I started swimming in August, since them I learned all the strokes and pretty much realised that I am most proficient in sprint freestyle events(considering my times for all the strokes).Well, I have a few questions:should I just consentrate on 50 and 100 m. free events then without paying much attention to other strokes, well, maybe just a little bit for a change...Or should I still keep working at all the strokes, maybe versatility in all of them will contribute to my freestyle improvement.Another question is: if I concentrate on freestyle sprint, how should my work-outs look like then?Should they consist of shorter distnace training only with occasional all-out sprint work-outs(25s and so) and a lot of interval training or should I still throw in distnace in my work-outs?I want to compete and compete in a good shape!I can do a 29 sec. 50 free(SCM) and a 1:03-1:05 100 m. free(SCM) depending on how I feel...Is that good considered I was never coached, did all on my own(videos, books, forums) and only introduced myself to swimming August, 2004?I am 24 years old, pretty tall (6'1")and lean(165lb.), so can I expect to go under 55 sec.(that is my goal) for 100m within a year or not?And what can I expect long-term(4-5 years), considering that I will probably get a coached program and will still be insanely passionate about the sport as I am now(I train 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day.How hard does it get once you go under a minute for 100 SCM?I improved dramatically since August(my time was 1:50 when I just started), , but now I feel that every second is a battlle...
I would appreciate everyone's input...
Thanks!
Former Member
Rich, I completely agree with why you disagree with me. However, I said I was splitting hairs... here' the hair I'm splitting:
I'm constantly looking for the silver bullet, and the silver bullet can always take off 2 seconds.
Example: Yesterday I decided to work on my sloppy flip turns (actually the push off the wall was weak). For the last two weeks I've been doing 100's on the 1:15 in my workout. Today I was able to do them on the 1:10. - 5 seconds in one workout.
There's no guarantee that I'll find another silver bullet next month, but they're out there, expediential water resistance aside.
Former Member
I love sprint workouts. I would still work all the strokes because of muscle balance and things like that as well as to prevent boredom. I work all four strokes pretty much everytime I get in the pool. I am most definitely a sprinter, but am working at becoming an IMer (dang breaststroke!). And I am happy to report that my fly is pretty dang good now as is my back ... (dang breaststroke!)
Sprint workouts generally involve 50 or 100 repeats (even 200) on a longer interval but going all out. Last night we did 50's on 1:30. Frequently we do 50 repeats on 1:30 or more, they are suppose to be within 3 seconds of your best time.
You also want to keep your aerobic base. SO you'll still want to swim some distance. Another good set is to do 300's and descend each one.
Key things for sprinters are a fast kick (in case you haven't figured that out), good turns, and I think, good lung capacity. Do 25's no breath.
Good luck!
Former Member
I like swimming stroke because I think it's fun to switch it up. I do think it can get boring to be constantly circle swimming free no matter how hard you work. I like to swim stroke because it makes me think, works different muscles, and makes me all in all a better swimmer.
Also, try reverse circle swimming just to throw you off. We did a whole practice like that. It messes with the mind.
I think it's good to work on all the strokes, and I will defend that idea until the day I die. All the top programs have all their kids work on all the strokes. As they get older and the kids start to specialize the focus shifts, but that doesn't mean that they aren't still swimming all the strokes.
Former Member
Yeah, that is actually what I want to hear - practice all the strokes, 'cause I love doing all the 4, but I really want to emphasize on my sprint freestyle, since it is the best for me.I guess my question was more like:is working on all the strokes going to slow down my progress in freestyle?
Former Member
Another advantage of training different strokes and distances is that you have more opportunities to improve in one of the events, which is good for motivation when you encounter a plateau in your favorite event. Phelp's coach advised against swimming one's specialty too often.
Former Member
Originally posted by LindsayNB
Another advantage of training different strokes and distances is that you have more opportunities to improve in one of the events, which is good for motivation when you encounter a plateau in your favorite event. Phelp's coach advised against swimming one's specialty too often.
Did Phelps really have a specialty?? To me all of his strokes were his specialty.
George
Former Member
Hooked,
I started swimming again last September after 15 yrs off. It took me months till I could do any stroke work, and even now doing 200s non-free kill me. But I keep doing strokes, and they are getting better. It does help vary practice, making it easier to get through longer workouts than if you did it all free.
A suggestion to measure progress--don't time yourself on a single event every week. A week is not enough time to expect continuous improvement. I've been measuring myself by my average time for a set that I do regularly (for me 5x300). My average 300 time (with same amount of rest) in this set has been dropping about 3.3% per month. You could find a similar set (10x100 with 10sec rest for example) and measure your progress for the set every 2 or 3 weeks. This will be a better indicator for the shape you're in
hooked,
I'm not suggesting you shouldn't time yourself in practice
If your focus event is the 100 free
I suggest you time yourself in other stuff and
occasionally time yourself in the 100 free.
like once every 3 or 4 weeks.
I've considered doing a hard swim of my focus event once a week.
Want a brutal set? Try doing
5 x 100 at 98% effort on 5 minutes per 100
Where you concentrate on even splitting each swim.
be sure you swim down between each swim
When you swim fast in practice you can be pretty cofident you're going to be faster when you swim in a real meet.
You also need to figure out if your new kicking style will make you faster.
Ande
Originally posted by hooked-on-swimming
It has been about a week now and I have not timed myself once :-)I am getting better with my addiction to time myself almost every work-out.I do not know, though how you guys can not test yourself for weeks. A couple of days ago I felt a break-through in my freestyle, my kick got better, well, my first urge was to time myself, but then I told myself: even if I improved something I might not be able to go a lot faster right away, that should become natural first and gradually show some results. so I decided that I am going to test myself once a month to see where I am at in my improvement.
I was wondering how often everyone times theirselves. Just curious...
Former Member
It has been about a week now and I have not timed myself once :-)I am getting better with my addiction to time myself almost every work-out.I do not know, though how you guys can not test yourself for weeks.A couple of days ago I felt a break-through in my freestyle, my kick got better, well, my first urge was to time myself, but then I told myself:even if I improved something I might not be able to go a lot faster right away, that should become natural first and gradually show some results.so I decided that I am going to test myself once a month to see where I am at in my improvement.
I was wondering how often everyone times theirselves.Just curious...
Former Member
I time myself for one at the meets that happen monthly and once more than that in practice. As far as timing goes I mean from the block meet style.
I do think that you time yourself every day when doing a target set.