I need to speed up building up my cardio, and I need to decide how to best go by doing it.
Don't really want to drastically increase my swimming, since I alerady do 2400-3000 Y or M a day (depending on waht pool we end up in SCY or LCM), and about couple times a week or so twice a day. This is all my shoulders and upper body are willing to handle without getting strained to a point where it starts feeling like a serious muscle irritation ratherthan just DOMS. Still need time to build up the strength there. I'm relatively pleased with how my strength is comingalong. My cardio really frustrates me. :rolleyes:
I'm a klutz when it comes to running and don't really want to add strain to the joints etc. that running will do. Wanna save my legs for swimming. Really don't want to do stuff that will increase risk of injury that will take me away from swimming training.
Now that my friend filled my head with the idea that I might have a chance to qualify for FINA master's games in Italy, which I was planning to go to and just watch my friend swim. I'm not really sure how realistic that idea is. Maybe 50/50. I dunno.
I'm kind of unsure as to what would be a good choice to give my cardio more of a push, something I can do as a second workout of the day. Do I get back in the pool in the afternoons, and do some intense kicking sets with longer fins (this actually sounds like something I'd be pretty eager to do)? Something dryland?
Well, this is about as far as I had thought this through (not a lot just yet). So many options - I'm not sure which way to turn. Any input, ideas, suggestions you guys might have that can help me think this through would be welcome.
Or... maybe I just more patience. I'm not sure if I'm pushing it too hard or not hard enough. It must be one of "those" days today.
Former Member
Congratulations on beating the Novas. I look at a couple of your meets in Spma on the internet, Connie you do better in distance than sprints. You drop about 10 seconds on the 200 meter. You shouldn't do more yardage for one you are not a teenager and don't recover as fast from heavy yardage and another you have workout on a team less than a year. You might make the standards for worlds. I even tied the standard for the 200 meter freestyle and I'm not much of a freestyler. As you say, running I would recommend just once in a while not every day.
Hi Cinc
Thanks :)
Where have you been!?! I haven't seen you here for a little while, missed ya!
As for the yardage... well, I still can't do the full workout that the coach gives the 'fast people' as I call them.
I either run out of time, or my cardio poops out, and I can't make the intervals (sometimes even with fins).
Which really fustrates me to no end, but I bite my tongue and grit my teeth and keep telling myself that if I keep at it, it will come.
And, yea, I need a reminder, it's only been 5 months that I've been swimming.
I did notice the recovery time I need is at least overnight. The times that I try a double workout, I usually pay for it later in the week.
You know, a thought just occured to me... I've been making progress faster than i thought I could. For one, I was hoping to be swimming 100 free in low 1:40's by this time, and I just did 1:31.55. So, what I've been doing has been woking pretty well. I still just need to catch up with the full workout.
So, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
(that would be a big DUH for me.)
As for FINA times, yea, they are actually little slower then the LCM nationals qualifying.
You noticed right, I'm not a sprinter, never have been (well, never did any really serious sports before this). My friend thinks that I have the best chance of qualifying in 200 or 400, or maybe 800.
I actually like the 1500 and the 800 events.
I think the only fast twitch fibers I have are in my tongue (wish my brain to mouth filter would grow a few extra.)
Well, one of two things will happen, I'll either swim in Italy, or I'll watch my friend swim and play a tourist. It'll be fun either way.
I saw an article not too long ago in SWIMMING Technique magazine (July 2003) about "kick based training". It basically said that it's possible to add a whole lot of kick sets to your workout without any real chance of injury. Most of the swimmers featured in this issue were trying to maintain a high level of fitness without further stressing existing injuries. The majority of the yardage being put in the pool was done in kick sets only. (Natalie Coughlin was one of the athletes who followed this type of training due to some shoulder problems, and look where she is today.)
In short, most every swimmer with a kick based training plan wound up with greater leg strength, ankle flexiblity, and faster times.
Cardio conditioning = repeat sets with little rest (ie. 10 x 100 with 10-15 seconds rest between 100's. Make these a part of your everyday workouts and monitor your progress. As you get comfortable try 3 sets of 5 x 100 with decreasing intervals say 2:00, 1:50 and 1:45 (adjust if necessary for the individual). The key is on the final set to be pushing yourself to the brink of failure (missing the next interval).
