My big question is...how often should I swim/train to achieve my swim goals?
I never know if swimming 5 days a week vs swimming 7 days is better because some days your body is just tired and you end up having not-as-good-workout. Does that make the workout productive or is rest better?
I was swimming everyday for 3 months straight practically, working myself really hard, doing twice a week weights, and then I hurt my shoulder for the 1st time in my life! I swam competitively in high school and never had an injury. It made me feel old.
However, I still want to work hard and achieve my goals but I just don't know if swimming everyday is the answer. I understand that it also depends WHAT I swim daily and how intense I work as well...but I just do whatever workout the masters coach gives us that day. So it varies.
I feel like I'm training without any idea of how to get to where I want.
I have a very ambitious goal...but fortunately I told myself I'd just like to achieve this some time in my life..whether it's in two years or 20 years....but I would like to drop 5 seconds in my 100 freestyle. Someday. Yes, it's obviously incredibly difficult to drop that much time in a sprint event but I want to! The question is...how to get there? Is swimming everyday the key? Or maybe it has nothing to do with number of times I work out but more about what I'm actually doing at the practice. But what should I be doing? Of course technique is important.
I'd just like to hear some suggestions. I feel like I'm swimming in the dark!
Thanks!
-Helen
I'd say it's very reasonable.
Definitely reasonable.
Don't work out 7 days a week. Be sure to take a rest day.
Don't kill yourself every practice. Every practice should have a specific purpose -- hard aerobic/sprint/lacate/recovery.
Don't always do the practice as written. Distance day is not going to help you get a faster 100 free. Consider cutting the distance on the intervals and doing some sprint work that day if you can. If you can't, do some speed work in a solo practice.
Don't just do sprint work once a week. Try twice a week. To really sprint, you need plenty of rest between hard efforts.
Don't do a set like 10 x 1:30 very often. It won't help your 100 free much and isn't a good indicator set.
Work on your kicking.
Do drylands at least 2x week. If you do them more, you might have to go down to 5 swims, which is perfectly good. Weights have helped me avoid shoulder problems.
Power, speed and strength are your friends for fast freestyle. Lot of moderate aerobic work or junk yardage won't make you faster.
I'd say it's very reasonable.
Definitely reasonable.
Don't work out 7 days a week. Be sure to take a rest day.
Don't kill yourself every practice. Every practice should have a specific purpose -- hard aerobic/sprint/lacate/recovery.
Don't always do the practice as written. Distance day is not going to help you get a faster 100 free. Consider cutting the distance on the intervals and doing some sprint work that day if you can. If you can't, do some speed work in a solo practice.
Don't just do sprint work once a week. Try twice a week. To really sprint, you need plenty of rest between hard efforts.
Don't do a set like 10 x 1:30 very often. It won't help your 100 free much and isn't a good indicator set.
Work on your kicking.
Do drylands at least 2x week. If you do them more, you might have to go down to 5 swims, which is perfectly good. Weights have helped me avoid shoulder problems.
Power, speed and strength are your friends for fast freestyle. Lot of moderate aerobic work or junk yardage won't make you faster.
