the kick contributes to the rhythm and body position of each stroke.
On fly, generate the dolphin kick through the body rather than excessively bending at the knees. On back and free, keep the kick compact and continuous. On breaststroke, concentrate on a strong kick followed by a streamlined position.
8 × 50m Drill — IM Order × 2
Complete the following four drills, then repeat the sequence.
1 & 5 — Butterfly: 3 Kicks / 1 Pull
Take three dolphin kicks in a streamlined position followed by one complete butterfly stroke, then return to streamline and repeat.
Focus: Rhythm • Undulation • Body Position
Coaching Note
This drill slows butterfly down and gives you time to establish your body position between strokes.
Stay long through the three kicks and allow the movement to flow through the chest, core and hips. When you take the full stroke, think about carrying your momentum forwards rather than lifting yourself upwards out of the water.
2 & 6 — Backstroke: 6-Kick Switch
Take six kicks on your side with one arm extended before taking a stroke and rotating onto the opposite side.
Focus: Rotation • Alignment • Balance
Coaching Note
Use the six kicks to establish a long, balanced body position before switching sides.
Keep your head still as the shoulders and hips rotate together. Avoid allowing the hips to drop or twisting through the body independently.
The transition between sides should feel smooth rather than rushed.
3 & 7 — Breaststroke: 2 Kicks / 1 Pull
Take two breaststroke kicks for every one arm pull.
Focus: Timing • Streamline • Body Position
Coaching Note
Use the additional kick to exaggerate the streamlined phase of breaststroke.
After each kick, bring the body into a long, narrow position before beginning the next movement. Avoid rushing immediately into the pull.
Think:
Kick → Streamline → Kick → Streamline → Pull
The aim is to develop patience and efficiency rather than simply increasing stroke rate.
4 & 8 — Freestyle: 6 Kicks / 3 Strokes
Take six kicks while balanced on one side, then three freestyle strokes to rotate onto the opposite side. Repeat down the length.
Focus: Rotation • Core Control • Body Line
Coaching Note
Use the six kicks to establish a stable position on your side with the lead arm extended.
When you take the three strokes, rotate from the hips and core rather than simply moving the shoulders from side to side.
Fins can be useful for this drill if you find yourself losing momentum during the kick phase.
Main Set — 1,600m
4 × 100m IM — Strong & Controlled
20 seconds rest
Each 100m:
25 Fly → 25 Back → 25 Breast → 25 Free
Don't race these yet. Swim at a strong but sustainable pace and concentrate on carrying good technique from one stroke into the next.
Coaching Focus: Smooth IM Swimming
Try not to think of a 100 IM as four completely separate 25s.
Instead, think about creating one continuous swim with four different rhythms.
Pay particular attention to the final few metres of each stroke and how you carry your momentum through the turn into the next one.
Stay controlled on the butterfly so you don't compromise the rest of the IM, then build your effort as you progress towards the freestyle.
50m Easy Freestyle
Relax the stroke and reset before the transition work.
8 × 50m IM Transitions
15–20 seconds rest
1 & 5 — 25 Fly / 25 Back
2 & 6 — 25 Back / 25 Breast
3 & 7 — 25 Breast / 25 Free
4 & 8 — 25 Free / 25 Fly
Swim these strongly, concentrating particularly on the change of stroke at the halfway point.
Coaching Focus: IM Transitions
Good IM swimming isn't only about how fast you can swim each individual stroke. The transitions between them matter too.
Approach the wall with purpose and think ahead to the body position and rhythm required for the next stroke. Try to make every transition feel deliberate rather than using the first few strokes after the wall to reorganise yourself.
The Free → Fly repeats may initially seem slightly unusual, but they make the sequence continuous and challenge you to switch from a freestyle rhythm straight back into butterfly. It's a tough one!!
100m Easy Freestyle
Swim easily and prepare for the longest IM efforts of the session.
2 × 200m IM — Strong
60 seconds rest
Each 200m:
50 Fly → 50 Back → 50 Breast → 50 Free
These are the key efforts of the session.
Coaching Focus: Pace Your IM
Don't attack the first 50m of butterfly as though it's a standalone race.
A strong IM is about distributing your effort intelligently across all four strokes. Stay technically controlled through the butterfly, establish a strong rhythm on backstroke and then maintain momentum through breaststroke before bringing everything you have left into the freestyle.
Everyone has stronger and weaker strokes. The aim isn't necessarily to swim all four disciplines at exactly the same intensity.
Instead, think about protecting your weaker stroke while making the most of your strengths.
And as fatigue increases, keep returning to the technical cues you worked on earlier:
Rhythm. Body position. Rotation. Streamline.
50m Easy Freestyle
Take the intensity right back down and prepare for the final speed block.
Fast Finish — 200m
8 × 25m Sprint — IM Order × 2
1 & 5 — Fly
2 & 6 — Back
3 & 7 — Breast
4 & 8 — Free
Take enough recovery between repeats to produce genuine speed — approximately 20–30 seconds depending on your level.
Coaching Focus: Speed With Technique
These are short enough to be fast.
Commit to each 25m and increase your stroke rate, but don't let speed completely override technique.
Think about producing eight high-quality sprint efforts, rather than turning the set into continuous tired swimming.
Each stroke should still look recognisable as the technique you've been practising throughout the session — just considerably faster.
Swim Down — 200m
100m Easy Freestyle
50m Easy Backstroke
50m Back Scull
Allow your heart rate to come down and let the shoulders relax.
Finish with controlled back sculling, keeping the movements small and concentrating on maintaining pressure against the water through your hands and forearms.
Total: 3,000m
Overall Coaching Focus
The key theme of this workout is rhythm and control across all four strokes.
Each stroke has a different rhythm, body position and timing pattern. The technique block deliberately exaggerates these elements before you bring the four strokes together in the main set.
As the workout progresses, pay particular attention to your transitions. Rather than finishing one stroke and then thinking about the next, anticipate the change before you reach the wall.
Finally, remember that IM swimming is rarely about treating all four strokes equally. Know where your strengths lie, stay composed through your weaker disciplines and try to arrive at the freestyle with enough left to finish strongly.
The goal: Swim four technically different strokes as one connected race.