A question for all you Fitness Swimming readers: I've been trying to improve my swimming for sometime now, and based largely upon the advice from members of this forum I purchased Emmett Hines' book Fitness Swimming. I did the T15 test he recommends (swam my 100s at 1:50) and started working through the 'Blue' section of the book. It was hard - not because of the amount of swimming or the drills- because I felt like I wasn't getting as good of a workout as I normally do. Before I moved on to the 'Purple' section of the book, I took the T15 test again and swam 100s in 1:55. I know that I should expect my times to increase before they improve , but when should I begin to see improvements? He mentions 'swimming nirvana' later in the book and I seem to be as far from it as you can be.
Thanks, JP
Parents
Former Member
Since I am a rank beginner I started off with the green zone and have done every workout in order. I have worked my way through the blue zone and am now in the purple zone. The first two zones have a rate of perceived exertion of very low. So you are not really supposed to feel wiped out by those drills. The main idea is to improve your freestyle form.
I went from below average (2:05) for my first T-15 to solidly average (1:54 or so) on my second. I just did my third before thanksgiving and have worked my 100 cruise pace down to 1:48. My number of strokes per length (25 yard pool) generally works out to 10 or 11.
So my only advice would be to do the workouts in order and do a T-15 test after you complete each zone. I usually swim 5 days a week and alternate between doing a Fitness Swimming workout one day and on the alternate day do either 30 minutes of freestyle swimming or 30 minutes of swimming with a pair of zoomer fins. I only use the zoomers one day a week.
Since I am a rank beginner I started off with the green zone and have done every workout in order. I have worked my way through the blue zone and am now in the purple zone. The first two zones have a rate of perceived exertion of very low. So you are not really supposed to feel wiped out by those drills. The main idea is to improve your freestyle form.
I went from below average (2:05) for my first T-15 to solidly average (1:54 or so) on my second. I just did my third before thanksgiving and have worked my 100 cruise pace down to 1:48. My number of strokes per length (25 yard pool) generally works out to 10 or 11.
So my only advice would be to do the workouts in order and do a T-15 test after you complete each zone. I usually swim 5 days a week and alternate between doing a Fitness Swimming workout one day and on the alternate day do either 30 minutes of freestyle swimming or 30 minutes of swimming with a pair of zoomer fins. I only use the zoomers one day a week.
