Trying to set one solid goal for next year. After a mediocre season, I've decided to focus on one event only for next year. I want to see if I can break 5 minutes for a 500 free.
Back in my college days (almost 30 years ago), my best was a 4:47, and I would routinely swim just under 5 in most dual meets. Since I started Masters swimming 4 years ago, my best has been a 5:10. Not bad, but I think I can do better.
Now here's the question for all the middle-distance studs out there: what are some good workouts/drills that you can do to A) increase raw speed, and B) increase endurance. As I mentioned in a different thread, I have been dealing with a mild anemia issue, which I'm pretty sure has been resolved.
... I don't see how USRPT is going to help much with this. Swimming 50s at race pace, but resting 15 seconds after each one just isn't going to simulate swimming at that pace for 10 straight 50s with no rest in between.
"Short work and rest periods sustain energy use consistently. In long work periods, energy use changes as a repetition continues. Ultra short training best simulates the onsistent demands of well-paced competitive performances as aerobic and anaerobic energy sources are stimulated maximally (Tabata et al., 1997)"
"The many short-work intervals, by repeatedly depleting stored oxygen and alactacid energy, ensure its maximal regeneration during each rest interval. This sustains race-pace performance quality and adapts the alactacid energy system maximally (Fernandes et al., 2011). Longer intervals of work and rest produce anaerobic fatigue which reduces swimming velocity and stroke rate (Barden & Rorke, 1999). Ultra short training is the best format for producing anaerobic adaptation."
"In USRPT the aerobic system is used continuously. It sustains swimming duromg the work phase of each interval and during the rest clears substantial lactate and repleishes significant amounts of creatine phosphate. High volumes of low-intensity training do not result in the best form of aerobic adaptirion (Weber et al., 2011)."
"high intensity ultra short training produces similar training effects lmore efficiently (Gibala et al., 2006) and in less training time (Sperlich et al., 2009) than endurance training. Its effects are better than those that can be achieved through continous training (Helgerud et al., 2006). USRPT develops a greater aerobic base than is possoble with longer interval or continous training at lower than race-pace intensities."
From Swimming Science Bulletin # 40b, September 2013, Brent Rushall, Ph D
I have been doing USRPT and only USRPT for just over a year. I have been training exclusively for the 400 and 500 only. The results for me have been outstanding. I know many people do not want to believe that USRPT works, but is based in science and has had proven results. That certainly does not mean that USRPT is the only way to go. Many Olympic Champions, present and future have and will train in other ways.
On the surface it seems hard to believe that doing 50s at race pace will train you best for the 500, but try doing the set that I do i.e. 30 x 50 on a 20 second rest interval at the pace you need to swim the 500 to get your time (done properly you should not be able to swim all 30 at the designated race pace). I guarantee you that by the time you get to # 14 or so, you will be breathing very hard. And by the time you get to # 22 if you have not missed any yet, you will understand why USRPT works.
Oh yes, when you have done that set, rest as long as you need to (I rest for 10 or 15 minutes sometimes) and do the set again.
Now do those two sets 4 more times in the week. At weeks end you will have swum over 10,000 yards at the pace you need to swim your 500. Is anyone else in your age-group training for the 500 doing that?
Glenn Gruber
... I don't see how USRPT is going to help much with this. Swimming 50s at race pace, but resting 15 seconds after each one just isn't going to simulate swimming at that pace for 10 straight 50s with no rest in between.
"Short work and rest periods sustain energy use consistently. In long work periods, energy use changes as a repetition continues. Ultra short training best simulates the onsistent demands of well-paced competitive performances as aerobic and anaerobic energy sources are stimulated maximally (Tabata et al., 1997)"
"The many short-work intervals, by repeatedly depleting stored oxygen and alactacid energy, ensure its maximal regeneration during each rest interval. This sustains race-pace performance quality and adapts the alactacid energy system maximally (Fernandes et al., 2011). Longer intervals of work and rest produce anaerobic fatigue which reduces swimming velocity and stroke rate (Barden & Rorke, 1999). Ultra short training is the best format for producing anaerobic adaptation."
"In USRPT the aerobic system is used continuously. It sustains swimming duromg the work phase of each interval and during the rest clears substantial lactate and repleishes significant amounts of creatine phosphate. High volumes of low-intensity training do not result in the best form of aerobic adaptirion (Weber et al., 2011)."
"high intensity ultra short training produces similar training effects lmore efficiently (Gibala et al., 2006) and in less training time (Sperlich et al., 2009) than endurance training. Its effects are better than those that can be achieved through continous training (Helgerud et al., 2006). USRPT develops a greater aerobic base than is possoble with longer interval or continous training at lower than race-pace intensities."
From Swimming Science Bulletin # 40b, September 2013, Brent Rushall, Ph D
I have been doing USRPT and only USRPT for just over a year. I have been training exclusively for the 400 and 500 only. The results for me have been outstanding. I know many people do not want to believe that USRPT works, but is based in science and has had proven results. That certainly does not mean that USRPT is the only way to go. Many Olympic Champions, present and future have and will train in other ways.
On the surface it seems hard to believe that doing 50s at race pace will train you best for the 500, but try doing the set that I do i.e. 30 x 50 on a 20 second rest interval at the pace you need to swim the 500 to get your time (done properly you should not be able to swim all 30 at the designated race pace). I guarantee you that by the time you get to # 14 or so, you will be breathing very hard. And by the time you get to # 22 if you have not missed any yet, you will understand why USRPT works.
Oh yes, when you have done that set, rest as long as you need to (I rest for 10 or 15 minutes sometimes) and do the set again.
Now do those two sets 4 more times in the week. At weeks end you will have swum over 10,000 yards at the pace you need to swim your 500. Is anyone else in your age-group training for the 500 doing that?
Glenn Gruber
