Can anyone offer some advice. I would like to know if it's necessary for me to taper. I want to swim my best times at a meet the beginning of April. I currently swim anbout 3200 yds 4 x a week. Should I cut back and how or just maintain
the same pace. Thanks
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Former Member
This question has been asked quite a few times in the last 2 years. I myself posted a poll asking " how people tapered ". If you do a search on the forum for past threads on " tapers or tapering " you will get a lot of info.
You do have to be doing enough swimming to "taper from". The current UK team are not allowed to shave and taper for any meets except the Olympics this August and they are doing pretty well on it. Crocker was untapered when he set his world record recently. Swimmers may find that they will do shorter tapers in the future.
Having some measurement that you check before and during the taper is the way to go. It takes the guesswork out of it. I like Waynes' vertical jump test. Doing a 25m sprint swim and checking the time could also work. If there is no dramatic improvement then the taper may have been underdone or overdone.
This question has been asked quite a few times in the last 2 years. I myself posted a poll asking " how people tapered ". If you do a search on the forum for past threads on " tapers or tapering " you will get a lot of info.
You do have to be doing enough swimming to "taper from". The current UK team are not allowed to shave and taper for any meets except the Olympics this August and they are doing pretty well on it. Crocker was untapered when he set his world record recently. Swimmers may find that they will do shorter tapers in the future.
Having some measurement that you check before and during the taper is the way to go. It takes the guesswork out of it. I like Waynes' vertical jump test. Doing a 25m sprint swim and checking the time could also work. If there is no dramatic improvement then the taper may have been underdone or overdone.
