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...
I stopped swimming butterfly because it seemed to hurt my lower back. Then I gradually built up to it again, and I've been fine--or at least what passes for fine in me.
You might get a coach to take a look at your fly and make recommendations for head position, etc. The other suggestion: build up to swimming fly again extremely slowly. Do 1 x 25 per practice for the first week; then 2 x 25 the second week, with plenty of rest in between. I used this techique to build up to 40 x 25, then went to 8 x 50 on :50, then did a 2:21 in the 200 fly in a meet last year.
The key to avoiding injury, I think, is to go very slow so your body can make the necessary changes to accommodate to the new demands your putting on it. I do think with the right strategy, you can return one day to swimming your favorite stroke of yesteryear.
I stopped swimming butterfly because it seemed to hurt my lower back. Then I gradually built up to it again, and I've been fine--or at least what passes for fine in me.
You might get a coach to take a look at your fly and make recommendations for head position, etc. The other suggestion: build up to swimming fly again extremely slowly. Do 1 x 25 per practice for the first week; then 2 x 25 the second week, with plenty of rest in between. I used this techique to build up to 40 x 25, then went to 8 x 50 on :50, then did a 2:21 in the 200 fly in a meet last year.
The key to avoiding injury, I think, is to go very slow so your body can make the necessary changes to accommodate to the new demands your putting on it. I do think with the right strategy, you can return one day to swimming your favorite stroke of yesteryear.
