For most people, I would think swimming butterfly would be the most demanding stroke, raising the heart rate the highest. So, leaving that stroke out of this discussion, which stroke raises your heart rate the highest while working on DPS?
Saturday is recovery day for me, so I take Paul Smith's advice by aiming to keep my heart rate below 120. For my recovery swims, I have been swimming various 100's, resting for 20 seconds, on the advice of James Adams. I work on DPS and technique by doing various drills, as well as full stroke. After each 100, during the rest period, I take my pulse for 10 seconds and multiply x6, to determine my heart rate.
My normal resting heart rate is 50-54; it used to be 68 when I was a power walker/ gym rat, before returning to swimming. So, it has improved quite a bit. But, I have found it difficult to keep it down while swimming breaststroke (my best competitive stroke). And, I am curious if others have experienced the same thing.
While working on DPS and trying to keep a good propulsive phase and streamline for each of the strokes, this is my typical heart rate on a recovery day:
Freestyle- 17 (10 seconds)/ 102 (per minute)
Backstroke- 20/ 120
Breaststroke- 24/ 144 :afraid:
If I just work on my breaststroke pull (no pull buoy), I can keep my heart rate closer to 120, but it still gets to high. And, if I just work on my kick (no board, on stomach, arms out in front), I can keep it even lower. But, once I put the stroke together, fuhhhgetaboutit! (And, yes, I am exhaling fully on each stroke.)
So this is what I can't figure out: Why was breaststroke so easy when I swam back in high school and had a race time 11 seconds faster on my 100 than I do now? It seemed like I could swim breaststroke forever! At the time, it was freestyle that was so difficult and got my heart rate jumping. I hated it! But, now, it's breaststroke that is the more heart-racing stroke. (On both strokes, my technique is much better now than it was then.)
I will be curious to hear what others have experienced...
Many years ago I tried to train with a heart rate monitor and keep my heart rate below 120 while I worked out. I abandoned this after I was able to workout with a low heart rate but could not race as well. One thing I noticed was that my heart rate was highly dependent upon my thoughts. If I was swimming along with a 120 beats per second, and someone in a lane next to me started to pass me by - my heart rate would shoot up. If you are thinking a lot about your stroke or anticipating a hard kick or pull your heart rate will go higher. One swimmer who tried this experiment with me had an experience while he wore the heart rate monitor during the day just to see what would happen. He said that one time he was sitting at a red light with a very low heart rate, the light turned green and his heart rate shot up 100 beats over what it was before the light turned green! Another swimmer wanted to wear the monitor one time. She was standing on deck with a low heart rate, climbed into the pool using the ladder and got ready to push off for her warm up. Her heart rate was over 160 and she had not done anything. It was all due to her mind anticipating and getting ready to workout. I just thought you might be interested in this. I would guess that since you are a breaststroker, you think a lot about your technique while you are swimming.
Many years ago I tried to train with a heart rate monitor and keep my heart rate below 120 while I worked out. I abandoned this after I was able to workout with a low heart rate but could not race as well. One thing I noticed was that my heart rate was highly dependent upon my thoughts. If I was swimming along with a 120 beats per second, and someone in a lane next to me started to pass me by - my heart rate would shoot up. If you are thinking a lot about your stroke or anticipating a hard kick or pull your heart rate will go higher. One swimmer who tried this experiment with me had an experience while he wore the heart rate monitor during the day just to see what would happen. He said that one time he was sitting at a red light with a very low heart rate, the light turned green and his heart rate shot up 100 beats over what it was before the light turned green! Another swimmer wanted to wear the monitor one time. She was standing on deck with a low heart rate, climbed into the pool using the ladder and got ready to push off for her warm up. Her heart rate was over 160 and she had not done anything. It was all due to her mind anticipating and getting ready to workout. I just thought you might be interested in this. I would guess that since you are a breaststroker, you think a lot about your technique while you are swimming.
