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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Wow, this is a great thead.
Our little masters team, the El Segundo slugs, have won several National champ small team titles. I believe it is because we swim a lot of variety, all strokes, lots of drills, always the latest stroke techniques.
Still as a breaststroker there is toomuch freestyle for me. I have a very bad right shoulder that should have surgery on it. I refuse to let any doc do it other than the doc on Star Trek.
I do many sets creatively, breaststroke while others are doing free. But there are times I know I have to swim free, or back or fly. So every 100 becomes 4 x 25, every 200 becomes 8 x 25 etc. I swim one arm butterfly a lot, back and *** does not hurt the shoulder.
The biggest thing I have noticed is the HUGE improvements in the triathletes who are made to to other strokes. When they listen to the coaches their free gets so much faster. I watched one for from a 31 fifty to 26.8 fifty free. That was huge.
Wow, this is a great thead.
Our little masters team, the El Segundo slugs, have won several National champ small team titles. I believe it is because we swim a lot of variety, all strokes, lots of drills, always the latest stroke techniques.
Still as a breaststroker there is toomuch freestyle for me. I have a very bad right shoulder that should have surgery on it. I refuse to let any doc do it other than the doc on Star Trek.
I do many sets creatively, breaststroke while others are doing free. But there are times I know I have to swim free, or back or fly. So every 100 becomes 4 x 25, every 200 becomes 8 x 25 etc. I swim one arm butterfly a lot, back and *** does not hurt the shoulder.
The biggest thing I have noticed is the HUGE improvements in the triathletes who are made to to other strokes. When they listen to the coaches their free gets so much faster. I watched one for from a 31 fifty to 26.8 fifty free. That was huge.
