I am pretty new to competitive swimming and have only raced sprint (50s and 100s) events thus far. That is mostly because short events are all I thought I could handle -- not because I thought I had any particular speed or affinity for these events.
Now, I am working on developing a dryland training program designed to complement my swimming. I need to know whether to focus on sprint events (which need power), middle distance events (which need power and endurance) or distance events (which need primarily endurance). Since my technique is only in the formative stages (so I am not yet equipped to show off any speed I might someday have), how can I tell whether I'd be better as a sprinter, middle distance or distance swimmer? Short of having a muscle biopsy to discern my ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fibers, is there a way to tell? How do coaches help swimmers choose their best events?
I ask because the dryland program I create will be very different based on my in-pool goals. For example, a dryland program designed for a distance swimmer could totally wreck the performance of a sprinter because intense aerobic endurance training decreases power output. (That's why you won't see power lifters riding the exercise bike except, perhaps, in the off-season.) I want to make sure I get it right. Any thoughts?
Parents
Former Member
Figuring out your muscle fiber breakdown, without a muscle biopsy and without having developed yet as a distance or sprint swimmer, can be done by looking back on the activities in which you already performed.
If you thrived in track sprint races or football, you might have a high percentage of fast-twitch fibers.
If you were inclined toward soccer or long hikes, you might have a high percentage of slow-twitch fibers.
Teenage age-group swimmers develop an undiscriminate base training made of distance swimming, then based on what glimpse of talent they show, they specialize with sharpening training in distance or in sprints.
Adults without a youth swimming background, physiologically have less potential, and might jump directly into sprints or distance swimming, based on affinities for activities prior to swimming.
They get more modest performances than the age-group swimmers.
Figuring out your muscle fiber breakdown, without a muscle biopsy and without having developed yet as a distance or sprint swimmer, can be done by looking back on the activities in which you already performed.
If you thrived in track sprint races or football, you might have a high percentage of fast-twitch fibers.
If you were inclined toward soccer or long hikes, you might have a high percentage of slow-twitch fibers.
Teenage age-group swimmers develop an undiscriminate base training made of distance swimming, then based on what glimpse of talent they show, they specialize with sharpening training in distance or in sprints.
Adults without a youth swimming background, physiologically have less potential, and might jump directly into sprints or distance swimming, based on affinities for activities prior to swimming.
They get more modest performances than the age-group swimmers.
