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
Lots of ideas in this thread.
If you are a little more advanced then doing two workouts back to back is a reasonable way to go. Or as someone else did, alternate the fitness swimming workouts with a more standard workout. You could probably do this until you get the first couple of sets of workouts done.
And make sure that you know the purpose of each drill and what exactly you are trying to improve while doing it or what sensation your are looking for. Badly done drills or distractedly done drills are not very useful. Drills with a puspoe are very useful. In my own classes we totally switch strokes to make everyone realize that the purpose of the drill is to learn soemthing, not to get through it and be done with it. I am afraid that we were just going through the motions on most of our drills. Make sure that doesn't happen to you.
I've often thought that "Advanced Fitness Swimming" would include the other three strokes.
I like the book and suggest it to many people because it is very much a how to manual. You can read swimming fastest and walk away without a clear overarching view of what to do. You can make your way through swimming made easy and get the overarching view but not know how to workout. Emmett's book has it all rpetty well laid out. Hand someone the book, tell them "Do the workouts in order," and when they finish they will be a substantially better swimmer.
Lots of ideas in this thread.
If you are a little more advanced then doing two workouts back to back is a reasonable way to go. Or as someone else did, alternate the fitness swimming workouts with a more standard workout. You could probably do this until you get the first couple of sets of workouts done.
And make sure that you know the purpose of each drill and what exactly you are trying to improve while doing it or what sensation your are looking for. Badly done drills or distractedly done drills are not very useful. Drills with a puspoe are very useful. In my own classes we totally switch strokes to make everyone realize that the purpose of the drill is to learn soemthing, not to get through it and be done with it. I am afraid that we were just going through the motions on most of our drills. Make sure that doesn't happen to you.
I've often thought that "Advanced Fitness Swimming" would include the other three strokes.
I like the book and suggest it to many people because it is very much a how to manual. You can read swimming fastest and walk away without a clear overarching view of what to do. You can make your way through swimming made easy and get the overarching view but not know how to workout. Emmett's book has it all rpetty well laid out. Hand someone the book, tell them "Do the workouts in order," and when they finish they will be a substantially better swimmer.