Good Luck and let me know your progress/results.
waves101 is right! Repeats with short rest are the best way to build your cardio.If you do it correctly (SWIM HARD TO "FAILURE"), it is very intense! Try to maintain your best possible average time on all of your repeats. Be careful and don't do too much too soon. Maybe start with a set of 5-6 x100's and then build up to 10. Kicking sets with 10-15 sec rest would work on your cardio endurance too! You could alternate kicking/swimming sets every other day. Good luck! :D
I understood that you wanted a cardio workout not associated with more swimming. If so, you may want to try skipping rope. I know this is an old fashioned idea but believe me you can get an intense cadio experience in a short amount of time. Just do the routine on a soft surface.
Originally posted by waves101
Cardio conditioning = repeat sets with little rest (ie. 10 x 100 with 10-15 seconds rest between 100's. Make these a part of your everyday workouts and monitor your progress. As you get comfortable try 3 sets of 5 x 100 with decreasing intervals say 2:00, 1:50 and 1:45 (adjust if necessary for the individual). The key is on the final set to be pushing yourself to the brink of failure (missing the next interval).
Good Luck and let me know your progress/results.
Yea, our coach has us do those all the time, and I do them till I start missing intervals. Then I take a minute rest, or till my breathing normalizes a tad (whichever happens first), and go after them again.
Just about every set he gives us is on some sort of an interval that we need ot hold, make etc...
I still can't do all the intervals he calls for. One issue is my cardio, the other is that I'm still pretty slow, so I probably work quite a bit harder to make the interval than someone who is faster.
If the lanes aren't crowded, I adjust my intervals slightly so I can try and *just* make them. Well, I suppose I need time, and keep at it.
Originally posted by Gil
I understood that you wanted a cardio workout not associated with more swimming. If so, you may want to try skipping rope. I know this is an old fashioned idea but believe me you can get an intense cadio experience in a short amount of time. Just do the routine on a soft surface.
Thanks for the suggestions on the intervals etc...
I swim witrh a team, and our coach has us doing alkl that already.
You're right, I was looking for something most likely non-swimming to supplement the swim practices.
Skipping rtope actually sounds doable. Sometimes I do just jumping up and down, as if skipping rope, to loosen up and hget my heart going a tad before a hard swim. Seems like when I go from normal (almost sitting) heart rate into a sprint, I hit a "wall", but if my heart-rate is already elevated a little bit, the intensely increased load doesn't seem to put my cardio into a shock (or whatever it is doing)
For today, I went to the morning and the evening swim practice. Lot of stroke drilling at the evening practice. Working on my stroke count, which, trying to do it right, even at easy pace gets my cardio going.
To digress a little bit, when i'm doing slower stroke drills, my stroke count is in a 14-16 range. (SCY pool)
Depending on how I feel in the morning, I'm either swimming, or taking a day rest tomorrow. well... to be continued...
I'd try to do something I enjoy, on a x-training type basis. What about:
-biking?
-hiking? (nothing like hills to make your heart beat!)
-walking quickly (sometimes can do this at work or to work, etc.)
-dancing or aerobics
-treadmill (not something I'd ever do; I'd feel like a gerbil on a wheel)
-rowing or paddling. Or a rowing machine - great for cardio and core strength.
It seems like you're really pushing yourself as it is. Be careful not to overdue it; you risk mental burn out as well as shoulder blow out!
Hi Lexa
Thanks for some good ideas.
With doing a double workout yesterday, I'm realizing I'm pushing myself plenty.
Heh, just trying to do the stroke drills right has given me another cardio workout last night, and hasn't worn out my energy and muscles as much as distance or sprints do. Did make them a bit sore.
Being that I really like to be in the water, I'll probably stick with that for a little while (till it starts feeling easier).
As for the mental burnout, knowing myself, I'm probably good for several years before there's any hint of that (3, 4, 5...) Considering there's so much technique in swimming, it will keep my brain occupied for quite a while.
