For a 54-year old (that's me), which is more critical to limit the potential swim speed between flawed technique and unathletic strength?
Well, I'll actually try to improve both. However, many people around me mainly focus on swimming more laps and gym workout, while don't bother about improving their technique at all, despite their techniques being far from efficient.
During my Navy career I frequently held the collateral duty of my command/department's fitness coordinator. The main part of that duty is to administer the periodic Physical Readiness Test (PRT). The physical portion(s) of the test are (or were when I was in) push-up, sit-ups, and choice of either a 1.5 mile run, or a 500 yd/450m swim. At one duty station there were a couple guys in my department that were generally in very good physical condition. They were 'muscle heads'...concentrated on lifting weights. But they always passed the PRT with above average scores doing the 1.5 mile run. But one test cycle they decided they were going to do the swim instead. They could "swim" but weren't swimmers. They actually said to me that they figured they could "muscle their way through the 500 yards." They wanted to prove something. I tried to talk them out of it. They had too much muscle to keep themselves afloat with their lack of technique. I couldn't get through to them. So, they waited until the last day of the test cycle. They showed up at the pool ready to swim. After just one lap it was OBVIOUS they weren't going to make the 500 yards in the allotted time...if they were going to finish at all (without drowning). Of course they failed. I, as the fitness coordinator, authorized one additional test...for the 1.5 mile run...just for these to knuckleheads...so that I wouldn't end up with two otherwise physically fit sailors on the remedial fitness program.
Dan
This is so funny to me.
While stationed with a unit that included all four services, during a time when the Air Force "PT test" was sitting on a bike hooked up to a computer, I decided to take all the other services' PT tests. Mostly to shut them up with their "haha, Air Force "PT". You gonna go sit on a bike for 10 minutes, Mike?"
For the Navy test, I decided to do the 500y swim. I was 30 years old and hadn't started masters swimming yet (that was still 5 years off), but I knew how to swim, and would swim "for exercise" every once in a while. I did okay on the push-ups (55) and sit-ups (my worst event, 45), and prepared to swim. The Navy Chief in charge of the test made a big public showing of explaining to "the Air Force guy" what 500 yards meant in the SCY pool, giving me good-natured intra-service joshing about not being able to fly between the walls or walking the lane instead of swimming. I just smiled.
Nine minutes and 33 seconds later, I hopped out of the pool, the fastest swimmer that day. (Turned out the fastest swimmer that year, and for two years beyond that.) The Navy Chief was incredulous, asking the lap counter, in front of me, if she had counted wrong. She (and I) assured him that yes, the "Air Force guy" had swum the 500 yards.
A Navy Senior Chief I had been working out with since being stationed there, a former Special Boat Unit guy, proposed to the Commander of the unit to put my name on the unit's "best times" board, to guilt the sailors in to working out and trying to beat the Air Force guy who held the record for the unit. The Commander refused. ;)
Fast forward many years and many masters teams and different units later, and at 45 I swam 500 meters in 6:53. Very good for me and very happy. Still can't believe 9:33 was any sort of record among a bunch of sailors!
During my Navy career I frequently held the collateral duty of my command/department's fitness coordinator. The main part of that duty is to administer the periodic Physical Readiness Test (PRT). The physical portion(s) of the test are (or were when I was in) push-up, sit-ups, and choice of either a 1.5 mile run, or a 500 yd/450m swim. At one duty station there were a couple guys in my department that were generally in very good physical condition. They were 'muscle heads'...concentrated on lifting weights. But they always passed the PRT with above average scores doing the 1.5 mile run. But one test cycle they decided they were going to do the swim instead. They could "swim" but weren't swimmers. They actually said to me that they figured they could "muscle their way through the 500 yards." They wanted to prove something. I tried to talk them out of it. They had too much muscle to keep themselves afloat with their lack of technique. I couldn't get through to them. So, they waited until the last day of the test cycle. They showed up at the pool ready to swim. After just one lap it was OBVIOUS they weren't going to make the 500 yards in the allotted time...if they were going to finish at all (without drowning). Of course they failed. I, as the fitness coordinator, authorized one additional test...for the 1.5 mile run...just for these to knuckleheads...so that I wouldn't end up with two otherwise physically fit sailors on the remedial fitness program.
Dan
This is so funny to me.
While stationed with a unit that included all four services, during a time when the Air Force "PT test" was sitting on a bike hooked up to a computer, I decided to take all the other services' PT tests. Mostly to shut them up with their "haha, Air Force "PT". You gonna go sit on a bike for 10 minutes, Mike?"
For the Navy test, I decided to do the 500y swim. I was 30 years old and hadn't started masters swimming yet (that was still 5 years off), but I knew how to swim, and would swim "for exercise" every once in a while. I did okay on the push-ups (55) and sit-ups (my worst event, 45), and prepared to swim. The Navy Chief in charge of the test made a big public showing of explaining to "the Air Force guy" what 500 yards meant in the SCY pool, giving me good-natured intra-service joshing about not being able to fly between the walls or walking the lane instead of swimming. I just smiled.
Nine minutes and 33 seconds later, I hopped out of the pool, the fastest swimmer that day. (Turned out the fastest swimmer that year, and for two years beyond that.) The Navy Chief was incredulous, asking the lap counter, in front of me, if she had counted wrong. She (and I) assured him that yes, the "Air Force guy" had swum the 500 yards.
A Navy Senior Chief I had been working out with since being stationed there, a former Special Boat Unit guy, proposed to the Commander of the unit to put my name on the unit's "best times" board, to guilt the sailors in to working out and trying to beat the Air Force guy who held the record for the unit. The Commander refused. ;)
Fast forward many years and many masters teams and different units later, and at 45 I swam 500 meters in 6:53. Very good for me and very happy. Still can't believe 9:33 was any sort of record among a bunch of sailors!
