This may seem like a radical suggestion...or incredibly simple minded. Nonetheless, here's the concent: So much of our workout time, particularly on "distance sets" days, is concentrated on freestyle sets that I'd say our total weekly yardage is probably close to 85 percent or higher freestyle. (I would also venture a guess that this is a not uncommon scenario for many masters teams around the country.)
I know this emphasis on freestyle helps freestyle performance in meets, and I think lots of swimmers--myself included--have always reflexively assumed that if you're in decent freestyle shape, you can swim other strokes reasonably fast, as well; that aerobic and anaerobic conditioning for freestyle translates directly to, say, backstroke or butterfly conditioning.
But I also know that running doesn't particularly help swimming performance, because the muscles used are too sports specific, and you have to train the specific muscle you're going to use in a race. So I started to think maybe we should be doing "distance" sets in different strokes, particularly if any of us wanted to swim faster 200s (and the 400 IM).
As the "player coach" for our little team here in western pa, I've had us start doing distance stroke sets--for example, we did a 1000 backstroke, followed by 5 x 200 backstroke, on Monday.
We've only been doing this for 3-4 weeks now, but it's already made a difference, at least for me. I lowered my lifetime best in the 100 back last week (I'm a very mediocre backstroker) by almost a second--down to 1.02.6. (If I only knew how to do a backstroke start!)
Anyhow:
1) how many of you out there do distance sets of non freestyle?
2) do any of you have any data on stroke specific training, i.e., is it just a coincidence or does it really help to better times in these events?
3) assuming you're in pretty good freestyle shape, does shifting to training more backstroke or other non-freestyle stroke cause you to start deconditioning in freestyle?
Thanks for any advice or comments; I am hoping to shift topics somewhat from the last thread I began...
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My best events are distance freestyle, though I will do the 50 and 100 in meets to make it worth the trip (1500m @ 18:58). I never do other strokes in meets so I never did other strokes during practice. One day I mixed a set of back and *** in a long string of 200s. Man, was I surprised at how difficult it was to do the back and ***. I was in great freestyle shape, and thought it would translate to the others.
It occured to me that when you begin to melt down in the long freestyle swim you are probably tapping other muscles to compensate. Some of these may be built up by the other strokes. Anyway, I have been incorporating other strokes in my sets and my physical conditioning appears to have improved. I haven't tested this with any competition times yet. I probably do a 50/50 mix of strokes. I can't do butterfly anymore due to cronic neck problems that plague me whenever I try it. It used to be my favored stroke.
My best events are distance freestyle, though I will do the 50 and 100 in meets to make it worth the trip (1500m @ 18:58). I never do other strokes in meets so I never did other strokes during practice. One day I mixed a set of back and *** in a long string of 200s. Man, was I surprised at how difficult it was to do the back and ***. I was in great freestyle shape, and thought it would translate to the others.
It occured to me that when you begin to melt down in the long freestyle swim you are probably tapping other muscles to compensate. Some of these may be built up by the other strokes. Anyway, I have been incorporating other strokes in my sets and my physical conditioning appears to have improved. I haven't tested this with any competition times yet. I probably do a 50/50 mix of strokes. I can't do butterfly anymore due to cronic neck problems that plague me whenever I try it. It used to be my favored stroke.
