Hello,
My 16 year old has been swimming 3000-4000 yards 5x week on the local team for the past 5 months. (This is after a year out for shoulder surgery, and a year of swimming prior to that. His shoulder is doing fine.) He has 6 months until high school varsity swim team tryouts in August. High school workouts will be 6000 yards 5x week beginning in August.
I want to plan his training to both peak for his varsity tryout in August, and to be acclimated to the increased yardage.
I know nothing about swimming tapers so I'm strictly guessing. Roughly I thought he might begin now adding 1 - 6000 yard workout a week say for the first month, then 2 per week etc, until in June he can do 6000 - 5x a week. I would guess that July he would taper in some way....maybe:
First week 6000 yrd 1x, 3000 4x
Second week 3000 yrd 4x
Third week 3000 yrd 2x
Fourth week 3000 yrd 1x
Your advice is appreciated.
Thank you!
And how about weight training? I'm not sure it's been covered yet, but if a swimmer is strength training with weights or stretch cords, at what point should they stop before a championship-caliber swim meet?
Hey Patrick, I didn't see you at the Marist meet today. You'll be at Auburn, right? :D
I have asked the same question on the Forums and have received different responses. If I remember correctly, Ande says not to stop, Allen Stark recommends stopping about 2 weeks out (and heavy weights about 3 weeks out, I think...), and The Fortress recommends stopping about 3 weeks out. (I hope I got this right...)
It's a personal thing; what works best for you. It seems like the older you are, the earlier you should back off or stop to allow for recovery. :cane: But, from what I can tell from the Forum posts, most of the best swimmers stop 2 or 3 weeks before the big meet.
And how about weight training? I'm not sure it's been covered yet, but if a swimmer is strength training with weights or stretch cords, at what point should they stop before a championship-caliber swim meet?
Hey Patrick, I didn't see you at the Marist meet today. You'll be at Auburn, right? :D
I have asked the same question on the Forums and have received different responses. If I remember correctly, Ande says not to stop, Allen Stark recommends stopping about 2 weeks out (and heavy weights about 3 weeks out, I think...), and The Fortress recommends stopping about 3 weeks out. (I hope I got this right...)
It's a personal thing; what works best for you. It seems like the older you are, the earlier you should back off or stop to allow for recovery. :cane: But, from what I can tell from the Forum posts, most of the best swimmers stop 2 or 3 weeks before the big meet.
