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?
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Former Member
I was told about this test that determines one's type of muscle fiber, test practiced at the Olympic Training Centre in Colorado:
inhale air, lie face down in the water, exhale the air completely while laying face down in the water, then observe how much and fast you sink underwater; the faster and deeper you sink, the more of a sprinter you are.
Myself, I keep floating, which allegedly is the sign of a distance swimmer.
I can imagine this test applying to muscle dense football players, but maybe not as much to light frame sprinter swimmers like Pieter van den Hoogenband (Ned) who is listed at 193 centimeters height and 73 kilograms, and Anthony Ervin (US) who is listed at 191 centimeters height and 75 kilograms.
I guess that van den Hoogenband and Ervin are floating too.
Also, after one determines the type of muscle fiber, one new swimmer is facing the acquiring -thru training- of the swimmer specific VO2Max -the cardiovascular applied to swimmer's muscles- , and this is more challenging for an adult whose body doesn't grow much, than it is for a growing teenager.
I was told about this test that determines one's type of muscle fiber, test practiced at the Olympic Training Centre in Colorado:
inhale air, lie face down in the water, exhale the air completely while laying face down in the water, then observe how much and fast you sink underwater; the faster and deeper you sink, the more of a sprinter you are.
Myself, I keep floating, which allegedly is the sign of a distance swimmer.
I can imagine this test applying to muscle dense football players, but maybe not as much to light frame sprinter swimmers like Pieter van den Hoogenband (Ned) who is listed at 193 centimeters height and 73 kilograms, and Anthony Ervin (US) who is listed at 191 centimeters height and 75 kilograms.
I guess that van den Hoogenband and Ervin are floating too.
Also, after one determines the type of muscle fiber, one new swimmer is facing the acquiring -thru training- of the swimmer specific VO2Max -the cardiovascular applied to swimmer's muscles- , and this is more challenging for an adult whose body doesn't grow much, than it is for a growing teenager.
