I've been focusing on stroke work for the past year or so and I'm hitting on a phase I'm hoping others have hit and have answers to.
My 75-85% efforts are when my stroke is best but 1) It seems to fall apart when I really put the pedal to the metal and 2) If I try to slow down to build endurance, the stroke also does not stay together. If I can't maintain stroke mechanics during peak sprints or cardio/muscular endurance sets would that amount to garbage yardage?
This funky middle ground means I get some decent effort in practice, but it seems too short compared to other swimmers workouts. Without building power or endurance using 'the right stroke' I worry that I'm not really making as good of progress as I can.
Thanks in advance.
All great responses - thanks for the input.
- Syd: Reminds me a bit of specificity training - or at least what we called it in my hay day : ). I guess now the equivalent is HIT training or something along those lines. But, I like the idea and should try working in this type of training.
-GregJS: A recent fave has been a sequence of 200, 100, 50's. I'd also love to see some things you do too.
200's are done till stroke just isn't staying together with a minute or so rest and try to hold pace. I expect that first 50 to be perfect. Perfect reach,catch,finish and body position with fly kicks (5-3) off each wall. Usually the first 50-75 is decent, then its just trying to keep it together.
100's higher intensity, but keeping stroke together with adequate rest. Same deal just pick up the pace "with more authority" : )
50's can go either way depending on how I feel. Sometimes I step up the intensity while keeping the stroke together. Other days I'll go to perfect 50's and really key on an aspect of stroke or perfect turns (wall/ 5 kick underwater/breakout.
So w/o may look like 5*200 shoot for 2:40's and interval 3:30 and may increase to 4. 5*100 hold sub 1:15 on 1:45 ->2min then 7-10*50's hold sub 34 on 1:15->1:30.
Another set we do that I haven't seen other places: perfect 50's. 5 fly kicks off each wall, perfect stroke/balance/ etc. We'll do them for 30-40 minutes 1:15 to 1:30, but they have to be perfect (or at least as perfect as we can make them).
- fmracing: I can relate a lot to your points also. 200 my stroke 'feels' best and I've recently tried (and like) the high turnover style of sprinters (helped me do my first 12 sec 25 in who knows how long).
- knelson and quicksilver: thanks for the input. It confirms some of what I'm trying to do and nudges me towards doing more.
All great responses - thanks for the input.
- Syd: Reminds me a bit of specificity training - or at least what we called it in my hay day : ). I guess now the equivalent is HIT training or something along those lines. But, I like the idea and should try working in this type of training.
-GregJS: A recent fave has been a sequence of 200, 100, 50's. I'd also love to see some things you do too.
200's are done till stroke just isn't staying together with a minute or so rest and try to hold pace. I expect that first 50 to be perfect. Perfect reach,catch,finish and body position with fly kicks (5-3) off each wall. Usually the first 50-75 is decent, then its just trying to keep it together.
100's higher intensity, but keeping stroke together with adequate rest. Same deal just pick up the pace "with more authority" : )
50's can go either way depending on how I feel. Sometimes I step up the intensity while keeping the stroke together. Other days I'll go to perfect 50's and really key on an aspect of stroke or perfect turns (wall/ 5 kick underwater/breakout.
So w/o may look like 5*200 shoot for 2:40's and interval 3:30 and may increase to 4. 5*100 hold sub 1:15 on 1:45 ->2min then 7-10*50's hold sub 34 on 1:15->1:30.
Another set we do that I haven't seen other places: perfect 50's. 5 fly kicks off each wall, perfect stroke/balance/ etc. We'll do them for 30-40 minutes 1:15 to 1:30, but they have to be perfect (or at least as perfect as we can make them).
- fmracing: I can relate a lot to your points also. 200 my stroke 'feels' best and I've recently tried (and like) the high turnover style of sprinters (helped me do my first 12 sec 25 in who knows how long).
- knelson and quicksilver: thanks for the input. It confirms some of what I'm trying to do and nudges me towards doing more.
